KEM Arrow Standard Index Playing Cards (Pack of 2)

I've used these cards for years. They were always a pleasure to use. My preference was however for Dal Negro Trevisio. They were a little thicker and a little bit stiffer. They feel like paper and are very pleasurable to hold in the hand.However, I've been using KEM cards and my biggest complaint was how they slide on each other. They are ever so slightly more flexible and smoother which make them easier to shuffle and handle. These are my new favorite and I'm a little disappointed that I have 25 other decks of cards which I like less than these. I'm happy I tried them all, but the KEM are my favorite. Now your subjective favorite can change just like your favorite painting on the wall. Besides being the most pleasant to handle and shuffle, they also have the most pleasing back design. Every poker house I have played in has used these cards, although sometimes in the bridge size, but that says something.Edit: at the moment my favorite playing card is Dal Negro Trevisio. Here is a little tidbit of info. I recently opened the red deck of KEM cards. They felt stiffer cuz I thought they were new. Taking a caliper I could see that this red deck was 0.76 mm thicker than the blue counterpart (52 cards only). Whether this is normal meaning the red is always thicker, or there is variance between every deck I don't know. I would love to hear responses from others.The blue cards were new, meaning only opened and shuffled and never used for a game. I like to buy and try most cards, fearing I may be missing out on something I haven't tried.

I PURCHASED THESE FOR A LADY CELEBRATING HER 100th BIRTHDAY 9/10/18 WHO HAS PLAYED BRIDGE FOR OVER 80 YEARS AND NEVER OWNED KEM CARDS THAT I WAS TOLD WERE THE BEST. THE FIRST TIME SHE USED THEM SOMEONE SPILLED AN ALMOST EMPTY GLASS OF WATER ON THE TABLE. THEY GOT TOWELS TO WIPE THE CARDS, BUT ONE DECK WAS TOTALLY RUINED THE OTHER BENT AND WARPED. I OWN A NUMBER OF GOOD POKER DECKS THAT COST 1/2 THE PRICE AND WATER WIPES OFF.

Given the price premium, I'm extremely disappointed with these cards. Three shuffles in, and they bend & deform. Problem is they are thin and behave like paper. IMO, they are not a true plastic card. Oh, and the Jokers look awful. Too bad, because they feel nice in the hand. Short-short, don't bother with these. Go with Bicycle Prestige, Ace, or (if you can stand the smell) Copag.Edit 2: back to two stars. The cards deformed again, and the blacks are fading from some of the cards.Edit 1: I'm raising the rating to 4 stars. I discovered that with use (lots of shuffling and playing), the cards gradually straighten out. They are also not really thin, just feel like it. When you place a full stack against a comparable deck, total thickness is about the same, maybe even a little thicker. In all, I'm happier with these now than when I first used them out of the box.

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.

After 60-100 hours of use over a period of a year, the surface of the cards have become textured. They're not dirty; I've tried the recommended methods to clean them with no change. The cards have become impossible to deal singly. Comparing the 52 cards in each deck to the 2 jokers that have NOT been used, it's obvious. You can SEE the cracks all over the surface of both sides of the used cards while the jokers have no cracks. I can tell by FEEL, blindfolded, the difference between an unused Joker and one of the used cards. $30 is much to much for cards that degrade this quickly. And to be clear, they became gradually more difficult to deal over time and they've been substandard for most of the year. Uh, I can buy a 2 dozen packs of standard paper Bicycle cards for less than one set of Kems. Also, we've used Copags in the past. Though they fade, they do NOT gradually become textured, so it isn't all plastic cards.