Ipuntchips
New Member
Hey everyone! I have a few decks I like for home games, like slowplay or bullets plastic cards, what does everyone like to use?
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Home Game Cards (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ipuntchips
- Start date
Welcome! KEMs are ridiculously priced for a sensitive flawed product and are universally disliked by all, and everyone here agrees with me by the way.
Prefer Fournier and Desjgn, Copag and Broken Arrow are nice. I dislike Modiano. Faded Spade have some product issues that I haven't seen myself but art is cool and I like the snap of em. Still not worth buying new setups.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/card-preferences.134887/
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...ds-a-detailed-comparison.127692/#post-2616752
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/what-are-everyones-favorite-cards.127177/
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/direct-messages/question-about-fournier-cards.372411/
Prefer Fournier and Desjgn, Copag and Broken Arrow are nice. I dislike Modiano. Faded Spade have some product issues that I haven't seen myself but art is cool and I like the snap of em. Still not worth buying new setups.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/card-preferences.134887/
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...ds-a-detailed-comparison.127692/#post-2616752
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/what-are-everyones-favorite-cards.127177/
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/direct-messages/question-about-fournier-cards.372411/
ParrotHeadPA
Pair
I’m currently using these and like them a lot: https://www.ahplayingcards.com/products/crown-series-poker-pvc-playing-cards-2x-deck-set
The moment these come out in bridge size I'm snap buying them.
Colquhoun
Straight Flush
The Broken Arrow are the best shuffling cards for the price.
KEMs are the best shuffling cards. But, oh!…the price!
KEMs are the best shuffling cards. But, oh!…the price!
Snarespectre
High Hand
I use FSX 4-color with my smaller cash game group that knows how to shuffle and doesn’t abuse cards.
For tournaments where there are a lot more people and oftentimes newer folks who can’t handle cards as well, budget is more of a consideration. I really like Chips & Games, Classic Ten, and the full-bleed cheap Chinese decks that come in the striped boxes.
If Broken Arrow ever makes a poker sized Pro Series with bright red ink, I’ll probably switch over to those. Super budget friendly and shuffle soooo nicely.
For tournaments where there are a lot more people and oftentimes newer folks who can’t handle cards as well, budget is more of a consideration. I really like Chips & Games, Classic Ten, and the full-bleed cheap Chinese decks that come in the striped boxes.
If Broken Arrow ever makes a poker sized Pro Series with bright red ink, I’ll probably switch over to those. Super budget friendly and shuffle soooo nicely.
Phyffe
Two Pair
right now Copag Elites
Kenotorus
Sitting Out
Fournier and Dal Negro. Honorable mention for Trefl.
Modiano, Desjgn, Copag
Snarespectre
High Hand
Have you played with Marion Pro yourself? I heard great things about this brand so I picked up a few decks and wound up hating them.
All subjective of course, but I’d take Copag ANY day over Marion Pro.
Yes, they're one of my favorites. I agree it's highly subjective. What didn't you like about Marion Pro? Copag is the worst card I've ever had due to disappearing ink.
The new poker-sized four-color FSX decks from Faded Spade are terrific. Incredibly durable, good fonts/artwork, not quite as stiff as their earlier versions.
[ducks incoming flak]
[ducks incoming flak]
Kenotorus
Sitting Out
I've been wanting to try those for a while now. Not an easy find on this side of the Atlantic. I was in Taipei last month and decided to go on a hunt for some Marion Pro's. Thinking surely they must be abundant in their habitat of origin... Well, zero results.
The only source for Marion Pros that I've found is Amazon. On your side of the pond (ie UK) I'd recomment Al Haines Crown Series. His cards use the same wonderful Kua Kao premium card stock.
Snarespectre
High Hand
I'll preface this by again reiterating it's all subjective, so I'm definitely not trying to "prove anyone wrong" here.
The cards to me feel very cheap. They develop a slight bend after just a few shuffles. They also feel a lot like paper cards to me (I know this is a plus for some, but not for me).
I also really don't like the font. The suit shape is perfectly fine but the numbers and letters look stretched out, like they had an image file that looked fine but felt they needed to stretch it out in Microsoft Paint to fit the cards the way they wanted them to. I also don't like dark red ink, but I know that's highly subjective, too.
I do think they shuffle fine, and the pitch and "gather" are fine, too. But of the 20+ plastic card types I've tried, the only ones I like less (or maybe about the same) are Slowplay.
Thanks for your observations. I took another look at mine and I don't notice dark red, or elongated font. There's an ever so slight bend but nowhere near as bad as KEM. I have a lot of playtime on these and there's not a hint of any fading. I do agree they kind of have a more paper like feel vs plastic.
To each his own!!
BPTDirector
Full House
Broken Arrow pro series. You can’t go wrong here. Price and performance! A+
Flopalopagus
Flush
My top are probably in this order atm:
1) j design flourish
2) Trefl
3) Modiano Platinum
4) J design Victorians
1) j design flourish
2) Trefl
3) Modiano Platinum
4) J design Victorians
caballo993
3 of a Kind
Copag and Desjgn
I’m not a pro but I slowly accumulate decks.
I’m a sucker for looks. So for me Desjgn and Faded Spade (I have the 3.0s)
Actual in the hand feel? KEM hands down.
None of these are my perfect card though. Desjgn I find hard to pick up (maybe it’s my playing surface) and they often “float” when stacked. They’re textured almost like sandpaper and I suspect maybe I like a little smoother. Overall awesome I’m just nitpicking. They’d probably be my number 1 suggestion to anyone looking for a great single deck. Faded Spade are stiff but play well to me. They don’t gather well though and the shuffle isn’t as enjoyable.
KEM has boring standard artwork and bow. Actual play is great.
Next on my buy list are the Broken Arrow pros as I love the artwork, Angel Acetate for the feel, Modiano Platinum for the feel and looks (unfortunately poker size only and I prefer bridge), and I think Desjgn is soon switching to Fournier stock so I’ll probably pick those up.
Only ones I’ve given away are Bicycle Prestige. They’re way too hard to handle and have a tendency to fly everywhere. I think they also gathered poorly if I recall.
I have a set of paper A*S Altenberger Leinen (linen) German Romme cards too. I love the German artwork on them and the pip design. Actually really really like them other than the stiff paper. Wish they’d make them in high quality plastic.
Other ones still to try but after my list above: Trefl, Piatnik, Copag
My perfect card would probably be KEM feel without the bowing issues, with the Desjgn or A*S Altenberger artwork, bridge sized.
I’m a sucker for looks. So for me Desjgn and Faded Spade (I have the 3.0s)
Actual in the hand feel? KEM hands down.
None of these are my perfect card though. Desjgn I find hard to pick up (maybe it’s my playing surface) and they often “float” when stacked. They’re textured almost like sandpaper and I suspect maybe I like a little smoother. Overall awesome I’m just nitpicking. They’d probably be my number 1 suggestion to anyone looking for a great single deck. Faded Spade are stiff but play well to me. They don’t gather well though and the shuffle isn’t as enjoyable.
KEM has boring standard artwork and bow. Actual play is great.
Next on my buy list are the Broken Arrow pros as I love the artwork, Angel Acetate for the feel, Modiano Platinum for the feel and looks (unfortunately poker size only and I prefer bridge), and I think Desjgn is soon switching to Fournier stock so I’ll probably pick those up.
Only ones I’ve given away are Bicycle Prestige. They’re way too hard to handle and have a tendency to fly everywhere. I think they also gathered poorly if I recall.
I have a set of paper A*S Altenberger Leinen (linen) German Romme cards too. I love the German artwork on them and the pip design. Actually really really like them other than the stiff paper. Wish they’d make them in high quality plastic.
Other ones still to try but after my list above: Trefl, Piatnik, Copag
My perfect card would probably be KEM feel without the bowing issues, with the Desjgn or A*S Altenberger artwork, bridge sized.
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TheHarmacist
Sitting Out
I've been using up my old 10 year old decks bought in the checkout lines in super markets. Some say they're plastic but i've noticed that age has caused them to absorb humidity, degrade, and crease instantly when shuffled. I am rebuying cards that will last over 10 years unlike the paper/plastic ones i have. Been using Copags for card games and really notice the difference between my old cards and these newer high quality plastic cards. Catch me in 10 years to see if they hold up longer than my cheap ones.
Snarespectre
High Hand
It looks like yours are bridge size - is that correct? Mine are poker. I agree yours look fine and not stretched - I'd wager they designed the pips with bridge in mind and then stretched them (width-wise) to fit poker size cards.
You're right, the bend isn't nearly as bad as KEM, but what is? I've used a friend's old set of KEMs and hated them. I felt like I was playing with paper napkins. I might dislike Marion Pro, but I'll take them any day over KEM. I've seen @NotRealNameNoSir liken people's love for KEM to the emperor's new clothes, and to me that's a perfect analogy. I don't understand how anyone likes them, much less is willing to take out a 2nd mortgage to buy them.
For reference, here are some pictures of what I was talking about with Marion Pro:
^ Wide-stretched font on two Marion Pro cards
^ Dark red ink and dull white compared to the brighter red and brighter white of Da Vinci
The reason I decided to try Marion Pro is because I heard the same thing you're talking about - that they use premium stock from Kua Kao. My understanding is that Faded Spade uses stock from them, and I really like the Faded Spade FSX stock, so I was thinking they'd be something similar - but unfortunately (for me) they're very, very different.
FSX 4 Color, And waiting for my desjng in the mail 
SameOldThing
Waiting List
There’s a couple I prefer to use. My favorite to shuffle are the Angel Poker (green box), they’re so buttery! Dal Negro’s are nice to shuffle and I always make my draws whenever I use them. The Angel green circle back that come in single packs are nice, but they don’t like to push back together after a riffle (harder to munch together too). Faded spade’s are near impossible for me to shuffle a whole night (too stiff), and I don’t want to buy a shuffle machine.
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