Infrequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

Beginner Questions

1. What other decks are good besides regular Bicycle decks? / What decks should I buy?

Aladdin 1001, Tally-Ho, Copag 310, and Aviator decks are good options for cheap, good handling cards. Feel free to try different decks to see what works best for you as each deck will handle differently.

If you want more personalized recommendations, consider making a post for recommendations and include decks that you like (in terms of design and/or handling) on r/Cardistry.

2. Where do I start learning cardistry? What are some cool moves I can learn?

Check out the << Beginner’s Guide >> to get started with cardistry. You might want to take a look at our list of tutorials selected by r/cardistry and pick out moves that are interesting to you.

<< Click here to go to the tutorial list! >>

Alternatively, you can check out Lotus in Hand, School of Cardistry, Cardistry Touch, Fontaine Cards, Dealersgrip, di.cardistry, and Best Cardist Alive for a larger selection of free YouTube tutorials.

3. Do I have to learn all the basic moves?

Absolutely not. Feel free to pick and choose the moves you want to learn. It’s still recommended to learn all of them if you plan on doing cardistry seriously as it will help with learning other moves and creating original cuts.

4. What hand should I learn cardistry in?

Whatever feels more comfortable to you. Keep in mind that most tutorials are taught with the deck in the left hand for right-handed people. Left-handed people will typically learn moves with the deck in the right hand. If the tutorial is taught in the opposite hand, you can use Deturl.com to flip YouTube tutorials or a browser extension to flip a web page for easier learning.

5. How often should I practice?

As much as like you. Cardistry is a hobby, so do whatever is most enjoyable to you. Improvement takes time and effort, so consistent practice over time helps a lot.

6. What are some tips for practicing?

  • Practice purely on cardistry for a set amount of time
  • Practice on a bed to catch cards that fall
  • Perform moves slowly and smoothly at first before speeding up
  • Keep a deck in your hands at all times to build muscle memory
  • If a grip is uncomfortable, hold cards in that grip to get used to it
  • Focus on a small set of moves at a time
  • Do cardistry with your idle hand during the day
  • Try using less cards for certain moves
  • Don’t forget to take breaks every so often

You can also watch Lotus in Hand’s video on practicing efficiently as well as Teo Chun Chieh’s video on improving at cardistry.

Deck Maintenance

7. How do I take care of my cards?

/u/EndersGame_Reviewer has written a great article on taking care of your decks. Put simply, avoid dropping or using your cards in a dirty or humid environment and make sure your hands are clean before practicing.

8. How do I break in my cards?

Lotus in Hand has a quick overview of breaking in cards in addition to 52Kards and Rise Magics’ tutorials on breaking in decks. Riffle shuffles, faro shuffles, swing cuts, LePaul spreads, and card springs are all good moves to start breaking in a deck. Just remember to do them in the opposite direction to keep the deck straight. You can find tutorials for these moves in the << Tutorial List >> You can also read /u/EndersGame_Reviewer’s article on breaking in decks.

9. How do I know when my deck is too worn in? / When should I swap decks?

Everyone has their own limit for when a deck is too worn in. Some general indicators of a worn deck is the amount of grime on the deck, how much the deck clumps up, and how well a deck returns to its original shape after applying pressure (springs, LePaul spreads etc.) You can choose to retire or rotate out a deck when you feel like its not handling as well as it should be.

Learning / Creating Moves

10. What are some tips for creating my own flourish?

For beginners, it’s recommended that you learn some of the basics before trying to focus purely on creating your own flourish. New ideas can emerge from mistaking mistakes or finding a nifty mechanic and expanding it to a full flourish. It’s also important to not force yourself to create a new but rather develop it over time. There’s a lot of intricacies with creating moves so feel free to delve into all of the resources below.

11. How do I learn/create a move that no longer has a tutorial?

Unfortunately, it’s hard to learn moves that don’t have tutorials available anymore. You can find performances of the move and slow them down to learn them or message the original creator to see if they can help you out.

It’s best not to pirate the move or learn from a “free” tutorial of a move that isn’t made by the original creator out of respect, see << Ethics >>.

In the case that you wish to create a tutorial for a move that doesn’t have an available tutorial (either offered for purchase or for free from the creator), you should take a look at this quick flowchart to see if you should create one in the first place. Permission for the move is ultimately one of the most important aspects, if not the most important, to have since you would be creating something for someone else’s ideas. Alongside that, it’s important that your potential tutorial shows mastery of said move, improves upon the original tutorial, and gives appropriate credit for the move.

Miscellaneous

12. What are some tips for creating my own cardistry video?

Lotus in Hand has a great video going over this process in addition to Jaspas’ video on improving your cardistry video.

Cardistry Tips for Videos

  • Try to focus on quality > quantity (a shorter video with great moves > long video with mediocre moves)
  • Make sure that moves are performed well and cleanly (do multiple takes!)
  • Use interesting and impactful moves whenever possible
  • Avoid repeating moves (showing multiple angles or a move or repeating part of a move is fine)

Editing Tips for Videos

  • Make sure to have good lighting and color (cards should be the clear focus in the video)
  • Use a clean or interesting filming location (+1 for outdoors)
  • Keep your moves in frame
  • Use multiple camera angles and/or have someone else film you
  • Choose music that fits the speed and theme of your video (+1 if you sync moves to the music)

13. How do I create my own deck?

/u/twillyte has written up a guide on creating your own custom deck. You can also use Cardistry Touch’s card fan simulator to see how your design looks in fans.

14. What are blue seals and are they any good?

/u/EndersGame_Reviewer covers blue seals in this Reddit comment. You might also want to read this "Who Shuffles Like That" article for more information.

15. What are card clips and do I need one?

Card clips are essentially deck protectors. They are usually made of metal and are used to extend the life of a deck by protecting the tuck box and straightening the cards. They are by no means required, but can be useful. There are also alternatives such as deck cases which cover the entire box and deck slips/protectors which are essentially plastic sleeves for the tuck box.

You can also read /u/EndersGame_Reviewer’s article on card clips for a more in-depth explanation.

16. My hand/fingers hurt when I do cardistry. What should I do?

Your hand should only feel a light strain when it’s trying to work muscles that you wouldn’t normally use. However, if you start to feel any sort of extensive pressure or pain, you should stop doing cardistry for a while. You can try again afterwards to see if the pain is still there. If it hurts again, consider seeing a doctor to check on your hand -- it’s better to be safe than sorry.

17. What are some finger exercises/warm-ups are there?

Greg Irwin’s “Finger Fitness” goes over a whole list of exercises as well as Rise Magic’s video on finger exercises. 52Kards has a tutorial on finger rolls. Alternatively, you could simply warm up with basic cardistry moves until your hands feel comfortable enough.

18. Where can I buy/sell cards?

If you’re looking for online stores, /u/robobooga has created a list of online stores that sell decks in many different countries. General retailers like Target, Walgreens, or Barnes and Nobles (for those that have these in your country) will carry a small selection of cards. You can also post on r/Cardistry or r/playingcards to see if people know any stores in your area.

You can sell your cards via eBay or through r/PlayingCardsMarket.

19. I need help with the NPH puzzle, can someone give me a hint?

You can check out older threads on r/Cardistry or reach out to r/playingcards to get some more help.

20. How can I meet up with other cardists?

There are many ways to meet the community. It’s most active on Reddit (r/Cardistry), Instagram (@bestcardistalive), and Discord. Some cardistry figures may also hold jams and events in your area, so check around! You can also add yourself to r/Cardistry’s Cardist Location List to organize jams or wait for Cardistry Con!

21. What are some books for cardistry?

  • Dimitri Arleri: Hold my brain
  • Jerry Cestkowski: Encyclopedia of Playing Card Flourishes
  • Matthew Beaudouin: Exploded Process
  • Nikolaj Pedersen: New York Notes, Take a Break
  • Oliver Sogard: Rectangular Thoughts
  • Tobias Levin: Threedom, OH Ideas, Cardistry from Time to Time

22. I just got back into cardistry, what’s new?

Still have questions?

Feel free to make a post on r/Cardistry or ask the Cardistry Discord!