I know.. We all want the winning two or four :-)

No really though - I was playing some cards out in Phoenix last week and it's been a while since I've been out there, maybe 5-7 years. The card room situation there has improved significantly.

Gila River uses the large print cards and it's annoying. It makes protecting your hole cards while checking a little more difficult. I couldn't get a solid reason why they don't use the standard cards that you see in 90% of poker rooms. I can only assume it's something they do to try and attract some of the aging population that are more likely to have difficulty seeing the cards across the table.

On a side note, Casino Arizona's Talking Stick resort had a very nice card room, and used the smaller / normal size print playing cards.

Kind of an oddball / nit question but I'm wondering if anyone had a solid reason on why some rooms use the larger cards?

Pros:

More older customers prefer them because they can see them easier. Some go so far as to make that the primary concern for where to play.

Cameras can read them easier.

The large index significantly reduces the poor vision lean in/squint/"dealer what's that card" that slows down the game, thus making the house more money.

I've never encountered a player that was unable to protect their cards due to a jumbo index.

I wouldn't be surprised to see more and more rooms going this route in the future. Having worked in rooms that have used each, the jumbo index is better for the game in my opinion.

Cons:

Tradition

Players have to spread their cards apart another half centimeter when looking at them.

I dislike large index cards. Hold Em, it's just annoying. Omaha, I hate 'em (mostly because I need to check my cards more often, I'm old and my mind wanders....).

They are hard imo to protect.

They are good for stud, that's about it.

some places mix their games, and they are good for games like stud, where people play with cards facing up.

Large index does make it easier to see the community cards and a lot of older people or others with poor vision are very grateful for that, and if that helps them see the cards better than I dont mind one bit, but if no one has vision problems I like the standard.

Ive seen cards where the value is placed on the corner of the card diagonally..

did some quick research and found them, theyre Copags too I might have to get these i want to give this style a try. Now if I could find some feedback on these...

I am under the impression that these cards are used for Blackjack so the dealer can slide the corner of the card into the mirror device to check for Blackjack when the situation warrants. The dealer used to lift up the hole card to check, but we've all seen the weakness of that process demonstrated in the movie Casino.

I can see those cards being pretty useful in blackjack.

But Bicycle introduced them in the WSOP a few years ago and they are called: Bicycle Pro Poker Peek cards.

I havent seen them anywhere so i dont even know if they are still made. I have a huge respect for the Bicycle brand but paper cards do not last a night when your hand shuffling and people are bending them in half. I need to invest in a shuffler.

From what I know KEM and Copag make them, If only bicycle would make plastics id buy them.

upon more research i find that KEM is made by USPCC. I still want Bicycle plastics

Actually, Bicycle does make plasics, search for Prestige. Sometimes BOGO @ Walgreens.


Haven't seen jumbo index in a casino yet. Don't think it's a big deal with protecting on the peek. Can see a speed benefit myself when we do play with jumbos in our home games.

well thank you for this..... I was looking right at the bicycle products page and didnt notice plastic in the description

Going to see if i can find them locally.

The WSOP used these type of "hybrid" cards one year. The players hated it so much they switched it out mid-series.

I much prefer the small index cards for personal hand protection, although I do not have any problems protecting the large index. Large index is much better for surveillance purposes, seeing hands/boards from a distance, and visually impaired persons. I do find that the large index cards tend to wear faster due to larger pinching of hole cards. So keep an eye on the corners and call them out for replacement if damaged.

I used to hand the large index cards when they were introduced at my local card room. Recently though I have started to prefer them. I have no problem protecting my hand and find that the entire table can see the board a bit easier. It's also far easier to see what someone at the other end of the table flips over.

Really Zak they mustve have had a serious hate for them to switch out mid game. The way I look at my hole cards though, which is diagonal with the top left corner pointing straight up seems like it would be perfect for me. Guess not many people look at their cards that way.

I have never seen jumbo index in a card room, I have gotten used to them in home games. I would like to see the card companies make a "poker room/casino index" about 2x the size of the regular index, instead of the 4x of the Jumbo index. KEM Jumbo is much worse than COPAG but even they are a little to big.