Tycoon is a deck created by theory11 together with the magician Steve Cohen, who for years has presented his close-up magic show Chamber Magic at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. Cohen could not find a deck that suited his work and decided to commission his own; the name alludes to the wealthy audiences who attend his performances. The first versions were red and blue; other editions followed, such as ivory, black and a marked green one.

• Publishertheory11
• Designtheory11 with Steve Cohen; court cards licensed from Fournier
• PrinterUnited States Playing Card Company
• FinishAir Cushion
• Contentspoker deck with custom joker and Ace of Spades

Design

In this version the box is off-white and enhanced with gold foil (metallic stamping), and the back design is printed in metallic gold ink. The court cards come from the Spanish manufacturer Fournier, which licensed its designs for this deck, and show realistic skin tones on the faces. The joker depicts a gentleman with a cane and top hat, and the Ace of Spades an elegant woman looking straight ahead.

Manufacturing

It is printed in the USA by the United States Playing Card Company with an Air Cushion finish (a very fine embossing that helps the cards glide). In keeping with theory11’s approach, it uses FSC-certified paper, plant-based inks and starch-based laminates.