Jerry’s Nugget is a North Las Vegas casino that opened in 1964. In 1970 it ordered decks for its tables from the United States Playing Card Company that were never used; they ended up being sold in the casino’s gift shop and, over time, magicians turned them into one of the most sought-after decks for their handling. Since 2019 Conjuring Arts has reissued the design under licence from the casino, and the Marked Monotone series, funded on Kickstarter and made in collaboration with Riffle Shuffle, is its marked variant.

• PublisherConjuring Arts, in collaboration with Riffle Shuffle
• PrinterUnited States Playing Card Company
• Finishthin crushed Bee stock, traditional cut
• Markingfactory-marked, indicates the suit
• Print run4,200 decks, numbered seal

Design

This is the ice-blue version of the series: the familiar Jerry’s Nugget back, with the casino’s marquee in the centre, printed in a single cool, pale colour. It comes factory-marked, so the marquee design includes details that let you recognise a card’s suit from the back. Like the red one, it marks only the suit; the value indication is reserved for the green version. By its nature, it is a deck that would not be allowed in a casino.

Manufacturing

It is printed by the United States Playing Card Company on its premium Bee stock, in the thin crushed version (thin crushed: the paper is compressed to make it thinner and more flexible) to come close to the thickness of the original decks. It keeps the traditional cut, the old method in which the blade enters from the face of the card, giving an edge slightly different from the modern cut. It is a limited edition of 4,200 copies, with no reprints planned, and each tuck box carries a numbered seal.