Best cards for playing poker

There are dozens of makers of poker cards, and you can of course use “normal,” cards for playing poker, but there is one set of cards that stands out head and shoulders above the rest. Kem cards. The makers are based in the US, and also make Bee, Bicycle, Aviator, Maverick, Tuxedo, Hoyle, Tally Ho cards.

I have used all types of cards, including the similar Copag cards. The reason Kems are the best is that they are plastic, (well to be pedantic – cellulose acetate) which means you can wash the if you need to. Although I do not recommend putting them in a dish washer. One of my friends once washed four packs this way and the resulting soggy mess of ruined plastic was a sight to behold. Fortunately, he was using some one else’s dishwasher so no real harm done. Use slightly warm soapy water and wash the soap off well afterwards.

Although they are probably three or four times the price of a set of cardboard cards of similar quality, there will assuredly last much longer. A set of cardboard cards will not survive a Jack and Coke being spilled on them, but Kem or Copag cards will take that like a man and come back for more next week (after washing.)

I have used Kem or Copag cards consistently for several years of running poker games and the only time they are likely to get damaged is if some one deliberately damages them by folding one of the cards. I usually have several sets around and keep the remainder of any damaged packs in order to use them to rebuild packs that occasionally get damaged in this way.

I only ever buy them in pairs – one blue one red, and although the usual retail price is around $30 for a pair, you can usually pick them up at Amazon for less than that. Occasionally they come up for sale on ebay at less than this, usually in job lots. And if you are lucky, they will come up with some interesting gone-broke poker club logo on them, which adds to the atmosphere. The last batch I bought were from a long defunct poker club in Washington state. They were the ones that went through the dishwasher, more’s the pity. But I have found ebay to be less than honest in their dealings with their customers, so I will never buy anything through them ever again. At least Amazon have a no-bullshit return policy, so if you mis-order or change your mind, you can just send it back.

The Kem cards come in a range of sizes, and also offer a “Jumbo Index,” card which makes for easier identification. I heartily recommend these cards as the best value for money way of running poker games. And if you are serious about running a game, I have some recommendations for the best poker chips to go with them.