To choose a tarot deck, pick one whose art you genuinely enjoy looking at, whose images you can read at a glance, and whose cards fit comfortably in your hands. That is the whole decision. The old rules — that your first deck must be a gift, that you should only own one, that a deck must "call to you" in some dramatic way — are folklore, and they have stopped more beginners than they have helped. A deck is a tool you will spend hundreds of hours looking at. Liking the pictures is not shallow. It is the point.
This guide walks through the practical choices: art, size, tradition, price, and where to buy, so that the deck you end up with is one you actually use, not one that sits on a shelf looking impressive.
Start with the art, because you will live with it
You will look at these 78 images more than any other pictures you own. You will study them in lamplight, glance at them half asleep, and turn them over hundreds of times. If the art leaves you cold, you will not reach for the deck. If it delights you, you will.
So start by looking. Browse deck images online — most publishers show several cards from each deck — and notice your honest reactions. Which images hold your attention? Which ones can you read without a guidebook? A good test is to look at a card for ten seconds and ask what is happening in it. If you can answer in a sentence, the art is doing its job. If you stare blankly at an abstract swirl, the deck may be beautiful and still wrong for learning.
There is no hierarchy of taste here. Some readers love the warm, storybook feel of the classic Rider-Waite-Smith images. Others prefer bold modern art, minimal line drawings, photographic decks, or decks rooted in a particular culture or mythology. All of these can be good decks. The only bad choice is a deck chosen because someone else said it was the "right" one while you privately disliked it.
Tradition matters more than it seems
Most decks are built on one of a few traditions, and knowing which one yours follows saves confusion later. The Rider-Waite-Smith tradition — the Fool stepping off a cliff, the High Priestess between two pillars — is the most common, and nearly every beginner book, app, and website uses it. If you learn with a Rider-Waite-Smith deck, or a deck closely based on it, every reference you find will match your cards.
The Marseille tradition is older, with simpler, flatter images and unillustrated Minor Arcana cards — the pip cards show the suit symbols rather than scenes. It is a respected tradition with a devoted following, but it is harder to learn from, because a Seven of Cups that shows only seven cups gives you less to work with than one showing a figure dreaming before seven visions. Thoth-based decks, following Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris, are rich and strange and wonderful — and usually a poor first deck, because their symbolism assumes knowledge most beginners do not yet have.
For a first deck, a Rider-Waite-Smith deck or a close variation is the sensible choice, not because other traditions are lesser, but because learning is easier when the whole world is using the same pictures you are.
Size, card stock, and your hands
Deck size is a practical matter that guides rarely mention and beginners always discover too late. Standard tarot cards are about 7 by 12 centimetres, and most hands manage them fine. But some decks are considerably larger, and if your hands are small, or if you have any stiffness or arthritis, a large deck can turn shuffling into a struggle. If you can, handle a deck before buying, or check its dimensions online and compare them with a deck you already own.
Card stock matters too, though it is harder to judge before buying. A good deck has cards that are thick enough not to bend, smooth enough to shuffle, and matte enough not to glare under lamplight. Very glossy cards look striking but can stick together and reflect light badly. Very thin cards feel cheap and wear quickly. Reviews usually mention stock quality, and it is worth reading them before ordering.
Borderless decks look gorgeous spread out on a table, but their edges wear faster and show damage sooner. Bordered decks are more forgiving. Neither is better in itself — but if you plan to carry your deck everywhere, borders are the practical choice.
How much should you spend?
A standard Rider-Waite-Smith deck costs about the same as a paperback book, and it is all you need. There is no reason to spend more on a first deck, and several reasons not to: an expensive deck can feel too precious to use, and a beginner who is afraid of damaging a deck is a beginner who is not shuffling it.
That said, price is not a reliable guide to quality. Some inexpensive decks are beautifully made, and some costly ones are disappointing. Read reviews, look at photos of the actual cards rather than the box, and be wary of decks sold far below the usual price — counterfeits are common online, and they often have muddy printing, wrong colours, or cards that stick together. Buying from a reputable bookshop, a specialist tarot shop, or the publisher directly is the safest route.
A note on second-hand decks: they are a fine way to start, often cheaper, and sometimes the only way to find a deck that is out of print. Check that all 78 cards are present before you pay, and expect a little wear. A used deck with softened edges has usually been loved, and it will break in faster than a new one.
The myths that get in the way
Three old rules deserve to be retired. The first is that your first deck must be given to you. It is a charming idea, and it is not true — most working readers bought their own first deck, and the cards did not object. The second is that you should only own one deck. Collecting decks is a normal hobby, and different decks suit different moods, questions, and seasons. The third is that a deck must choose you, usually signalled by a dramatic feeling in a shop. Sometimes a deck does leap out at you, and that is lovely. Sometimes you choose by comparison and thought, and that is equally valid.
There is one piece of old advice worth keeping: spend time with a deck before buying if you can. Look at as many cards as possible, not just the three prettiest ones on the box. A deck is 78 images, and the ones you dislike matter as much as the ones you love, because you will be reading with all of them.
When you are ready for a second deck
Most readers buy a second deck within a year, and the reasons are usually clear by then. Perhaps you want a deck with different art for a different kind of question, or a smaller deck for travel, or a deck based on a theme you love — a particular mythology, a landscape, an artist whose work speaks to you. Perhaps you have learned enough that a Marseille or Thoth deck now looks inviting rather than intimidating.
The test for a second deck is the same as for the first: do you enjoy looking at it, and can you read the images? By now you will also know your own habits — whether you prefer bordered or borderless, large or small, matte or glossy — and those preferences will narrow the choice helpfully. If you read for others, a second deck can also be practical: one deck for personal use, one for clients, so that neither wears out too fast.
A simple way to decide
If you are still torn between two or three decks, try this. Look at the same three cards in each deck — the Fool, the Moon, and the Ten of Pentacles are good test cards, because they show very different moods. Which deck's Fool makes you smile? Which Moon unsettles you in an interesting way? Which Ten of Pentacles feels like a place you recognise? The deck that wins two out of three is usually the right one, and the exercise itself teaches you something about how you read images.
Then buy it, take it home, and use it. Look through every card once, shuffle it until it feels like yours, and pull a daily card for a week. A deck chosen thoughtfully and used daily will teach you more than any guide can, and the daily tarot card tool is there for the days you leave it at home. If you later want to compare traditions or explore the deck's history, the Tarot hub is a good next stop — but it is not required before you begin.
A final thought before you buy
The deck you choose will shape your first year of reading, but it will not decide it. Readers outgrow decks, return to them, set them aside, and rediscover them. The relationship matters more than the object, and the relationship is built by use. So choose with care, and then stop choosing and start reading. The best deck in the world is the one in your hands.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tarot deck for a beginner?
A Rider-Waite-Smith deck, or a close variation of it, is the best first deck for most people, because its images are clear and nearly every beginner book and website uses them. More important than the tradition is whether you enjoy the art — a deck you like looking at is a deck you will actually use.
Do I need to be given a tarot deck as a gift?
No. That is folklore, not a rule, and most readers bought their own first deck. Buy the deck you want, from a reputable seller, and start reading. The cards work the same either way.
How many tarot decks should I own?
One is enough to learn with, and many readers use one deck for years. Owning more is fine too — different decks suit different moods and questions — but there is no need to collect several before you have learned the first.
Are expensive tarot decks better than cheap ones?
Not necessarily. A standard deck costs about the same as a paperback and is all a beginner needs. Price does not guarantee quality, so read reviews and look at photos of the actual cards. Be wary of decks sold far below the usual price, since counterfeits are common.
Can I buy a second-hand tarot deck?
Yes. Second-hand decks are often cheaper and sometimes the only way to find an out-of-print deck. Check that all 78 cards are present, expect some wear, and give yourself a week of daily draws to make it feel like yours.
What size tarot deck should I choose?
Standard cards are about 7 by 12 centimetres and suit most hands. If your hands are small or stiff, avoid oversized decks, which can make shuffling difficult. Check dimensions before ordering online, and handle a deck in a shop first if you can.