Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could possibly give me a little bit of insight about the Aladdin & Arrco playing cards from the U.S. Playing Card Co. So far I have only seen them for sale on Dan & Dave's website, with praises as the best deck of cards a magician should have and use with their routine and flourishes. So far the only decks that I currently use for all my performances are:

Bicycle Rider Back 808
Tally-Ho
Bee Club Special
Split Spades : Lions
Propaganda Elite Military-Grade Playing Cards

Out of those five, I use the Bicycle Rider Back 808 and Tally-Ho a great deal more than the other decks. The Aladdin and Arrco decks caught my attention when I first started to watch the Trilogy DVD set, and at the time I had no idea what kind of cards they were using. So my question to anyone who is able to help me, are these decks really worth all the hype they have been receiving? Or is it just something that is a personal preference for the magician who uses them. I do have somewhat of a hobby of collecting decks of cards, and even then I don't always perform with each and everyone of them on a regular basis.

So, if anyone could please help me out and let me know if these cards really are the best type of decks to perform with, or just a personal preference for some magicians.

Decks are pretty subjective. That being said, I do like Arrco's, just not enough to make them my sole practice deck. To me (IMHO here) they were slightly better than Tally Ho's, but did have a weird feel to them over time.

If memory serves I had a deck of Aladdins but it was back before I was serious about magic so I can't recall specifics. If this copy is accurate...

...then it sounds as if the finishing process is similar to those Fourniers I love so much. "Plastic feeling" finishes will be a weird adjustment from the kind of cards Americans are used to. I think you will either love it or hate it. Can't hurt to try...unless you buy by the brick

I've been using Arrco's a lot recently (because somebody was crazy enough to sell a dozen decks on Amazon for $10 ), and just a few days ago I picked up a deck of bikes, and they had NOTHING on the Arrco's. They're really smooth and last a LONG time. And they work really well for Side Steals, which I have been practicing a lot.

But like Akira said, it's subjective. you won't know which one is the best, until you try them all yourself.

I finally received both decks in the mail and the Aladdin's were the first deck that I opened. WOW, those cards aren't just smooth, they're super, super smooth. As I handled them I can feel how thick the card stock is and the cards are quite rigid, but I just couldn't get over the smooth coating they put on the cards. For some reason, it reminded me of some board games I used to play with friends and other family members while either camping, or just having a "party". The feel alone brought me back to when I was like 11 or 12 years old, and a very sore loser at any board game!

Anyways, back on topic. I'm very glad that I was able to play with them for a bit and then placed them next to all the other decks of cards I have collected over the years. I really doubt I will do much card magic with the Aladdin's, but they're still fun to have on hand when either you or everyone else wants to try a new/different deck of cards.

After all of that, I reached for an Arrco red U.S. Regulation deck, and I was really taken aback as I started to go through the cards. Removing the Jokers and those other pesky cards they place in every deck of cards, and then just started shuffling, dribbling, and all sorts of stress test flourishing.
What really surprised me was the fact that if they got bent, it never even flawed the card all that very much, something that Bicycle cards lack. The court and face cards have a distinct old school look to them, and none of the face cards have had a make over to make them look identical to every other King, Queen and Jack. I have been practicing with these cards ever since I got them and I just don't want to put them down! Nice sleek, and smooth finish (although no where near as smooth as Aladdin's, thank g*d) that I went back online and bought 3 more red Arrco decks and 3 more blue Arrco decks.

Now there is only one other deck I have been wanting to own and practice, perform and flourish with, and those are the Wynn Casino cards. They have received the same hype, if not more, than Aladdin's and the Arrco decks, but since they have all been recalled and the ones remaining sell for anywhere from $39 to $65 dollars for a SINGLE DECK!

Too rich for my blood, but I'll keep my eyes on the look out for a way to get some Wynn cards that wont make me broke.