Card Preferences (5 Viewers)

[afitfarmer]

What poker card brand preferences do folks have for playing something like Texas Holdem, where there will be a lot of shuffling?

From some forum discussions I was interested in picking up:

• Broken Arrow Cardroom decks
• Generic Bicycle decks
• Fournier EPT

Seems like the general consensus is to get plastic cards. I'm trying to put together a real casino feel for at-home games but I mainly want to ensure the shuffling for a given deck feels good and doesn't explode everywhere often because of stiffness or something. Any advice is appreciated! If you think the ones listed are good, that's also helpful to know.

 

[GeeOhVee]

Those are all pretty solid, assuming you mean Bicycle Prestige plastic cards. I've used Broken Arrow Professional Series the last two games I've hosted, and one player who I knew but hadn't been to my home game yet commented positively about the cards and asked where to get them. I always bought multiple setups when I ordered different setups from Justin, and I've given/sent them to people who are looking to get games going or get new cards.

I'll add a couple other of my favorites, which are all pretty accessible online:

Dal Negro Freedoms - I deal full time when I host, while players rotate shuffling a second deck, and I love the feel of these.
Desjgn (Any back design pretty much) - Another really good choice. They feel and shuffle great, and a couple that lives across the street from us played with us and were very impressed with the cards.
Copag - You'll get mixed reviews about Copags on here, but I used a setup of Copag Uniques for a game a couple months ago, and they were fantastic.

 

[GeeOhVee]

Oh, one more thing. If you have any, and I mean ANY. players in your game who are getting a little older (and it's just started affecting me at age 52) and have any trouble reading cards across the table, I strongly recommend getting jumbo index vs. regular index. When I used to host cash games and tournaments in the early 2000's, regular index was not a problem. Now, when I buy cards, they're probably not seeing the table with my group unless they are jumbo (or blackjack too, I suppose) index.

Bridge vs. poker width is another firestorm topic around here. My group uses poker width exclusively, unless I happen to break out bridge cards, which is almost never.

 

[afitfarmer]

These suggestions and notes are awesome! Thank you for the detailed response. I like the note about poker vs bridge, and I definitely would prefer the poker size (and probably jumbo) sizing. I'll also check out those other ones you listed. Some variety will be good for our group.

 

[TAG_Cowboys]

+1 for desjgn

Trefl cards are also great and receive a lot of love at my games.
Nice colors, durable as hell too. Only come in poker and jumbo index as far as i know

 

[afitfarmer]

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Labrat]

I have 5 setups of Broken Arrow on the way. I'm going strictl;y with what's been said on here and I don't think I'll be disappointed.

The funny thing is with my group the favorites so far have been Copag Elites and Lot Fancy I got off Amazon on a whim.

 

[wickedwonka121]

Those are all pretty solid, assuming you mean Bicycle Prestige plastic cards. I've used Broken Arrow Professional Series the last two games I've hosted, and one player who I knew but hadn't been to my home game yet commented positively about the cards and asked where to get them. I always bought multiple setups when I ordered different setups from Justin, and I've given/sent them to people who are looking to get games going or get new cards.

I'll add a couple other of my favorites, which are all pretty accessible online:

Dal Negro Freedoms - I deal full time when I host, while players rotate shuffling a second deck, and I love the feel of these.
Desjgn (Any back design pretty much) - Another really good choice. They feel and shuffle great, and a couple that lives across the street from us played with us and were very impressed with the cards.
Copag - You'll get mixed reviews about Copags on here, but I used a setup of Copag Uniques for a game a couple months ago, and they were fantastic.

I second the professional series. A chip geek, who used to be on the forum, commented on them last I used them. I gifted him a setup to his surprise. He likededed it. And he knows cards.

 

[JMC9389]

Contribute to @desjgn 's kickstarter for new cards

 

[RocAFella1]

I'm trying to put together a real casino feel

Bridge.

 

[cruzer]

Faded spade are pretty stiff but when they get "broken in" they are sweet. I second the jumbo index recommendation above as well and love the Faded Spade font/artwork. I've loved the broken arrows as well I got the set where the spades and clubs look too similar so my guys weren't as thrilled with them. I am going to get a few of the new professional series set ups!

 

[Persepolis]

Trefl, Piatnik, and anything from Fournier (if you can get your hands on them). Contribute to @desjgn 's kickstarter for new cards. The next run is from Fournier!!
Also worth a look is the excellent reference guide: https://www.pokerchipforum.com/resources/the-redneck-poker-card-database-2-0.76/
Which will, no doubt, influence you to purchase a pack of each and all listed to verify.

 

[Phyffe]

These suggestions and notes are awesome! Thank you for the detailed response. I like the note about poker vs bridge, and I definitely would prefer the poker size (and probably jumbo) sizing. I'll also check out those other ones you listed. Some variety will be good for our group.

I pretty much second GeeOhVee's recommendations.

Some food for thought though (and this is only from my personal experience) -

1. If you are doing the shuffling yourselves you will want to pick cards that are more pliant and have a smooth edge finish. These will shuffle softer (better on the old arthritis) and avoid paper cuts. There are only a few cards that have rough edges but there are several stiffer decks. The earlier Broken Arrows and Faded Spades were stiffer than say, Desjgn and Copag. Softer decks seem to have drawbacks though. I find Copags crease and have their faces streak quicker than most. As for Desjgns I found that the batch I bought seemed great at first but if you keep them for a couple of years their texture kinda changes, making it harder to deal/spread.

2. For soft cards that are better than most, I recommend Copag Elites and Modiano Platinums (no hate please). Plus I understand that people who've tried the Broken Arrow Pros find them more pliable.

3. If you do your own shuffling I think you will also appreciate Bridge sized decks. I find them easier to shuffle. Indeed, I think a lot of people find that bridge jumbos are the goldilocks of playing cards. My only caveat to this is that in my experience I find my bridge decks tend to bow (warp) faster than their poker sized brethren.

4. If you ARE able to find Fourniers and Dal Negro Freedoms (specially the Freedom Xs)- horde em, dont play with em, LOL. Love those cards.

GLHF!

 

[chopper]

As @JMC9389 noted,

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/coming-soon-classic-tapestry-kickstarter.132783/unread

 

[GeeOhVee]

You absolutely should support Jason and Desjgn. Sometimes I buy a couple decks online just to support him and not even because I need them. I put in for two setups on the most recent Kickstarter a couple days ago.

As far as Del Negro freedom X's go, good luck. I searched and searched and have never found one available. The regular freedoms are widely available. Kardwell can be pretty hit and miss with customer service and how they keep inventory for some things, but they always seem to have them in stock. I broke out the old brown and green setup of them I used to put into play 20 something years ago, but those are regular index. Kardwell has jumbo index of the freedoms.

 

[afitfarmer]

Thank you everyone for the notes. I am going to support Desjgn's kickstarter and see if I can get two setups, one bridge and one poker to see what I like.

 

[Cyanideg]

Copag is hands down the best for home games.