Comparison

SD Poker vs VirtuaDeck

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SD Poker

This app is a specialized tool for magicians, designed to assist in performing a specific poker-themed magic trick. It analyzes card stacks to help you deal any requested poker hand, with features for customization and presentation.

Highlights
  • Analyzes card stacks for poker hands
  • Supports user-defined stacks
  • Optimizes for fewest moves
  • Stealth mode for hidden assistance
  • Proximity sensor for shuffle sound
  • Export results via email
  • Continuous dealing mode
Features
Read full description

IMPORTANT! THIS APP IS FOR MAGICIANS ONLY! IT IS BASED ON PIT HARTLING'S EFFECT 'THE POKER FORMULAS' FROM HIS WONDERFUL BOOK 'IN ORDER TO AMAZE' PUBLISHED IN 2016 (PAGE 102). YOU HAVE TO BE FAMILIAR WITH HIS TRICK TO UNDERSTAND/USE THIS APP. IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, YOU SHOULD ORDER HIS BOOK HERE: www.inordertoamaze.com The App will analyze any stack and tell you when to use SD's in order to receive any poker hand asked for. I refer you to Pit Hartling's book for the general concept. Features: - No internet connection needed Stacks: - Aronson and Tamariz already built in - Up to 10 User-defined stacks can be stored / used Optimizations: - Fewest SD's - 0-SD Rounds - 0-SD's on last Round of Dealing Export Function - Results can be exported and sent by e-mail for further use in different forms Full-House-Coding: - Different Styles on how to indicate the Two-of-a-Kind Continuous Mode - Allows you to continue dealing Poker hands without undoing the last deal. The Programm recalculates the Stack by using the last dealt poker hand. ------------------------ Version 1.1: Stealth-Mode In this mode, the playing cards show the chosen poker hand. The code is secretly hidden inside the playing cards. So the whole presentation can be changed and the iPhone/iPad is only a 'tool' to explain the poker hands, but in reality it helps you to perform the effect. Proximity Shuffle: If the Proximity Sensor of the iPhone is covered in portrait mode (by e.g. the playing cards), the sound of a riffle-shuffle is played. This can be used for the presentation. Disclaimer I have built the app to my best knowledge and it is provided as is without any guarantees or warranty of any kind! If you find a problem / mistake, please let me know and I’ll do my best to fix it. Version 1.1 uses: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vectorized Playing Cards 2.0 - http://sourceforge.net/projects/vector-cards/ Copyright 2015 - Chris Aguilar - conjurenation@gmail.com Licensed under LGPL 3 - www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you have a lot of fun with this App and great performances! Martin Eisele P.S. I’d love to get some Feedback from you under sd-poker@martineisele.de

About

VirtuaDeck

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Do you believe in coincidence or in destiny? This app isn’t a game. It’s an illusion. A single deck of cards lies on your screen, waiting silently. Each card is different. Each perfectly ordinary. Until one of them turns over… by itself. The Experience: The spectator is asked to simply name any card, truly any card. The spectator slowly spreads through the digital deck. One card, and only one, is reversed It’s the very card the spectator just named. No force. Any card. Only a moment of pure impossibility. The Concept: This app is designed for modern magicians a digital experiment exploring the line between randomness and intention, between technology and mystery. It recreates one of magic’s most iconic effects in a way that feels natural, elegant, and completely hands-off. Features: ▪ The Reversed Card Effect A single freely named card appears reversed in a full digital deck. No pre-show setup. No forcing. Only impact. ▪ Ultra-Realistic Deck Swipe, scroll, and explore the cards, each one unique, beautifully rendered, and responsive to touch. ▪ Fully Customizable Choose your back design, adjust reveal speed, enable or disable sound, personalize every performance. ▪ Guided Practice Mode Learn, rehearse, and perfect the timing before performing live, directly within the app. “Sometimes, the difference between chance and destiny is just one card turned the other way.”

Screenshots

SD Poker2 screens
VirtuaDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: VirtuaDeck at Free against SD Poker's $59.99. VirtuaDeck also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 8 months). SD Poker's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and device support (4 vs 1). On ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

VirtuaDeck is free to download; SD Poker costs $59.99 up front. VirtuaDeck sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. SD Poker asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SD Poker ships an update every 8 months, VirtuaDeck every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SD Poker versus VirtuaDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSD PokerVirtuaDeck
Price$59.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB89 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartin EiseleVincent Launay

In-app purchases

None

SD Poker

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

VirtuaDeck

Subscriptions2
  • Xtremagic Pass$3.991 Month
  • Xtremagic Pass$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Full Access (One-Time Purchase)$7.99

Questions

Is SD Poker free?
SD Poker costs $59.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is VirtuaDeck free?
VirtuaDeck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SD Poker or VirtuaDeck have ads?
Neither SD Poker nor VirtuaDeck shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SD Poker or VirtuaDeck?
SD Poker ships an update every 8 months, and VirtuaDeck every 2 weeks. Most recently, SD Poker was updated on November 2, 2026 and VirtuaDeck on October 28, 2026.

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