Futterfly vs Butterfly Playing Cards: Which Deck Fits Your Hands?
By Marked Playing Cards for Magicians | Butterfly Playing Cards ... | Published: 2026-10-14
Category: Comparisons
Futterfly and Butterfly decks share a family resemblance but differ in border, price, and bundle value. Compare the 6-deck bundles and find your best fit.
Quick answer
The Futterfly deck is a Butterfly variant with a black border designed for fooling Penn & Teller, while standard Butterfly decks use a white border. For most magicians, the Butterfly Workers Edition V2 offers the best value and familiar handling. Choose Futterfly if you want the black-border look and a six-deck bundle; choose Butterfly if you prefer the classic white border and a lower entry price.
What sets Futterfly apart from Butterfly?
The key difference is the border. Futterfly Playing Cards feature a black border around the card backs, a design choice originally made to fool the presenters on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Standard Butterfly decks, like the Workers Edition V2, use a white border. That border change affects how the deck looks in fans and spreads, and it can influence how convincingly you can hide certain moves. If you perform for camera or close-up, the black border may add a subtle layer of deception. If you prefer a traditional look that blends with most routines, the white border remains the safer pick.
Bundle value: what you pay per deck
Both Futterfly and Butterfly are available in six- or twelve-deck bundles, but the pricing differs. The Futterfly 6-deck bundle lists at USD 72.71 (compared to USD 96.95), saving 15%. The Piña 6-deck bundle, a collaboration deck, lists at USD 46.83 (compared to USD 70.95), also saving 15%. The Butterfly Workers Edition V2 12-deck bundle lists at USD 72.42 (compared to USD 114.95), saving 20%. That means you can get twelve Butterfly decks for roughly the same price as six Futterfly decks. If you practice heavily or perform regularly, the higher deck count often wins on pure economics.
How the decks feel in your hands
The catalog does not specify the paper stock or finish for Futterfly, Piña, or Workers Edition V2, so we cannot claim one feels thinner or softer than another. If feel is your top priority, the Butterfly Try-All Set (3 Decks) is the most direct way to compare stocks: it contains three identical designs on three different paper stocks, so you can test thin versus thick and soft versus springy before committing to a full bundle. Use that set to identify your preference, then apply it to your choice between Futterfly and Butterfly.
Trade-offs at a glance
- Border design: Futterfly uses a black border; standard Butterfly uses a white border. The black border can help hide edges in some routines, but it may not suit every performance style. Choose Futterfly for the black-border effect; choose Butterfly for a traditional white border.
- Bundle economics: Futterfly 6 decks cost USD 72.71 (15% off). Butterfly Workers Edition V2 12 decks cost USD 72.42 (20% off). Piña 6 decks cost USD 46.83 (15% off). If you need volume, the 12-deck Butterfly bundle gives you twice the decks for about the same price as six Futterfly.
- Feel and stock: The catalog does not specify paper stock for Futterfly or Butterfly. The Try-All Set (3 Decks) is the only supplied way to compare three different stocks directly. Test with the Try-All Set before buying a full bundle if feel is your main concern.
Product facts
- Futterfly Playing Cards (6 Decks): A discounted bundle of six decks of Futterfly Playing Cards. Save 15%! Did you catch my recent performance on Penn & Teller: Fool Us? If so, you may have noticed that the Butterfly cards I was using had a black border around them, specially designed to fool the presenters. The black border is the defining feature of Futterfly. It can help disguise certain sleights on camera, but it also makes the deck visually distinct from standard white-border Butterfly cards.
- Piña Playing Cards (6 Decks): SIX DECKS BUNDLE. Get six decks of Piña Playing Cards with a 15% discount. Víctor Piña is a brilliant Spanish magician and a great friend of Butterfly Magic Store. We joined forces to produce a deck of cards he would love and would be proud of using in his shows. Piña is a lower-priced six-deck option if you want a collaboration deck with a different back design. It is not a Futterfly or standard Butterfly, but it offers similar bundle savings.
- Butterfly Playing Cards Workers Edition V2 (12 Blue Decks): Save 20% on twelve blue decks of Butterfly Playing Cards Workers Edition V2! The red and blue Butterfly Workers Edition Playing Cards are back with the second edition! And they are more affordable than before, even more than we intended... This version of Butterfly Playing Cards was a success among magicians, who prefer decks that have a back design with the standard white border. Workers Edition V2 gives you twelve white-border decks at a 20% discount. If you want the classic Butterfly look and the lowest cost per deck, this is the bundle to compare against Futterfly.
Which deck fits your hands?
Best for
- Magicians who want a black-border deck for camera or close-up work
- Performers who prefer a six-deck bundle with a distinct look
- Fans of the Butterfly brand who want a variant design
Not for
- Magicians who need the standard white border for classic routines
- Buyers who want the lowest cost per deck and should choose the 12-deck Butterfly bundle
- Anyone who needs a specific stock feel and should test with the Try-All Set first
