Playing cards buying guide

A deck of playing cards is a deck of playing cards, right?  While any given deck of playing cards will have 52 cards separated into four suits, there are plenty of other things to consider when purchasing the playing cards for your next poker chip set.  The first, and most important thing to choose, is whether to buy paper playing cards or plastic playing cards.  Paper playing cards are often plastic coated but are not to be confused with the much higher end 100% plastic playing cards.  Most traditional decks of playing cards are simply plastic coated paper playing cards.  These decks are great because they're dirt-cheap and they're available everywhere from gift shops to grocery stores.  While they are cheap and easy to find, paper playing cards do have one important shortcoming: they are very fragile.  Ever accidentally lay down a card in small ring of condensation left behind by a cold drink?  The resulting warping of the card or cards makes the deck unusable.  Paper playing cards also tear and crease easily, and the edges wear over time as the cards are shuffled.  It doesn't take long for a new deck of paper playing cards to need replacing.

A properly cared for deck of plastic playing cards, on the other hand, can last a lifetime.  Plastic playing cards are considered to be the most premium material playing cards in the world.  Plastic playing cards will not mark, dent, tear, crease or warp under normal playing conditions and are designed to last up to 100 times longer than traditional paper playing cards.  Plastic playing cards are also washable, meaning that an accidental spill is no longer a problem.  Simply wash the cards off to keep them looking new for years.  Plastic playing cards will also shuffle easier and slide across the table better than traditional paper playing cards.  Play once with a deck of plastic playing cards and you'll never want to play with traditional paper playing cards ever again.

The next thing to choose for your card deck is wither to get poker size playing cards or bridge size playing cards.  The difference between poker playing cards and bridge playing cards is a mere 1/4".  Poker size playing cards measure 3-1/2" x 2-1/2", whereas bridge size playing cards are slightly narrower at 3-1/2" x 2-1/4".  Traditionally casino playing cards are poker size, but the narrower width of bridge size playing cards makes them more comfortable in one's hand and allows for easier fanning of the cards.  You must also choose your cards' index size.  The index size refers to the size of the numbers and pips at the corners of the cards.  Standard or regular index refers to standard size numbers, whereas jumbo index refers to the extra large numbers usually used for tournament play.  Finally, once you've chosen to go with paper playing cards versus plastic playing cards, poker size versus bridge size, and standard index versus jumbo index, it's time to choose a playing card design.  At Atlanta poker chips we carry all the major brands you know such as KEM, Copag, Da Vinci, Modiano, Bicycle and Bee.