KEM Arrow Black and Gold, Poker Size- Standard Index Playing Cards (Pack of 2) - 1017399

Great cards! Bought these over the p years ago and still good!

Kem has been the gold standard for a long time. I recently bought a KEM poker set in standard Index and I love the quality. There was no break-in with these cards, straight out of the packaging they were so easy to shuffle (I usually table shuffle the cards casino style.)The printing on the cards was great, no marks or defects just colorful nicely detailed cards. I had a Kem bridge (narrow) set and a poker jumbo set I bought in the early '90s and although USPCC bought the KEM Co. the quality is about the same, I really can't feel the difference, I would not listen to people that say that old cards are much better, In my experience using older KEM cards and dozens of other cards paper and plastic, KEM is still producing the best.I added a picture showing the difference between KEM cards and the standard Bicycle cards, the KEM cards are much more detailed and colorful with a deeper color pallet and sharper image. The Standard Wide size is the best for playing poker the jumbos are ok but I like the classic look and full size of the JKQ's.I Also have a Copag Playing Card Set which is very nice and I like playing with them, but KEM's are much better and worth $10 more in price. So If you have been thinking of buying KEM's Just do it, You will have cards that can last Years (or decades) and know you have the best.

I've been playing cards for many years and decided to switch from Bicycles and Bees to cellulose acetate plastic; ie: KEM and COPAG. I purchased one set each of KEM arrows and COPAGs; both are poker (regular) size. I received the cards a few weeks ago and have had some time to play with my poker group and gauge opinions. Interestingly, our group voted 50/50 KEM vs COPAG. What I can offer is specific differences between the cards which you may find helpful. I've also included the specs of a Bicycle deck for comparison.KEM.014" card thickness.700" deck thickness, w/o jokers2.5"W x 3.5"L deck dimensions8.75" surface areaCOPAG.012" card thickness.625" deck thickness, w/o jokers2.483"W x 3.465"L deck dimensions8.604" surface areaBICYCLE.011" card thickness.580" deck thickness, w/o jokers2.48"W x 3.475"L deck dimensions8.618" surface areaAs you can see, the KEM deck is almost 12% thicker and 1.7% larger surface area than the COPAG deck, and 21% thicker and 1.6% larger surface area than a Bicycle deck. 21% thicker than a Bicycle deck is a big deal if you're a smaller-handed dealer!Here are my personal thoughts;The COPAG's feel slightly better when shuffling as the deck is slightly smaller, less weight and easier to handle for short fingers (like mine). The KEM's numbering is smaller and much less blocky, and appear more like a traditional deck. The COPAG's have larger (not Jumbo) lettering which is blocky. Both decks have visually pleasing and symmetrical backing designs. Both slide easily on felt and are very easy to riffle/shuffle. The COPAG's have an attractive blue border around each face card picture, unlike the KEM's black border. However, the red ink used on the KEM's hearts and diamonds appear darker and a little higher quality than the COPAG's. My cut cards more than fit the bottom of my COPAG deck. The opposite is true of the KEM deck, as the cut card is just a hair smaller than the deck. Also, the COPAG's will fit inside any paper deck box, like Bicycle or Bee. The KEM's will definitely NOT fit in a standard deck box.If you're switching from a paper plastic-coat deck like Bicycles, Bees or Motors, you'll find the most physical similarities with the COPAG deck. Alternatively, you'll find the most visual similarities with the KEM deck. The KEM deck has a well-known image on the ace of spades and is probably the most recognizable deck around (ie; Rounders).Cost wise, I spent a few dollars more on my KEMs than I did the COPAGs. If I were to choose only one based on price, feel and aesthetics, I'd probably go for the COPAG deck.Oh, I asked my wife which she liked better (as an uninformed observer) and she couldn't really tell the difference between the KEM and COPAG decks. She did like the feel compared to a paper deck though. Then she beat my flopped straight by sucking out on the river with a low flush (I love you dear).Bottom line, choose either one and you'll be super happy you upgraded from the popular paper brands. I hope this helps in your decision!

The cards feel very nice in your hand. One characteristic of many plastic cards is how slippery they are or how unruly they are when shuffling, you will not have any trouble with these. I've also read that the KEM cards smell bad. They do in fact have a plastic oder but it is not anything extraordinary, it smells like any other plastic product would smell and it certainly isn't anything extraordinary or intolerable. I actually bought several brands and types and they all have a particular odor, some more than others, but these are definitely the best overall in feel, handling and appearance.

I bought these cards because after 10 years of a weekly poker game, a friend of mine had to replace them because the pattern had started to wear slightly on the back of a couple of the cards of one of the decks.This is an impressive feat, pizza and beer, multi-table / day long tournaments of varying respectful players had all seen these cards which are WASHABLE!. To survive that long with varieties of conditions.. Worth every penny.