I have had just about every deck that Ellusionist produced, except for the 2nd edition Black Ghost and Vintage 1800 series. I have the Bicycle Masters (the normal Red & Blue backs), Tally Ho Vipers, Black Tigers, Ghost (just white)... and I've finally purchased Shadow Masters from MJM... At least among the Ellusionist's custom decks I've mentioned, Shadow Masters is the best deck I've ever felt. It handles so well in the hands, and even if you drop it on the floor, the cards will still spread nicely.
In terms of looks, these cards get just as much attention as the circle back Tally-Ho Vipers (because their pips are silver, which is really cool). It is not an unusual occurrence whenever I approach people to perform and the first full minute of my time is spent on receiving comments about the cards I use.
Some of you may like Ellusionist and some of you may not, but you gotta check these cards out. They have indeed set a new standard in playing cards.
