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

The black version replaces the colours of the first editions with a very dense black ink on the back, which makes the design look especially crisp. It comes in a thick tuck box with gold foil details (metallic stamping). The court cards are licensed from the Spanish manufacturer Fournier and have faces with realistic skin tones; the joker is a gentleman with a cane and top hat, and the Ace of Spades shows an elegant woman.

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.