Best tarot deck for beginners: what to look for in your first deck

Why many beginners start with a Rider-Waite-Smith style deck, what to check before buying your first tarot deck, and how to practice before you own one.

5 min read

A beginner's tarot deck should be easy to read from the pictures, have books or lessons you can refer to, and feel good in your hands. This guide explains why so many people start with a Rider-Waite-Smith style deck, what to check before buying, and how you can start practicing even without a physical deck.

Why beginner decks usually start with Rider-Waite-Smith

• It was first printed in London in 1909 and painted by Pamela Colman Smith.
• Every Minor Arcana card has a scene with people in it, not just cups or swords in a row, so beginners can read from the picture.
• Many books and lessons are built on this deck's structure, so what you learn carries over when you move to another deck.
• Many newer decks follow the same scenes and only change the line work and colors.

What to look at before choosing your first deck

1. All 78 cards, with 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. Some sets sell only the Major Arcana.
2. The Minor Arcana have scenes, not just symbols. This makes them much easier for beginners to read.
3. You really like the artwork. A deck you want to pick up every day helps you practice consistently.
4. A size that fits your hands and is easy to shuffle.
5. Buy from a seller you trust. Watch out for decks with blurry printing or distorted images.

You can start learning without a physical deck

• Redar's line-art deck (Redar's Tarot) follows the Rider-Waite-Smith scenes, and you can switch to the original images from the settings menu.
• The library of 78 cards has the meaning of every card, free to read.
• The card table is for practicing shuffling and drawing cards yourself. Plus and Pro plans can use any spread from 1 to 13 cards and draw reversed cards.

The belief about your first deck

Some people believe your first deck has to be given to you and that you should never buy it yourself. That is a personal belief. If it makes you comfortable, go ahead, but it does not make you read better or worse. What makes you read better is regular practice.

Tip: When you get a new deck, go through the cards one at a time and note how each one makes you feel and which pictures differ from ones you have seen before. It is a good way to get to know a new deck.

Summary

1. As a beginner, choose a deck with scenes on the Minor Arcana, all 78 cards, and artwork you like.
2. The Rider-Waite-Smith structure has the most learning material to refer to.
3. If you do not have a physical deck yet, you can practice on the website right away.