Hi i need help choosing a deck

Sorry if there's a bunch of posts on this.

Basically i'm very new at tarot and i bought my first deck and they are really small like a standard playing card size so i ordered a new deck and they are the right size but they are very very flimsy. What i'm asking is for a bit of advice on a deck that is big and quite durable cus i'm quite heavy handed and something good for beginners.

Any and all advice will be most appreciated
Thanks Dan

I consider myself to be a beginner but maybe what gets called an "oversized" or "giant" deck might work for you, especially if you have big hands. There is a Giant Rider-Waite Smith edition. I don't know the exact dimensions as I don't have that deck.

If you are okay with a somewhat darker deck, the Book of Azathoth cards are about 9 x 13 inches according to my quick measurement just now.

What is your preferred measurement? Do you find long but playing card width okay or do you like the length and width of the card to be similar? If you can work with playing card width but prefer a longer card, that might open up more options to you.

The flimsy cards i have got are ideal size they are long and standard card size in width im just looking for something durable, i was looking at the universal waite deck but was thrown off by there being like 3-4 different types. so i think size wise it may just be standard tarot size?

Sorry if im confusing you

I meant to say 9x13 centimetres earlier, not inches.

The only actual Rider-Waite deck I have is Radiant which is fairly close to playing card size in my view.

Something like my Medieval Scapini deck is longer and ordinary width which doesn't seem too unusual. Maybe try scrolling through different decks on this website's card section and then when you find something you like, the dimensions should be easy enough to find from various vendor websites.

What are the decks that you got? Which was the flimsy one?

Have you looked at the deck lists here at AT? Are there decks who's imagery appeals to you? I am a big believer in If you are drawn to the images, you will be more likely to put in the effort to learn how to work with them.

The Rider-Waite deck in the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set is thick and sturdy, the printing is good, and it is standard Tarot size: 2.75 x 4.75 in. or 7 x 12 cm.

I second LRichard

The Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative is one of my two favorite decks. I can't imagine someone going wrong with it, especially someone new to tarot. I think it makes a fine addition to any collection.

I do feel that the U.S. Games editions of many Tarot decks are well made. Thick enough to stand up to a lot of use, but still flexible for easy shuffling and handling. Llewellen's decks seem to be a tad thinner than most U.S. Games editions, but there are some which are larger than standard. Here are some I would recommend (links go to the A.T. page on that deck);

I personally started with, and always recommend the Rider-Waite-Smith still being published by U.S. Games - it is slightly longer than a deck of playing cards. The Universal Waite is a recoloring of the old favorite and one which I enjoy. You might also like the Gilded Tarot, published by Llewelen, it is a beautiful deck which is a little larger than standard (I think). If you're leaning away from the Rider-Waite "standard", you might consider the Thoth Tarot, of which there are a couple of larger-sized editions. I had read somewhere that, allegedly, there were plans to republish the Rohrig Tarot - if true, this would be a good deck based on size and sturdiness of the cards, as well as the imagery. The Rohrig is one of my favorite decks - but it has become rather collectable and expensive (if you find a deck in good shape for less than $100 - grab it). Finally, my newest acquisition - which I have fallen in love with - is the Karma Tarot - the Karma Tarot is based loosely on the RWS, but the artwork wildly varies from that. I am finding the Karma Tarot to be a very easy deck to read with and extremely intuitive - it is also a bit larger than the RWS decks, being about 3/4 of an inch longer and wider.

I do hope this has been of some assistance.

emmsma said:

What are the decks that you got? Which was the flimsy one?

Have you looked at the deck lists here at AT? Are there decks who's imagery appeals to you? I am a big believer in If you are drawn to the images, you will be more likely to put in the effort to learn how to work with them.

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Hi the flimsy cards i got are called The Truth Seekers Tarot i only shuffeled them once and the back got scuffed and a couple of cards were creased

Thank you very much everyone, it seems like my gut was right i should go for the universal waite tarot

thanis again dan