Kem Playing Cards Arrow Red and Blue, Bridge Size- Standard Index Playing Cards (Pack of 2) - 1007086

These Kems are fantastic cards. They feel just right to the touch, not too slippery or sticky. If you're used to paper cards, they'll seem slick and might feel weird in your hand at first, but rest assured you'll soon wonder why you hadn't discovered plastic cards earlier. They shuffle and deal better and last many, many times longer, which is why most casino poker rooms use plastic cards (Kem is the most common, followed by Copag). Speaking of which, here's my personal take on the Kem vs. Copag debate. Since they're made of different materials, they feel different: Kems are silky smooth while Copags have a more dry plasticky texture. Both of them shuffle and deal equally well, though Copags are slightly thinner and more flimsy. Kems have very detailed graphics and are in general pretty traditional except that face cards have peach-colored faces (as opposed to white). Copags have blocky graphics and lettering, which some people hate but I don't really mind. But the real difference between the two is in their respective weaknesses. - Kem cards can warp, or acquire a permanent bend, if handled improperly (usually related to temperature and humidity). However, this can be prevented by storing each deck with a cut card on top and not handling the cards with sweaty hands. Personally I've had some players hold their cards too tightly, causing the cards to bend, but the bend went away overnight. - Copag cards are made of PVC rather than cellulose acetate, so they do not have a warping problem. However, the ink is rather light and with a lot of shuffling, tends to fade over time. The cards are still identifiable but look nasty. If you want the absolute best, even if there is a small chance that your cards could be ruined, then go for the Kems. If you want the most reliable cards, even if the print job isn't that great, then go for the Copags. If you can't make up your mind and just want my direct opinion, I'd say Kem.

Great cards, nice size and easy to shuffle. Also, if they get a bit sticky, you can wipe them off and dry with a cloth rag.

I grew up in a family that played all their card games with KEM cards. Over 20 years later, we still play with those same exact cards. Since these cards are 100% plastic, they don't get bent as easily and they will not get ruined by water (or coffee as was the case in my family). Remembering how well KEM cards held up, and starting my own family game nights, I decided to get some of these cards knowing they would last a long time. While they certainly don't have a true paper feel and tend to be a little on the slippery side, they are great cards and we look forward to the many game nights to come.

Best cards out there

These are not my only set of plastic cards, but they are by far my favorite. They "feel" thinner than other brands, but they are actually thicker. You know they are thicker because the whole deck is taller than the competition. One great feature of these cards is the texture is not identical between front and back. You only know this to be true when you are dealing the cards. When you deal the cards face down, they slide twice as far compared to when you play them face up. Face up, they tend to stop sliding much quicker than when you deal them face down. This is exactly what you want when playing a card game! We have been playing these cards hard, and they are showing no sign of wear. I don't agree with some of the negative reviews which seem to imply they begin to break down quickly. We have not witnessed anything like that. From this point forward, KEM cards are the preferred brand of playing cards in my family. They are definitely worth the extra cost.

The cards are great. However, they came in a cardboard box and not in the hard plastic box as indicated.

So like, first of all, bravo for creativity. Five stars for having the balls to try something new with the finish. Nothing in the description prepared me for this deck of KEMs. (I bought one deck and it was thin yet slippery along the edges but had a smooth matte finish and I liked it) I don’t know if the finish on these cards is normal or not. But these cards have this crazy finish on them, it’s almost like the veins you see in leaves, so there’s much more friction on these high parts. This rubs off the paint and gives the cards an aging effect that makes you feel like your playing poker in the Wild West! Yee Haw! Hard to shuffle, cards don’t slide across the table, and players didn’t like the way these cards warp a bit more than they should. But all in all, I will happily try anything KEM throws out there.

Disappointment washed over me as soon as I took off the cardboard sleeve. A few minor things I'll get out of the way first. I knew when ordering I might get the new box the USPCC has made for their playing cards, And I did. It's really bad when compared to old Kem cases. I'll name a few problems. •It looks like a third party made it. Lacklustre debossing that has their logo and is hard to read. The old Kem cases the USPCC made when they were still in Cincinnati OH, look about the as Pre-USPCC boxes but with a different bottom stamp, and say "The U.S. Playing Card Company" on the top instead of "Kem plastic playing cards" But retained the nice legible embossing. The new box sadly has no bottom stamp, or Kem branding on the box whatsoever. If I put them on a shelf, I want someone to know I have Kems without taking the cards off the shelf and shoving them in their face. •It can't contain all the cards. They slide on to each other in the box, and fall out if the case is opened at an angle. (Sometimes even when it's flat). If you are paying $25 for playing cards, the box needs to hold up to the standards of $25 playing cards. Kemcards.net sells Cincinnati Kem boxes for about $4, so if it bothers you it's not a big deal to fix. Now, the box shouldn't impact the quality of the cards. But I think it does. Because the red deck came with 7 marked cards, 3 marked on the back (making it unusable out of the box), and 4 on the face. and the blue one with 3 cards marked all on the face (so at least usable out of the box). I washed them with Dove soap and water and none of the marks came out, so it is a printing error. Now you are probably thinking "If I'm dropping $25 for playing cards, should they not be marked at all?". Yes, and that is why with the price they are asking ( $23 to $30 for cards!) Is unreasonable for the quality of cards I received. I dig the back designs Kem offer and I really like the face design that Kem cards offer. but not worth the price if you're going to get defective cards. This is my first "new" plastic card set. I have a set of Pre-USPCC Kems that I bought at a jumble sale for $6. So I can not judge how Copags compare. But they only cost $13 a set. I heard Kems run the risk of warpage, Copags do not. I can tell you my Kems from 1949 are not warped, but don't know about new Kems. I've only had them a week, no warpage yet. I think they need to have better quality control for Kems. And if they don't want to do that, then USPCC should charge less. If they really are "The elite playing card" I just hope I got a bad set. But if this is normal, then don't bother. I love USPCC's Rider backs, Bees, and Tally Ho. As for Kems, skip and go for a set of Copags Or other card brand of your choice. I once played a night of poker with Dal Negro's "X-Ray Index" before, they're worth checking out. I've E-mailed USPCC to see about replacement cards so we'll see what happens. (Note: None of this review applies to the seller. The package came fast, the decks were still sealed the box was not cracked.) The cards themselfs are 2.5 stars for being serviceable but over priced. But all the errors in my set make it one