Bicycle StandardPrice: About $5, roughly. theory11 Monarchs · theory11Price: About $40, roughly.
The one to give
A luxury deck with a navy and gold tuck box. The one to give, or to bring out when the good whisky is poured.
- Good for
- Gifts · Collectors
- Skip it if
- You want something to deal every day: keep this one for gifts and special nights.
Buy now ↗on Amazon
Our take
Every shelf needs one deck that is not for playing hard. Monarchs comes in a navy and gold tuck box and looks like something you would bring out when the good whisky is poured.
It is a fine thing to give, to a card player or to someone who might become one. Wrapped with a small book of games, it is a gift people actually use.
For daily play we would still reach for Bicycle Standard. Keep Monarchs for the nights that deserve it.
Test drive
Play one round against three players. The cards are shuffled for you, the others play by the rules, and nothing is saved.
Keep reading
- Buying guide
Choosing a deck
Plastic or paper, poker or bridge size, how many decks you need, and the deck we recommend for each of our games.
- Basics
Anatomy of a deck
Fifty-two cards, four suits, thirteen ranks and a couple of jokers. What everything is called, and a few details you have probably never noticed.
- Basics
How to shuffle and deal
Three ways to shuffle, how many shuffles you really need, and the small table manners of cutting and dealing.
Quick answers
- Paper or plastic?
Paper shuffles with more grip and costs less. Plastic lasts for years, shrugs off spills and feels a little slicker. If you play every week, or with drinks nearby, go plastic.
- What size do I need?
Poker size suits most games and most hands. Bridge size is narrower, which helps when you hold thirteen cards or more.
- How many decks do I need?
One for most games. Canasta, Spider and some Rummy variants need two with matching backs.
Also consider
Back to the shelf →Bicycle StandardPrice: About $5, roughly. 
Bicycle PrestigePrice: About $25, roughly. Our house deck in plastic
Waddingtons No. 1Price: About $8, roughly.