What brand of cards?

JeremyJeremy
in General Poker Chat
What brand of cards do people prefer, and why? Is it the feel, the quality, the price, tradition?

I like Bee best, but due to price, I often use Bicycle or Aviator.
Does anyone use the plastic cards like Kem? How do you like them?
What do you pay, and where do you get deals?

Comments

  • ScottyZScottyZ
    Kem cards are definitely the best, and I would want to use them, whether the dealer or the player, in any (even somewhat) serious poker game. The main reason is security. Kems are much more difficult to mark than standard cards. I'm kind of shocked that they don't use Kems in the Ontario casinos. It's *very* easy to mark the cards they actually use.

    Other than that, Kem's have a nice feel. They seem to have characteristics (width, weight and friction) which make them nice to handle. And they are also long-lasting. After a while, standard cards start getting worn out, mostly at the corners.

    For personal use, I normally use old casino cards just because they are so much cheaper than new store bought cards, and they make a cool souvenir. The best deal I've seen (besides being comped 1 deck at the Palace casino) is 3 decks for $1 at the Point Edward Casino.

    Hey, that reminds me:

    Dave Scharf, West Edmonton Mall is in Edmonton. You might want to fix this up in your tournament listings in CPPM. :)

    ScottyZ
  • Hork42Hork42
    I too like the Kem cards. I bought two decks from www.pokerstore.ca.

    It takes a while to get used to them (they seem very, very thin) but once you are I find that they shuffle and handle well...

    At Rama, they are using Plastic cards in the poker room, though I don't think they are Kems. Does anyone know if other casinos are doing the same?

    hork.
  • JeremyJeremy
    How long do you guys find that the Kem cards last?
  • Hork42Hork42
    I've only had mine for about a year. Used in all our poker nights (usually 1-2 times a month for 6 hours or so)

    No signs of wear at all. I haven't even washed them yet. Might do so soon, not because I have to, but because I can.

    hork.
  • JeremyJeremy
    Seriously? No signs of wear at all? I think I might have to get a deck!
    How rough are you on them?
  • Hork42Hork42
    Nada. Any major dirt spots are wiped off easily. I just took them out to check them again. Comparing a Joker (never used) with the Queen of Hearts and you wouldn't tell any difference.

    I'd recommend the cards. The price may seem a little hefty but we used to play with used Casino cards that we'd buy for $1 each... we'd go through a deck or two each poker night (depends on what we had for dinner :wink: )

    You can get them from www.pokerstore.ca, they're about $21 each deck. I got two, and we alternate them each deal. They'll feel weird at first - very thin, but once you get used to them, they're great.

    hork.
  • JeremyJeremy
    Awesome! You're right, at the rate I go through decks, they would definately be worth the investment.
  • OS KidOS Kid
    I like the casino cards the best. They are good quality and cheap. A guy I know wrote to Casino Rama to ask for a few free packs of cards to use with seniors in a retirment home..They sent him a case of cards instead!! so the casinos will give away free decks if you got a good reason. But the KEMS are also very nice to play with.
  • JeremyJeremy
    I wonder if a charity tournament in Kitchener counts as a good reason, and if they need cards?
  • OS KidOS Kid
    I'm sure they could get freebies for the charity tourney. It's such a waste in a tourney when someone goes out and buys $5 decks. One small tourney I go in($20 buy in) they take 30 bucks outta the prize pool to buy bicycle cards instead of gettting $1 casino cards or casino freebies. And from using both in home games, I find that the casino cards outlast the Bicycles at least 2 to 1.
  • JeremyJeremy
    Yeah, I open up a new deck of Bicycles every time I host a game. I just like the feel of a brand new deck. They are not such a bad hit. I get them for $2.67 a deck(plus tax, of course). But I am seriously thinking about those kems. Ten games will pay for them.
  • jsteinbergjsteinberg
    I personally use KEM cards. I have 5 decks of them, and they are AWESOME! I have cleaned each deck once, and I have had one deck for about 3 years. Still no tell-tale sign of wear and tear, they are extremely durable, and difficult to 'accidentally' mark.

    I contacted Brantford casino for supplying cards for the Charity Tournament in April, and recevied 306 decks of Bee Playing cards. These cards are pretty good too, but the Casino marked the sides of the decks with permanent marker - useless for what I need.

    I have received brand new, unmarked Aviator cards for the tournament. These cards will be fine, for one event. Future events will have atleast Bee quality cards, or KEM (if I have my way) :D
  • JeremyJeremy
    Well, if you were looking to get rid of some of those casino decks... :wink:
  • jsteinbergjsteinberg
    I returned them to the casino already... I maybe should have mentioned that in my last post.

    Sorry.

    The AVIATOR cards will be handed out at the completion of the tournament. Come see me then.
  • GBryanGBryan
    I like bicycle, but the used casino ones are nice to plus there free (at least from rama)
  • djwdjw
    We bought two decks of the KEM's from pokerstore.ca - at first we were a bit surprised at the feel of them, but oh boy, once you get used to them, you get all snobby and defensive if someone wants to use another brand :D

    "did you get those cards from your grandma's cribbage board?" - I said that to someone.. I actually SAID that! LOL sigh.
  • FlushFlush
    Kem's are the best no question. My friend and I each got a deck over a year ago. We play 3-4 times each month and the cards are as good as new.

    July first weekend we were camping and played poker and got drunk leaving the cards out all night in a rainstorm (which wasn't so good on the inside of my friends poker chip case) but after drying the cards the next day there were still like new.

    KEM's Rule!

    (P.S. we did of course both get them form pokerstore.ca
  • JeremyJeremy
    So, I'm not the only fool who takes the poker gear camping LOL. Who else is guilty of insanity like this?
  • ScottyZScottyZ
    Who else is guilty of insanity like this?

    Me. :) I keep a deck of cards in my car in case I'm ever somewhere and people want to play cards, and either they don't have any cards, or the cards are all marked up after getting the beatdown at grandma's cribbage game.

    ScottyZ
  • JeremyJeremy
    That's like me, only I keep a coffee can full of old plastic chips in the trunk!!
  • OS KidOS Kid
    I carry cards around with me constantly also, I find myself dealing out hands while i'm waiting in traffic! Not the safest thing in the world as it has almost cause a few accidents!
  • Dan808Dan808
    carrying cards at all times is a sure sign of addiction...i have one of those nice, steel clips that keeps the cards from warping, or getting beat up in my pocket. it eventually wears a hole thru the pocket, but that's usually about the time i buy a new pair of pants...funny how that works out.

    i also have a "travelling chip set" in the car always.
    surprising how often it's been used..."wanna play?"..."if only we had chips"...
  • SnomanSnoman
    Then you could be getting a few looks...

    "Wanna play?"
    "Sure, if only we had chips..."
    "Hold on a seconds...here ya go!"
    "OK..."

    Lol, but that would be sweet to have an extra set in the car.

    Yes, of course I take cards and chips camping! Fun place to play when your buddies are tanked.
  • vinsanityvinsanity
    My buddy and I were going to a game the other day at a campus rez and we were carrying our chip case in. On the way up, we were asked by 2 separate group of guys whether we played poker. Some of them ended up joining our game. If you're looking for a game, just walk through residence with some chips and you're bound to run into some players.
  • JayJay
    I used to use Bicycle and Bee all the time, but now I'm using Kem cards forever.
  • ConfusedONEConfusedONE
    im still using Bee :shock:
  • iceice
    If you haven't tried the KEM cards, you have no idea what you are missing! Try them and you'll see why they are so much more $$$. They are worth every penny.
  • The SaintThe Saint
    For our regular games I LOVE my decks of Kem cards. I still like to use Bee's when I run a tourney. Cheap enough to have plenty of decks on hand if you have to toss one mid tourney. Also for tourneys I love to crack open a sealed deck, looks classy I figure.

    The Saint
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