Whispering Imps Gamesters Black LE deck

In January 2014, I partnered again with illustrator Mark Stutzman, and we began designing the second deck in the Whispering Imps® series: The Gamesters.

In January 2015, the Standard Edition Gamesters were completely funded by over 500 backers on Kickstarter!  The Limited Edition Gamesters are the ultra-luxury version of that very same design and incorporates what very few decks have achieved...a revolutionary new technique of stamping Gold & Silver foils directly on to the backs of each playing card, a milestone set by the Expert Playing Card Co. last year. 

The Limited Edition Gamesters will be available in two versions:

BLACK & GOLD EDITION (Key Features)

• Black Back with Gold Foil "WI" Logos
• Traditionally Cut (preferred by professionals)
• Embossed Paper Stock with Premium Master Finish (for long lasting play)
• 2 Embossed Layers of Foil on the Tuck Box (Gold Foil & Black Foil)
• Limited to only 1000 Decks

RED & SILVER EDITION (Key Features)

• Red Back with Silver Foil "WI" Logos
• Traditionally Cut (preferred by professionals)
• Embossed Paper Stock with Premium Master Finish (for long lasting play)
• 2 Embossed Layers of Foil on the Tuck Box (Silver Foil & Black Foil)
• Limited to only 1000 Decks

These Limited Edition decks were released as part of the Whispering Imps® Wooden Collectors Set. Each limited edition set contains every deck ever produced by Whispering Imps Productions, a culmination of over 2 years of designing and manufacturing custom playing cards.

In 2013, I successfully Kickstarted the Whispering Imps®, a deck of cards for magicians that was inspired by Harry Kellar’s famous portrait poster from 1894. After a very successful campaign, 5 different versions of the original design and thousands of shipped decks, it was time for a brand new deck of Whispering Imps®. In January 2014, I partnered again with illustrator Mark Stutzman, and we began designing the second deck in the Whispering Imps® series: The Gamesters.

Designed for card players, the Gamesters are two new decks inspired by classic Las Vegas casinos including Jerry’s Nugget, the Golden Nugget, and The Wynn. The clean, simplistic back design allows players to be focused on what’s most important – the game.

Additionally, I wanted to make it easier for both left and right handed card players to peek at their hand while at the same reducing the amount of card exposed to prying eyes, so the pips are placed just 2.5mm from the edge in all four corners.  The top right and bottom left indices are rotated 90°, allowing players another unique opportunity to quickly peek at their hand when cards are in a horizontal position.  

Lastly, it was important to set this deck apart from the original while maintaining elegance. The original Whispering Imps® sported a very intricate back design and were housed within a very simple, iconic tuck box. The Gamesters incorporate just the opposite - a very simple and iconic back design and an intricate, elaborate tuck box.