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KEM Poker Arrow Standard Index (Blue/Red) from The US Playing Card Company
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Rating:  
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Our Editorial Review
Product Description Double deck of Kem cards with a wider format. 2.5 x 3.5 inches. They have regular indicies, and come in double deck packs, one red deck and one blue deck.
KEM are made of cellulose-acetate - a strong, tough, yet flexible plastic. According to the manufacturer, KEM are the world's most desired playing cards. They look different. They feel different. They are different. Some of our customers will only play with Kem. Others do not care for the feel, which is different from dime store cards. KEM cards stay clean, crisp, fresh and flexible throughout their life. They resist scuffing, breaking and dog-earring. They cannot be marred. KEM cards last longer, which makes them some of the least expensive cards on a per-play basis.
Customer Reviews
Not worth the money. Posted 18 December 2007
These are pretty nice cards. They feel real nice and shuffle well. But for the money they are simply not a good value.
I use Copag, Modiano, and Dal Negro plastic cards and decided to give these KEMs a try. I've never seen such bad quality control as these have. There were several cards in one deck which were badly scratched across the back rendering one deck unplayable.
I received no response from ChipandGames so I sent the deck back to USPC in Cincinnati (fingers crossed). We'll see what happens.
Long story short... don't buy KEM cards. I've used a TON of plastic cards for poker over the years and while KEM cards do have a nice feel to them (about as nice as Copag) they are simply too fragile and easily marked.
At nearly twice the price of Copag these KEM cards are absolutely laughable to me. I consider them and the entire USPC a joke. How can they expect to compete with oversees companies who produce a far better product for half the money?
Buy Copag... end of story.
The Best Posted 20 July 2007
Ok, here is my experience. We have been using the same 2 decks in my club for over 18 months. We play once/week. We play a lot of hands, and we play for at least 5 hours each session. The cards are just starting to stick and not slide as well, however, we would have gone through at least 20 decks by now. The cards are washable (we have washed them). The cards ARE bendable, however, if you are going to fold them all the way like you are folding a letter, then you deserve a bent card. If you think these are some kind of superman card, well, then, you are mistaken. However, these cards are far superior to regular cards, and better than other plastics I have played with. As for the cover, yes it is true but if you keep the outside cover that the plastic box slides into, then you do not have to worry about the card box opening. At first, you kind of have to get used to the feel, and also how these cards glide. They really go, and will sail right off the table if you are not careful. I cannot imagine anyone using anything else after using these cards. If you are an occasional player, or if you want to prove that you CAN damage these cards, then these are probably not for you. The cost is high enough that if you only play once a month or less, regular cards bought in bulk would probably be cheaper. If you play a lot, or if you worry about markings on the cards, these cards are for you. They will be cheaper in the long run. Also, these cards are more difficult to mark. I should note that I have held a card the long way and made the ends touch (after 18 months of use, and abuse) and the card goes right back. I did not FOLD the card, but I did bend it and the ends touched, not both halves flat against eachother. I would also like to note that I have used the bridge cards for years and feel the same way about them....but do not use the bridge size for poker, you will hate it (the bridge size is smaller). I gave them 5 stars for everything because the educational value rating for this is useless so any rating is useless. Lastly, when I first recommended that my club use these cards, everyone was against it. I forced the issue and they agreed to try them. Now, everyone refuses to use anything else.
Like a rubber basketball Posted 30 June 2007
I disagree with two supposed positives about these cards (and maybe plastic cards in general).
1. They are easy to play with. I have found that they in fact do stick together. You know how you shuffle your hole cards in Hold'Em? It doesn't feel right when you do it. And checking your cards at the corners is awkward as well. You have to press down awkwardly in order to get a peek. And since they do retain their shape, it'll be that way for good.
2. They are durable/break resistant. Don't believe the hype. Yes, they retain their shape well, but you over bend it, and believe me it will crease.
Basketball Analogy: You know how the NBA introduced a rubber basketball but the players hated it and they switched back? That's how I feel about these. It's a nice idea but in execution it doesn't work. Just like a rubber basketball, it feels weird/chafes the hand and the cards remove part of the experience that is part of poker. It's like playing with lightweight chips - it doesn't feel right.
My Recommendation: Suck it up and buy paper cards. If you're a casual player then using paper cards will be just as or more cost-effective, plus you'll have a better experience. If you play a lot then you don't need my review and you can suck up the cost of paying to replace decks (if you're decent and if not then why keep playing?) :P
nice cards, packaging leaves a little to be desired Posted 05 May 2007
This is my first set of plastic cards. I play a lot of poker and decided to quit wasting my money on paper cards. I ordered the cards and one of the decks had a cut in the side of the 6 of spades, making that deck unusable. I contacted the seller (The Game Preserve) and they promptly sent me a new set and a postage-paid return envelope. Great service!
The feel of the cards is good, not as slippery as some plastic decks can be. The box the cards come in leaves a little to be desired. The box does not snap shut, so if it falls over, you'll be playing 52 pickup. There is also not a clip or something in the middle to keep the top few cards in each deck from moving around (Copag cards have this.) For $25 you'd think a little nicer box would be in order.
I'm giving the product 4/5 stars, it loses a star because of the packaging. The Amazon 3rd Party Seller (The Game Preserve) gets 5 stars though. :)
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