This Week's Top 20

Emperor Playing Cards (MARKED / 12 Decks)


TWO devious secrets hide in plain sight on the back of this limited edition version of the Emperor Deck. Limited edition, no restock. ONLY 4 LEFT.
FREE SHIPPING TO USA. No minimum to get free shipping on this item.
Price: $149.95
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The Emperor Deck is a custom deck of playing cards conceived by Kevin Reylek, designed by world-renowned artist Mark Stutzman (Split Spades, Whispering Imps) and produced by Penguin Magic with printing by the Expert Playing Card Company.

When we decided to create a timeless deck that represents our entire brand at Penguin, we knew there were only a few must-haves. First, it had to be the EMPEROR. The most recognized and well-known of all penguins, the emperor penguin has a distinct, classic, and iconic look.

Our other must-have was a world-class artist. We sought out none other than Mark Stutzman to tackle the job. Mark has designed playing cards and posters for David Blaine, and even designed the iconic Elvis stamp for the US postal service. We couldn't be more delighted with the amazing work that Mark has done on this deck of cards.

BACK

The back design is the most intricate we've ever produced. Meticulously illustrated, the design features penguins galore.

We have sliding penguins, marching penguins, and our featured performer penguin to give a nod to the deck's magical roots.

Snowflakes and detailed scrollwork complete the look. The back design is rotationally symmetrical so it can be used for magic tricks, card games, and more.

ACE

The most powerful penguins for the most powerful card in the deck. Our custom Ace of Spades is simply beautiful. It features two penguins rising up from the icy waters, the tips of their beaks meeting at the apex. To say that we LOVE this design is an understatement.

JOKER

Our joker is represented by the delightful rockhopper penguin. The feather crests on a rockhopper's head give it a jester-like quality that we knew would be the perfect fit for the joker. Impeccably illustrated by Mr. Stutzman, this is a joker that you won't want to leave out of the deck. Each deck has 2 identical joker cards.

TUCK BOX

Beautiful cards deserve a beautiful box. The front of the box features a modified and more ornately decorated version of the performer penguin. Standing in the night sky surrounded by icy mountains, he is standing proud, declaring to the world that he is the EMPEROR.

The back of the box features the design of the card back at actual size. This is a classic touch that we know will be especially appreciated by card magicians.

The box is topped off with a foil seal that features our Emperor Spade design. The Unmarked Decks have a Silver foil seal, the Marked decks have a Gold foil seal. The Special Edition Decks (Only available in the 2-deck Collector's Set) have an individually-numbered Silver foil seal.

MATERIALS

The Emperor deck has been printed to perfection by the Expert Playing Card Company on a classic stock & finish. This is the same quality we have used on our Woodlands and Composition Decks, which feel terrific and offer ultra smooth handling. Expert is known for delivering precise registration, which is a MUST for a design with borders as thin as the ones on Emperor. The silky edges are a delight to hold whether you're a faro-shuffling magician, a quick-cutting cardist, or an at-home game player.

MARKED VERSION

In addition to the Standard version, we have also created a MARKED version of the deck. Each back design hides a secret code that allows you to identify the suit & value of the card at a glance. Perfectly hidden but easy to learn, the marked Emperor deck is a powerful magical tool. It is intended for entertainment purposes only, and should not be used for gambling or cheating.

•Designed by Mark Stutzman
•Gorgeous custom Back design & Ace of Spades
•Duplicate custom Jokers
•Custom Tuck Box with foil seal
•Printed by EPCC with Classic stock/finish
•Available in Unmarked and Marked versions
Collector's Set, Coin, Pin, and Art Prints also available

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Featured Magic Tricks

Customer Reviews (showing 1 - 10 of 20)
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High quality Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 14th, 2020
(This review is for Emperor Playing Cards)
The deck is very smooth to handle for my limited card magic abilities. Love the way they feel and perform as a mnemonic stack. As for the markings, totally useless without an electron microscope at the card table with you. Value of the deck= $14.00. Value of the marks = $0.95.
6 of 7 magicians found this helpful.
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Know what to expect Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on June 19th, 2020
(This review is for Emperor Playing Cards)
I think some of the negative reviews about the marks are mostly to do with expectations rather than the actual marking system itself.

We as magicians have gotten spoiled by recent decks on the market such as Penguin's Marked Maidens, the DMC Elites, and others. These relatively huge marks are pretty new in the world of marked cards.

The Emperor deck uses a system that relies on small dots and a bit of decoding.

I agree that most magicians would find another deck more useful within the context of a trick, but the Emperors are far from useless. It's just important to know before you buy that these are more of an old-school marking like gamblers might have used back in the day, rather than a super huge & easy to read system like we've so quickly grown accustomed to.

The design of the cards is gorgeous, and they handle great.

I am in my mid-30s and wear glasses. The Emperor won't be my "daily use" marked deck at every gig, but I found the system easy to learn and not all that difficult to read from a couple feet away.

Another reviewer mentioned the Butterfly marked decks, which you also have to decode with fairly small marks. I don't find the Butterfly any easier or more difficult to read than the Emperor, and I don't see anyone complaining about the Butterflies. It's just that expectations were laid out more.

For future decks, Penguin should clarify whether the decks are more like the plainly-readable marked decks or the more old-school coded style.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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USELESS MARKED DECK! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on June 5th, 2020
(This review is for Emperor Playing Cards)
I think that Tommy Meeker was a little unfair in his review about requiring an electron microscope at the card table to be able to read the marks.

I found that if I have just a regular microscope at the card table, I am able to read the marks.

And so I will add my two cents about the USLESS marking system employed on these cards. The marks are far too small for use as a marked deck. I am able to see the “one way” mark but when you buy a marked deck you want to be able to see the marks without being caught looking at the marks. (Please see Jon Armstrong’s excellent tutorial on the “Maiden Back” marked cards.)

I found that when I tried to nonchalantly pass the cards under the microscope to read the marks, my audience immediately became suspicious.

Buy them for the design but not the marked deck.

Also I was disappointed to find NO double backed card and NO blank faced card in the deck.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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emperor gimmicked playing cards Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 22nd, 2020
(This review is for Emperor Playing Cards)
the hidden method is ingenious and easy to learn
The size is too, too small to read without squinting, putting on glasses, using a magnifying glass or bringing the card so close to your face that it defeats the purpose of the gimmick
The product is good, but I can't use it
do you have a more reasonable alternative?
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Pretty but over-priced Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 21st, 2020
(This review is for Emperor Playing Cards)
Markings are hard to see even when you know they are there. Way overpriced IMO. Cool looking but not worth it. I have buyers remorse. Best marked deck I've seen is the Marksman deck.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Companion to the unmarked deck Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 23rd, 2021
(This review is for Emperor Playing Cards)
This is the marked version corresponding to the standard Emperor deck, produced by Penguin Magic, and inspired by the famous emperor penguin. I love the "performer penguin" on the tuck box, and the delightful backs, which have a classically styled design with ornate scrollwork, snowflakes, and even a line of tiny emperor penguins about to slide down the ice. The custom Ace of Spades and custom Jokers are also very well done.

The marked deck is basically the same as the standard deck, but has secret markings that enable you to identify the card just by looking at the card-backs. It's a coded system rather than a reader system, which means that it relies on small marks that have to be decoded as part of an easy-to-learn system, and this also ensures that it's almost certain to go undetected. The markings are quite small, so you'll need good eyesight to use it.

Both decks have been printed in Taiwan by Expert Playing Card Company in their popular Classic finish. These have a slightly different feel than a typical USPCC deck, but EPCC is an industry leader renowned for printing high quality playing cards with precise registration and extremely durable card-stock.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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Useless marking system Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 18th, 2020
This deck is a waste of money. The deck itself is average at best. It certainly doesn’t compare to any good decks like bicycle elites or Phoenix. The markings are too small, to see them requires enough squinting and time that any observer will know what you are doing. If you want tiny marks that fly under the radar so you can cheat your friends in a poker game, these are for you. Others should get something else. Very disappointed, penguin should do a lot better. The back design is nice, that’s the only decent thing about this deck.
1 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Amazing deck of cards Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on September 17th, 2023
Very good
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Super Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on May 19th, 2023
(This review is for Emperor Playing Cards)
Great cards, easy to use. Thank you!
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Apperantly I am psychic Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on October 12th, 2022
(This review is for Emperor Playing Cards)
This product is awesome. 2 ways of discretly predicting a card. Works great when used with other other products and apps too. I have had spectators search for markings many times now, and I come out clean every time.


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