GLIDER BACK PLAYING CARDS

Ever since my childhood I've loved making and flying paper planes, so I didn't need much convincing to check out the Glider Back Playing Cards. This deck only just hit the market from Penguin Magic at the start of April 2021, so it's a fresh new release.



This custom deck is being advertised as featuring origami-inspired artwork. To be honest, despite all those paper planes I've made over the years, I've never thought of them as origami, but since origami is the art of paper folding, I suppose that's what they're about. The front of the tuck box introduces us to our familiar looking paper glider, which may bring back memories of school for many of us.

But the real point of interest is the card back design, which is also found on the back of the tuck box. The triangles that make up our paper plane are present in a spiral pattern in the center of the cards. The bold blue circle in the middle is the main point of interest and grabs the eye, but upon closer examination you'll see that this is set on a backdrop that consists of tiled paper planes. Using a simple blue and white colour scheme helps emphasize the geometric patterns and the shapes.



The custom artwork on the faces of the cards continues the paper plane theme. The court cards are decked in plain red or black, depending on the suit, and are heavily stylized with line drawings, with the triangular folding pattern from our gliders being in evidence everywhere. The characters used for the Jokers have a similar design style. The origami feel is also evident on the number cards, with all the pips featuring a split design, and divided into triangular shapes, which gives the impression that they've been folded out of paper. All four Aces are over-sized and feature giant pips with lines that also suggest folding into quarters.

But perhaps the best secret is discovered when you take a closer look at the card backs: they're marked. Actually, it's hard to discover this secret, even if you know that you have to look for it. It's a coded system that the usual riffle test won't uncover. With the deck you get access to a video that explains the marking system, which is a coded system that is surprisingly easy to learn. You'll need a sharp eye, but once you know what to look for, you'll quickly be taking to the skies of magic along with your glider backs.



This deck is available from Penguin Magic.

These look very good and am sure they will handle well. However I note that to see the markings you need a 'sharp eye.' Does this mean the markings are small or based on some fine detail? The reason I ask is that as someone who wears reading glasses, I do not want to have to peer to see the markings. Some marked decks are great and clear when you know what to look for but there are also some which, although clever, need keen sight.

Any guidance would be welcome - I do like the look of these cards but how 'reader friendly' are they?

Thanks

Neil

To answer the question from NeilS:

These are in the "need keen sight" category. If you already need reading glasses, then these are probably not ideal for you.

Thanks for your helpful response. Much appreciated.

Just got mine today. Here's my take for someone like myself who wears glasses from morning to night. Your experience will vary depending on your corrected vision. For me the markings are easy to read up to about 12 -16'' away. ( approximately my arm's length when holding the deck at eye level for a "tell me where to stop" type riffle or a very open, "touch then show a card" type fan, where in either case you can see the top 1/4 of the card. ) The markings are coded so no one will be able to detect them by riffling or any other than the most extensive examination. The suit cards seem to take just a tad longer to decipher but then again I've only had them in my hands for about 20 minutes now, so I'm sure my 72 year old brain will get up to speed with a bit more practice. I enjoy marked decks and this one is certainly unique and I am very pleased with my purchase. I won't be able to read them from across the table but will choose routines that work within my vision parameters. I hope this was helpful.