Augusta, GA (April 9, 2015) – Based on the Napoletane regional Italian deck, the Ombre Oscure deck is bringing a redesigned look to an old favorite, taking all the same suits and faces and making changes to bring the cards to the new century. Mandrake Playing Card Company founder, Rory Rezzelle, is trying to bring the not-so-well known cards back into play with his latest Kickstarter campaign.

The cards will be Poker-sized, which will be easier for most players to handle than the original size of the Italian cards. They are all black with white outlines, making them easy to identify and distinguish, but also feature the same numbers and suit pips that you are used to in the corners of the cards. “Overall, this is an upgrade to the originals, making them easier to use and enjoy with family and friends,” said Rory. “I can see people playing games like Poker and Solitaire with these at home, and they can even be used to play old Italian favorites like Briscola and Scopa.”

Even though he wants to sell the cards, Rory says that this is about his family. “I really got into my family history once I got married and have been trying to find out my heritage. I’m Italian, so I started looking into games and entertainment that Italians would play.” The two most played card games in Italy are Briscola and Scopa, both trick-taking games in the same family as Spades or Rook.

The deck uses the images of the original Italian suits – coins, club, cups, and swords – but it also has the normal French suits in the corners. It’s a full, 52-card deck, perfectly suited for any game that you would play with your family and friends. Rory says that a gaff card will also be included, along with two jokers, and an instruction card for Briscola and Scopa.

The Kickstarter will run for 30 days starting April 9th. The goal is to reach $1,500, and make a limited run of cards. Follow Rory on Twitter (@roryrezzelle) and Facebook (www.facebook.com) and share about the campaign on your own social media. You can back the campaign with as little as $1, but reward tiers that come with a deck start at $14.

About Mandrake Playing Card Company

Mandrake PCC was built by Rory Rezzelle as a way to design playing cards that use International standards and bring them to collectors and enthusiasts. His goal is to redesign decks that do not usually have collectable or artistic versions like most French suit decks. Visit mandrakecards.com or facebook.com for more information.