How can you identify a marked deck? A quick way to see if a deck is a marked deck is to 'take it to the movies', or give it 'the riffle test'. For example a clock face disguised on the card back might have a dot in the place corresponding to the number of the card. Marked decks with coded systems rely on using other codes or clues to indicate the value and suit of the cards. With these decks, your job is simply to 'read' the back of the card, and you can immediately identify it. Marked decks with reader systems are what you'd expect: hidden somewhere in the back design, if you know where to look, it will say what the card is. How does a marked deck work? There are two main types of marked decks that you'll commonly find being produced commercially: reader systems and coded systems. A marked deck is a deck with secret marks on the back of the card, that allow you to identify the value and suit on the opposite side, just by looking at the card back. But it's true that magicians and mentalists sometimes use marked decks. Marked Deck Basics What is a marked deck? Shh, don't tell anybody.

How to tell mtg card sets apart