 Hey everybody, welcome back to Magic Orthodoxy. My name is David and this is how a deck handles. Hey, so yeah, we're going to address that age old question, how does a deck handle? And if you've been familiar with my channel for any given time, you know that I don't do shuffles or spreads or flourishes in my reviews. And I kind of try to approach the review a little bit more analytically, historically. Yeah. And so people do ask time and time again, hey, how does a deck handle? And I've kind of answered that casually in comment sections, and I've even written a couple of blog posts about it, but I did want to address it. And so while I'm talking, I'm actually going to show you some of the different caliper measurements we've taken over the past year or so. I'm going to start with some United States playing card company cards, show you the readings, the thicknesses on those. And then I'm going to show you some of the designer decks. Just know that whenever we do a caliper measurement, I always use 10 cards as my scale. That's my go-to, that's my parameter. I measure 10 cards. And then of course, if you wanted to, you could multiply that number by 20, 30, 40, 50, whatever. And usually what I try to tell you is how the deck feels as opposed to how the deck handles. And let me tell you why. If you've been a fan of my deck reviews, you notice that every so often I measure the deck with a caliper. And so why do I do that? Well, because it's scientific and it can't be disputed. I would say that the deck was thin stock, or I could say it was thick stock, but really what does that mean? I could say the cards feel great, but that's a subjective opinion. I can't tell you how you will like them or how they will feel in your hands. Just because I like them, just because they work for me, doesn't mean they're going to feel good for you. So I try to create a list of measurements. So far, I've logged a couple decks, and you can always go back and check that. Or you could look past at one of our reviews to see how thick the cards are. Because what will happen is I'll say, oh, the coven deck feels the same as a Riderback 808. Or I could say, wow, the Memento Mori deck is really thin stock. But I don't want to be like other deck reviewers who give you information that you can't use or that doesn't apply to you. So I don't know when it happened or where it happened or how or who or what, but somewhere along the way, you and I, we were all influenced to believe the subtleties of either a fraction of a millimeter in card thickness or the amount of ink that's applied to the paper stock could be felt by an experienced card handler. In talking about the latest deck, we would marvel at the design, but then we would quickly ask, yes, but how do they handle? And that's what I'm trying to talk to you about. Because I really don't like this question, and it's not because I disagree with it, but because there's really no best way to answer it. Like I said, I've written some blog articles about this. I would suggest you go out and read those. That's a good place to start. But the reason why I don't like the question is there's just too many variables. And let me just tell you, for instance, how does a deck handle? Well, that depends on you. I mean, you think of it like a car or a bike or a skateboard. Those are all inanimate objects, right? They don't do anything on their own. And yet you could ask the same question of those, how does that car handle? How does that skateboard handle? Well, it depends on you, right? How good are you? A great car can handle like junk in the wrong person is driving it. And a great skateboard, if it's just sitting there, it's not doing anything at all. But a great person who knows how to use a skateboard can make it talk and dance and sing. And a poor person is just going to, you know, eat it and they can't even do the simplest tricks. So if you address some of the factors that are within us, you know, like say for instance, talent, how cards handle depend on your talent. You know, there's a phrase in the magic community, there's no bad magic, only bad magicians, meaning even the poorest trick can handle amazingly if it's in the right hands. So I can't answer the handle question because I don't know what your talent level is, nor do I want to mislead you if my skill is better or worse than yours. The right deck might handle amazingly in your agile fingers. So, and that leads to preference, you know, all of us have different preferences. And the truth is, the subtle differences in playing cards might resonate more with you than they do with me. And you might be a person who prefers a smooth finish on a deck. I might prefer legends cards over other manufacturers. It's the same thing as asking whether you like Ford or Chevy or how those handle, you know, it's a bias. We each have our favorites. I've listened to card collectors just slam United States playing card company, but they're my preference. I would rather own a deck of USPCC, Duck Dynasty or Sleeping Beauty cards before I would use any other brand of cards. There is one more last factor and that's care, you know, how you take care of your cards is crucial to how they handle. So most questions about how cards handle, they're only really applicable to their feel and performance straight out of the box. But if you've handled cards over any amount of time, you know that cards change through the owner and through their care. So the best care for cards is the best care for all paper goods. And I covered this and how to care for your cards. And you can check that review out too. Store them in a container with limited air pressure, store them in a cool dry place, preferably low to the ground. I store all my cards in cardboard long boxes in the floor in my closet. So air, humidity, those all will deteriorate your cards over time. Sort of oils and dirt in your skin. Part of care is also breaking your deck. You know, that's also another way of saying, well, how do they handle? There's lots of people who actually prefer a deck that's been broken in over a deck that's been pulled straight out of the box. And so I think some cards handle better after a few weeks. The same way your bed or your favorite chair has like a worn indent or you sit or sleep, cards can also bend to your will, making those decks feel amazing. But in truth, you know, you've just conditioned that deck to fit your style. Okay, so that's my last piece of input. I hope that was helpful. If you ever have questions, I would say please post them below or contact me directly through my channel. Hey, and out of the three criteria that I listed above, what do you think influences how a deck handles the most? Do you think it's talent? Do you think it's preference or do you think it's care? Let us know in the comment section below and I'll see you next time. Bye.