by Alex J. Coyne © Great Bridge Links
Card throwing just looks awesome. And, since most of us have a deck of cards handy, we had a look at the art of card throwing, the world records, how you can learn to hurl playing cards yourself and just how much damage you can do with a single thrown playing card.
The Mythbusters team put card throwing to the test for Episode 20 of their 2004 season. You can check out the whole test at Discovery’s official website. What was their conclusion to, “can you kill someone with it?” Well, busted. Along with one of the world’s top card throwing experts (there is such a thing) Rick Jay, the Mythbusters built a machine that tossed a playing card at a (likely terrified) Jamie at 150 miles (241 kilometres) per hour, but it did nothing more than a papercut. Lucky for Jamie.
Update Jan 2021 – Discovery has removed this page. But a clip of the Killer Deck can be found on DailyMotion here
The world record for the furthest throw of a playing card is held by none other than Rick Smith Jr, who threw it a total of 65.95m – likely further than the author would be able to hurl a deck of cards.
The record for the most one-handed card throws is held by Chris Linn, who managed to throw 114 playing cards in a minute (at a distance of at least 12 feet). Interestingly, he also holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest balloon dog made behind his back – an incredible 5.94 seconds. (I couldn’t make a balloon anything in five hours, let alone that!)
If you want to learn how to throw playing cards yourself, get in touch with the record-holder through his website or order some of the teaching resources available: The Art of Card Throwing should teach you everything you want to know. By the way, he also holds the record for the most accurate and highest throws of a playing card, so you know he’s one of the best. Just don’t take this skill to the casino!
The Aces Wild Throwing Cards are a set of four stainless steel cards designed for recreational throwing. Each card measures approximately 2.3 inches by 3.5 inches and features a screened image with a white background. The edges of these cards are sharpened, allowing them to stick into targets when thrown. They are typically sold with a nylon sheath for safe storage and transport.
YouTube user AceofThrowingCards has put together this video guide to how you can build your own throwing cards at home. Of course, it goes without saying that you should be careful while even attempting to make these, and especially if you’re planning to practice with them. Basic safety applies!
Where would card throwing be without ridiculously exaggerated (but extremely cool) portrayals thereof in movies, cartoons and TV shows?
Card throwing often appears in fiction as a flashy skill, usually enhanced with impossible accuracy or magical effects. Characters who use cards as weapons are common in comics, movies, and animated series.
In the X-Men franchise, Gambit is one of the most well-known card-throwers. He charges playing cards with kinetic energy and throws them as explosive projectiles. In the DC Universe, the villain Double Down (Jeremy Tell) uses cursed playing cards made from his own skin, which he controls telekinetically.
In anime and manga, card-throwing appears frequently. Seto Kaiba, from Yu-Gi-Oh!, is often shown slamming or dramatically tossing cards during duels, though not as weapons. Characters in shows like Hunter x Hunter and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure have also used cards as combat tools.
Card throwing also features in live-action films. Now You See Me and its sequel include scenes where magicians throw cards with high precision. In one case, a character even uses thrown cards as weapons during a fight.
Have you ever tried card throwing?
