So, I usually just shell out the $30-35 per box of two decks of KEM casino cards, I have a guy who provides them to me locally. They are very good quality although eventually a chip dings one of them up and eventually the ding becomes a crack, they last about as long as you could expect a deck of cards to last.

But I see the consumer grade KEM cards are a lot cheaper, and I sometimes see some different looking casino cards on ebay and other places for a little bit less. Im wondering about the quality of these, and also how much less abuse the consumer grade could take, and what my overall most cost effective option is for cards that get used on a regular basis. Im looking to buy 10 or more boxes at once and trying to find the best price as well.

As much as I love Copags, they just cant take the abuse. So KEM it is.

Modiano platinum acetate FTW

KEM casino cards are crap. They're my least favorite plastic card to use. Oddly, the WSOP Bicycle decks are a dream to use.

copagdirect.com sells great cards for $15 a setup. J-Design also has excellent cards. Hell, you can get KEMs cheaper than that from discountcasinogear.com.

The nice thing about J-Design is that they're much less popular, so there aren't as many runs of the cards. This means the dyes on the back don't vary wildly like they do with KEM or Copag. They're also excellent with giving free replacements, no shipping charges. I recommend buying two decks of a few different colors and using one deck of each as replacement cards. I did that and never looked back.

Hey cdog,
If you do decide that it's Kem or nothing for you I've gotten tons of great deals on used cards by shopping on ebay. A few of my Kem set-ups look brand new and can be had for as low as $9.99 if you're patient. I got 4 set-ups of used Copags one time for $20!! As far as Modiano or Fournier cards go, they rarely show up used on Ebay.

Hey man, I went through about 50 copag setups purchased through that site before a dealer told me I would save a lot of money by using KEMs. I switched to KEM casino cards, and went from going through roughly a deck every other game to a deck every 5 games or so (this is with 2 decks being alternated thru the night).

It looks like I can buy KEMs direct from kem.com for $29.50 a setup with no bulk discount, but I found a place called Kardwell.com which appears to offer the same setups at a discount for buying in quantity - if I buy 12 decks or more the price is $23.50

I think this is the route Im going to take, but I will check out the Modianos mentioned as well. Thanks

was the ink rubbing off your copags? I've heard many people complain that copags have that particular problem. Or is it something else like cards getting dented/bent?

I've had a LOT of faded copags. Lots of decks fail for lots of reasons, but my copags go in the bin because they're washed out and faded.

Yeah, Copags fade a bunch, so even if you're lucky to get a replacement of the same hue, you still can't do it. They handle well and don't get as sticky as KEM, at least.

J-Design has yet to let me down. Plus they look very nice.

regardless of brand, I've rarely had a pastic card fail. sometimes the faces get a little worn. one copag card broke a corner. thats about it. How are your cards failing? If you wash them every 4-5 games, they should deal and shuffle like new.

New Kems SUCK . . . Pre-USPC buy-out Kems are on a par with Bridge sized Modianos. Modiano PA's are top-top, though.

Five games seems like a really short life span to me too. I have KEM set ups that have seen way more action than that. What kind of surface are you playing on?

I know a lot of people like to knock the USPC Kems but I think they are a top tier playing card. Their unique flex makes them a bit more durable over the long haul IMO. The warping issues are manageable if you know how to handle it.

If you are not that picky about the back designs, there are a couple of low cost options you may want to consider. The Gambler's General Store will blow out all the old WSOP tourney decks after the series concludes. They generally become available around late August/early September. I think they went for something like $15/set up. There is also an eBay seller that sells circle backs on the cheap. He is a tournament director and he liquidates the used set ups from time to time. I think they went for around $6 per set up if you bought in bulk.

Disagree . . . the Gemaco Superflex are just as good as new Kems, without the warping/bowing issues, and at a cheaper price point.

The Modianos only seem available in Poker size??? I can only use bridge size regular index.

http://www.modianocards.com/platinum-edition.html

Yes, Modiano Platinum Acetate are poker size only. No bridge size.

Then I cant try Modiano, poker size is harder/slower to wash/shuffle/deal, and not as good for Omaha which we sometimes play

I see Copag has a new casino grade card, I might try some of these as well, about $18 a setup

http://www.kardwell.com/page/KII/CTG...AG-COPA-CASINO