It’s time to throw out that musty deck of Bicycle playing cards. Now that you’re a self-respecting college student, you can upgrade to something that will look refined but get noticed, and this deck from Theory11 will do just that. Although the website caters to card tricks a la David Blaine, the cards themselves are printed on high quality material and up to casino standards. Aside from the stylishly redone card faces, the hermetic and occult imagery scattered throughout adds a surprisingly unique edge to the deck. Not so different that you’ll always receive comments, but people will definitely notice the quality. The best part is that they’re not much more expensive than any cheaper deck, so definitely pick up a pack or two if your procrastinating on that essay ever crosses paths with card playing. $5.95 at Theory11.com
Of course, if you really want to live avant-garde, this pure black deck from Molla Space will most certainly receive comments. The geometric designs on a pitch black finish epitomizes badassery. So if you’ve ever wanted to pretend you were a super villain from the James Bond films, or just need something to impress your poker mates, these may be worth your while. $10 at Mollaspace.com