Playing cards are among the most popular board games in the world. They are a great way to bond a family, win money in the casino and create illusion for magicians. But sometimes finding authentic ones can be very difficult. That's why this buying guide gives you tips and criteria to help you choose.
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Our selection
"The LMS cards are of good quality. They have an easy glide when dispensing and an optimal grip. They are made of high quality plastic,…"
"Here you have 2 packs of playing cards especially dedicated to play poker. They will be perfect for playing other games. The cards are very…"
"This set of cards is for the game of poker. They have very nice games. They are solid, resistant and slide very well. Their American…"
"Made of plastic, the cards are of good quality. You can play with them while sipping your favorite drink: they don't get damaged easily and…"
The LMS cards are of good quality. They have an easy glide when dispensing and an optimal grip. They are made of high quality plastic, flexible and robust.
14,39 £ on AmazonIt is a combination of a set of 54 blue-backed cards (52 cards and 2 jokers) with dimensions 63 x 88 mm and 54 red-backed cards (52 cards and 2 jokers) in the same dimensions. They are 100% waterproof and therefore very sweat-proof and can be used for a long time. The large size of the symbols gives them a very good visual effect.
These are poker cards, but you can also play other card games with them. They hold well in the hand and you won't have to worry about crumpling them up easily, as they are sturdy. They are also ideal for magicians who like to do card tricks.
Here you have 2 packs of playing cards especially dedicated to play poker. They will be perfect for playing other games. The cards are very resistant and pleasant to the touch but they do not slip.
5,31 £ on AmazonThe cards have a very pleasant grip: they are soft and supple. They will be very well suited to magicians for their card tricks. They have beautiful bright colors and a nice texture thanks to the Aircushion technology. And the joker design is also nice to look at. The cards have a good glide when dealt.
The standard Rider back cards are of good quality, they are quite durable and at first sight you can see that they have personality. The special feature of these cards is their advanced printing technology. In addition, their precision die-cutting system allows for a perfect and precise cut and consistency in the different production cycles.
This set of cards is for the game of poker. They have very nice games. They are solid, resistant and slide very well. Their American poker format decks add an extra touch to their design.
23,78 £ on AmazonThe box does contain 12 decks of cards in English. They are obviously of high quality and are perfect for everything from card games to magic, and the handling is excellent. The design of the box as well as the cards is perfect, nice to look at and soft to touch. They have a good grip and are very pleasant to play with.
As the card paper is made of high quality raw material, the cards have a long life. The cards are smooth and simple, which adds to their beauty. Moreover, the reputation of the brand is further verified with these decks of cards.
Made of plastic, the cards are of good quality. You can play with them while sipping your favorite drink: they don't get damaged easily and have a good grip. Moreover, they have a good glide when dispensing.
8,79 £ on AmazonYou'll find a 2-pack of 52 deluxe, waterproof and extremely durable cards made of 100% plastic. The cards are dedicated to poker games but they will also be suitable for Belote, Rummy, Canasta, Bridge, Blackjack, President, etc. The cards are robust, waterproof and designed to last over time. They just need to be stored well and protected from the sun's UV rays.
As for the design, the cards have a excellent haptics thanks to a finely structured back. The smooth underside of the cards allows for a perfect glide and the finely structured backside makes it easy to lift the cards.
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LMS - Plastic Poker Cards
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Bicycle- Rider Back Standard
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Bicycle- Set of 12 standard decks of blue and red cards:
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Bullets Playing Cards- Plastic poker cards
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The LMS cards are of good quality. They have an easy glide when dispensing and an optimal grip. They are made of high quality plastic, flexible and robust.
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Here you have 2 packs of playing cards especially dedicated to play poker. They will be perfect for playing other games. The cards are very resistant and pleasant to the touch but they do not slip.
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This set of cards is for the game of poker. They have very nice games. They are solid, resistant and slide very well. Their American poker format decks add an extra touch to their design.
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Made of plastic, the cards are of good quality. You can play with them while sipping your favorite drink: they don't get damaged easily and have a good grip. Moreover, they have a good glide when dispensing.
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Combination of 2 sets of 54 blue-backed and red-backed cards
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Cards that feel good in your hand
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Pack of 12 sturdy, durable decks of cards
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100% waterproof and plastic cards
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100% waterproof cards
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Cards that are soft and gentle in your hand
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American-sized cards
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Rugged and waterproof cards
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Flexible, robust cards with dimensional stability
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Cards that have personality
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Excellent handling
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Cards designed to last over time
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The storage box is first of all important, because it is used to house your deck of cards, so you don't want something fragile. You need something where you can open and close the flap easily, so you can retrieve and store the cards.
And you need to be sure that your precious playing cards will be safely stored inside the storage box while it's on the shelf or while it's in transit from one place to another.
Fortunately, most playing card publishers are creating quality, durable and functional storage boxes these days, so there's nothing to worry about in that regard.
But just as important as durability is the aesthetics and design of the storage box. The storage box is your very first encounter with a deck of playing cards, so it is crucial to shaping a good impression.
Naturally, you want that impression to be a good one! Storage boxes can be true masterpieces that offer a real visual treat on the shelf or on the gaming table.
The paper used to make the deck is a very important part. It can vary from stiff and durable to soft and flexible. This can have a significant impact on the feel and handling of a deck. There will be differences in feel, largely depending on how stiff or soft the card stock is.
The card stock in LPCC/EPCC decks tends to be thinner than the card stock used by USPCC decks, but it is a strong paper that can withstand a lot of wear and tear, so paper thickness does not necessarily equate to durability.
To help manage a deck, the finish applied to a deck is critical. Ideally, there should be a consistent formula that creates a coating that allows the cards to be easily spread, but not so slippery as to make shuffling difficult.
Many publishers like the USPCC will advertise their decks as having a "performance coating" or "magic finish," and this is what they are referring to. Without any coating, the cards do not handle smoothly or consistently.
In most cases, all major publishers will add a coating to the card to ensure that they glide smoothly. In addition to protecting the cards from moisture, this also ensures that the cards slide smoothly, and you will sometimes notice differences in the degree to which the cards slide, depending on the coating used.
Recording refers to the accuracy of the printing on the cards themselves. Especially with a game that uses narrow borders, you will find that registration on USPCC printed cards is not always accurate, making the border appear wider on one side than the other.
As a result, LPCC/EPCC would be the best choice for printing decks with narrow borders, as they use a precision printing process that allows them to print narrow borders accurately and consistently, providing a wider range of options for designers.
Over time, playing cards begin to bend, warp or fade as you use them. If you have a deck of cards that you want to keep, you can easily protect them by storing them safely. Dirt on your cards makes it difficult to shuffle them, so keep your cards clean while you use them. Here are some tips for caring for playing cards.
A playing card is a specially prepared piece of card stock, thick paper, thin cardboard, laminated paper, a cotton blend paper or thin plastic marked with distinctive designs. Often the front (face) and back of each card is finished for ease of handling. They are most commonly used to play card games (poker, rummy, belote, etc.), and are also used in magic tricks, cardistry, card throwing, and card houses.
The most common type of playing card is the one found in the standard 52-card assorted deck in French. The most common design is the English model, followed by the Belgian-Genovese model. However, many countries use other types of traditional playing cards, including German, Italian, Spanish and Swiss.
The Tarot is a deck of 78 cards, each with its own images, symbolism and history. The 22 Major Arcana cards represent the karmic and spiritual lessons of life, and the 56 Minor Arcana cards reflect the trials and tribulations we experience daily.
In the Minor Arcana cards, there are 16 Tarot Court cards representing 16 different personality characteristics that we can choose to express at any given time. The Minor Arcana also includes 40 numbered cards organized in 4 suits, of 10 cards each, representing various situations we encounter on a daily basis.
Both sets of cards are for entertainment. For us, the best are the playing cards. Indeed, with these small cards, you can personalize the inscriptions. You can put them in your pocket and do tricks. You can play different card games like solitaire, blackjack or poker.
While with tarot decks you can only make the cards talk by reading the future. So if you want to play cards and have fun with others, we recommend playing cards. On the other hand, if you are more interested in the art of divination, look at the tarot cards.
Do not use elastic under any circumstances
A deck of playing cards, securely fastened with a rubber band. Don't do this. Why not? Well first of all, over time, that rubber band will become brittle and break. Even worse, when you add heat, it will melt and you will have pieces of rubber stuck to your cards. Yuck! Also, there is a real risk that the rubber band will damage the cards at the top and bottom of the deck, because it puts pressure on those points. A rubber band helps keep your deck together, but it offers no protection for the cards themselves - and we can do better than that!
Avoid humidity
Humidity is particularly known to have a pretty big impact on a deck of playing cards, so if there are ways to store your deck in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight and humidity, and with a relatively stable temperature, that's certainly the ideal option. Try to avoid storing your deck in a very humid area that encourages your cards to bend and warp. Fluctuating humidity is even worse, as cards will expand and shrink, and quickly become damaged. A cool, dry, well-ventilated area is always best. If you live in a climate with high humidity, you may want to place your decks in the same room as your home humidifier if you have one.
Wash your hands
One of the biggest enemies of playing cards is all that dirt and grime that quickly attaches to our skin during normal life. When you handle a deck of playing cards, this dirt has a habit of coming off and, along with the oils in your skin, finding a new home on your playing cards. Before you know it, those crisp, white edges start to look yellowed or spots of grime mysteriously appearing on them. So before you do an intense cardmaking session or practice your card magic, take a moment to wash your hands thoroughly.
Handle cards with care
Perhaps it goes without saying, but it is possible to be hard on your cards. We've probably all seen people shuffle cards so roughly that we visibly wince! If your hands are tight and you squeeze the cards too hard or fold them excessively while shuffling, you can cause unnecessary damage. Of course, it's also possible (and maybe even likely!) that you know how to handle cards carefully, but your friends and family do not! As a result, if you give them your beloved deck to shuffle, they might be very picky with your cards, and that could simply be because they never learned the proper techniques for shuffling or handling a deck.
Practice over a mat
If you're a card player who tries a range of fancy new air moves, you don't want to do it over a dirty floor or a hardwood or concrete floor. Dropping cards from time to time is part of the cost of progressing in cardistry or magic. Any good cardist will drop cards as they learn and attempt new and challenging moves. If you never drop cards, then you are not challenging yourself or pushing yourself to new heights. And if you know you're going to drop cards, then it makes sense to drop them on a surface that will be as friendly to them as possible. A clean, soft carpet is best. A hard, dirty wooden floor, or a muddy puddle outside is definitely not!
The best playing cards depend on your needs and budget. Read our buying guide for the best products available.
The playing card decks consist of fifty-two playing cards, including thirteen cards in each of the four suits, Clubs ♣, Diamonds ♦, Hearts ♥ and Spades ♠, with reversible face cards. They also include 2 Jokers, each with a different suit combination. Each suit includes an Ace, King, Queen and Jack and cards from two to ten, with each card representing the symbols (pips) of its suit.
The "storage box" is simply the common way of referring to the box that the cards come in, and is usually wrapped in cellophane. "Embossing" refers to the honeycomb finish on the surface of playing cards, although it can also refer to raised surfaces on more luxurious storage boxes. The metallic print on high-end storage boxes is usually described as a "foil". The "court cards" consist of jacks, queens and kings, and are also called face cards, picture cards or simply "courts". These contrast with the "spot cards", which are the cards numbered 2 through 10. The 'clues' of a card refer to the number and value of the card on opposite corners, while the 'pips' are the suit symbols: Spades, Clubs, Hearts and Diamonds.
Perhaps one of the most important things to keep in mind is to only buy cards that you like. Stamp collectors can't collect every postage stamp in the world, so they usually tend to focus, for example they may only collect stamps from a particular country or stamps with pictures of cars or flowers. Something similar is true with playing card collecting, and you will need to narrow your area of interest in some way. Find what you are looking for among our recommended products.
It is usually best for the brand new collector to start your collection with newer decks. Fortunately, collecting playing cards has a huge scope, and you can go in many different directions. While you can decide to collect older games, if you can afford it, deciding to only collect modern games that have been released in the last decade is also great, and you'll have more than enough choices to keep you busy, with many more options than you'll ever be able to buy. In the last decade alone, there has been a massive influx of custom games on the market. Since most new collectors tend to start their collection with newer games that are readily available. Lastly, you should not forget to maintain them well.
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