First world problems: breaking in a new deck

[tealily]

So, I normally do a standard deck spread (deck of cards --> row of overlapping cards) easily with one hand prior to pulling cards and getting on with my read. Takes less than a second.

New deck is stiff, requiring both hands AND much finger work to spread the cards out! Bit embarrassing.

I'm not sure/can't remember what I need to do to get them mobile... although my old RWS deck definitely feels a bit thinner and more flexible than the new Fountain deck. Although I'm freaking out about deliberately bending fancy shmancy new cards!!!

What to do?

[Pandora.]

Originally Posted by tealily

So, I normally do a standard deck spread (deck of cards --> row of overlapping cards) easily with one hand prior to pulling cards and getting on with my read. Takes less than a second. Boom.

I recently received my new (second) deck, and er, can't do this :/ The cards are stiff and require both hands and much finger work to deliberately spread so I can use them properly. Bit embarrassing, to be honest!

I'm not sure/can't remember what I need to do to get them mobile... although my old RWS deck definitely feels a bit thinner and more flexible than the new Fountain deck. At the same time I am also freaking out about deliberately bending fancy shmancy new cards!!!

What to do?

It's no good asking me unfortunately. I'm having problems just learning to shuffle, period!

I expect you'll get used to them and work out the best way though.

[tealily]

But I love pretending I'm a professional cardshark

Haha, I had this with the Illuminati Tarot, all the gilding and thick card stock=nightmare, thank goodness for mass produced thinner cardstock, (yes I bought both copies )

Just keep shuffling, shuffling, shuffling. Take a few cards at a time and flex them, not an actual bend, but a gentle flex.
They do 'give' over time, the more you handle them the more compliant they will be although throw away an ideas of riffle shuffling them EVER!!

[tealily]

YES. GILDING AND THICK CARD STOCK. Much pretty but not much functional. This makes so much sense!!

Thanks Pisces Moon!

[FairyCrystal]

LOL. I feel for you, hahahaha.
I don't like thick cards much either.
What annoys me more is when the corners get erm... what you call that? Wouldn't even know in my own language *scratches head* ... show wear and tear and get thicker than the card itself. I don't mind when they have a used look, but when the corners go, I seriously don't like that! It affects the way I like to divide the deck in three, as it will divide where there's a card with more damaged corners.

I once removed the most damaged cards from my Angel THerapy deck (not a prob, as I mainly use that deck for Yes/No questions and I left the Yes and NO cards in). But in the end I was left with only some 8 cards, haha.

My Gilded Reverie Lenormand isn't all that gilded anymore, lol. I don't mind that so much. But the corners going ... grrrrrrrrr!!!

[Lynn]

Hello

Try to turn them and Shuffle them. Instead of holding them laying the way they show the long edges horizontal try the long edges vertical in the shuffle.

Hope this makes sense. Its easy for me to see doing it harder to explain it.

Lynn

Originally Posted by Lynn

Hello

Try to turn them and Shuffle them. Instead of holding them laying the way they show the long edges horizontal try the long edges vertical in the shuffle.

Hope this makes sense. Its easy for me to see doing it harder to explain it.

Lynn

I have to do this with oracle decks as they are too big for my small hands.........first world problems, bah!!

[Kaimi]

Shuffling? ok here is my typical routine for new cards. (all types of cards for all games.)

in some of my decks the cards seem to stick together for a few uses prior to softening out or maybe the cards are just not good to shuffle like a poker pro. or you are like me, and dislike the wear and tear certain methods place on a deck. In the event of this there are a ways I typically use to compensate for this.

Compensation - a way of randomizing the deck in wish you place 4-8 cards and repeat the rotation until you run out of cards. creating 4 to 8 piles. then you shuffle them together using the overhand shuffle.

Washing - a method of randomizing where you simply mix the cards on the table. spreading and condensing the pile until the cards are randomized.

if you like to spread the cards out across the table easily then there really is only one way to do so. wait till they get worn out a little more. The plastic coating tends to wear a bit over time and use, but until then I would use a piece of felt. something similar enough to the material of a poker table or a short matte carpet. this will cause friction to do all the work for you. (note that some of the plastic like coating on cards may cause the cards to stick together, this is nothing you can fix outside of just waiting for the cards to wear off some of that.) not even the carpet or felt will help much if this is the case.

I call the following 'cracking' the deck. usually with new decks they tend to stick together so right after they come out of the box for the first several uses, I will bend the entire deck. Just a little flex of the entire thing will typically un-stick the cards from one another and usually cause a crack noise. Newer decks seem to be louder than older decks.

I try to keep things in good condition, but ultimately my most loved objects show the love in the form of wear. I am of the opinion that the wear patterns are a reflection of the individual deck. my used decks are mine, they are unique and no other deck will have the physical or energy of an identical printing.

[Puggy]

I have had similar problems, what I tend to do is when I'm watching TV I'll play with the cards in my hands. Occasionally breathing on them, (sometimes sniffing them) and over time they seem to break in quite quick and it helps me bond with the cards too.