I would like offer this time to take some what of a poll.

1) What is your favorite deck of cards? Why?
2) What is your favorite deck to perform with? (If different than your favorite deck.)
3) What is your favorite color of deck you own?
4) Do you like a fancy design with lots of artwork on the back or do you perfer a minimalists deck with less going on?
5) Standard or custom pips?
6) Standard or custom faces?

1. My favorite deck is the bicycle guardians because of the thematic intricate design, dark face cards, and slight one way back, all on standard bike stock.
2. To perform, I like blue bicyles, because they're simple, recognizable, and have plenty of available gaffs.
3. Dark red - eye catching without being too flashy/different
4. Lots of stuff (patterns), but not too much color
5. Custom pips look nice (at least a recolor) but need to match thematically
6. Standard faces (slight recolor) unless they're set to a theme.

Hey thanks for your input CTerence! =]

Andy

1) My favorite decks of cards are ones with minimal back designs--maybe a simple logo on either side, large geometric design, and I also like a white border.
2) My favorite deck to perform with is just plain bicycle cards, but that's probably just out of habit. Sometimes I like performing with various artisan decks because when people see them it often inspires conversation about the niche world of playing cards--any reason to talk before performing a trick is good for me.
3) I love blue decks--I find them relaxing to look at. There's a reason blue is thought of as a cool color.
4) I prefer minimalist designs.
5) Standard pips for me.
6) Standard faces for me as well, although if the faces have some changes in them, I don't really mind--it doesn't affect my work for the most part.

Good luck Andy!
Neemdog

I prefer to use basic bicycle decks because that is what people are familiar with seeing. Anything else their first reaction is that is it a gaffed deck. I am also trying to find a way to use casino cards that have the holes drilled into them but they are so difficult because most basic moves double lifts etc are almost impossible. As for color I do stick with blue decks because I feel they are more appealing. I incorporate a red backed card for color changes etc as well as torn and restored effects or effects that ruin a card. I like standard size print on the face not the jumbo. As far as playing card size I like to go with bridge size playing cards but I have found them more and more difficult to find

One answer for all, a regular blue Rider back deck.

new decks...... *yawn*

1) What is your favorite deck of cards? Red Tally-Ho Circle backs. Why? They look good and handle good.
2) What is your favorite deck to perform with? Red Tally-Ho Circle backs.
3) What is your favorite color of deck you own? Red
4) Do you like a fancy design with lots of artwork on the back or do you perfer a minimalists deck with less going on? I like the balance of the Tally-Ho Circle back design.
5) Standard or custom pips? Standard
6) Standard or custom faces? Standard - although different aces and jokers are okay as well.

My favorite deck is the monarchs
I perform best with a NOC deck
My favorites color of card backs are read
I like minimal design
Standard
Standard with different court cards, ace of spades, and jokers

1. Aristorcrat Bank Note, NOC V2, they just handle like a dream.
2. Red Backed Richard Turner Gold Seal Bicycles, they handle very well, and familiar back design that spectators recognize and easy to match gaffs.
3. Red, blue.
4. No, minimalist
5. Standard
6. Standard

A good point on custom designs. If you've seen the Dan and Dave Fulton Casino cards....they look and feel great....BUT, the pips on the number cards have a silhouette of another pip inside them. It's very difficult to explain. To use these for a performance can be a bit confusing for the spectator.

1) What is your favorite deck of cards? Why?
Tally-Ho fan backs... I love the design. It's fresh, elegant, simple, and satisfies my OCD.

2) What is your favorite deck to perform with? (If different than your favorite deck.)
Standard bikes. If I preform with a deck other than a standard bike deck, people tend to assume that the deck has been tampered with/is gaffed/ is not a "normal" pack of cards.

3) What is your favorite color of a deck you own?
Black and white. Love the contrast.

4) Do you like a fancy design with lots of artwork on the back or do you perfer a minimalists deck with less going on?
Less is more. But I still definitely like SOME detailed designs... But I prefer less in 90% of the decks I use.

5) Standard or custom pips?
If they're clean and match the "theme" of the card, then custom.But if not, then definitely standard.

6) Standard or custom faces?
Custom for sure. Clean. Simple. Matching. Lol

- Your friendly neighborhood OCD magician

I use Blue Bicycles for just about everything. For color changes I use Green Bicycles as it gets better reaction than Red while audience still recognizes the Bicycle backs

I like using decks that have designs that add a visual air of mystery to my performance - Bicycle Red Dragons, Whispering Imps, or Gnostic.I don't feel that spectators care about back design and have confirmed this by actually asking. What they do seem to care about are the faces - standard i.e. Bicycle red and black pips and court cards that they can easily recognize. If I am watching a performance, I am more leery of standard bike rider backs as more gaffs exist in these than other cards. Comments that spectators are suspicious of card backs that are not familiar just leaves me cold. They are suspicious of the performer IMO.