You can perform mind-blowing tricks with marked cards. You can focus on the performance, and your audience. They also enable you to do things that would be impossible in a regular deck of cards. For this reason they are an essential tool for serious card magicians.
Traditionally, people marked playing cards by bending their backs or adding visible marks. Now, manufacturers create sophisticated marking systems that are buried in the back pattern design of the cards. These systems can be difficult to detect unless you are aware of what to look for. In order to read some of these markings, you may need to wear special contact lenses or infrared spectacles.
The best marked cards are able to hide the markings in such a way that even if you are holding the deck in front of your face, it will look like a normal deck. A good deck of marked cards will also be able to tell you which card is which, even if the cards are face up. The most advanced decks will even come stacked in mnemonica order. This will make it easier for you to do memory work.
The top 12 marked cards on the market can be categorized as follows: