Playing Card Reviews

Well, Roland, since you asked (sort of!), herewith some, i.e., a great many images of my newly acquired decks of playing cards: KEM Arrow (black/gold) (US), COPAG 1546 (black/gold) (Brazil) and Modiano Black Jack (green/brown) (Italy). Together with some highly subjective comments. All are poker size (2 1/2" x 3 1/2", although the KEMs are actually a tad longer than the others) with jumbo index. Comparably priced at two decks for $18.50 for the KEMs and $15.00 for the COPAGs and Modianos. In all of the scans, the KEMs are on the left, COPAGs in the middle and Modianos on the right.

Packaging

All the decks come in plastic two-deck boxes with a divider down the middle but the Modiano box has no lid and the lid on the COPAGs fits too tightly so score one for the KEMs.

Backs

All the decks have a white border around the edge of the backs. I like the COPAG design best followed by the Modiano but all are acceptable. Among individual decks, I would probably rate the COPAG gold first followed by the Modiano green. The Modiano brown is an orangy brown.

Corners

The Modianos have the most rounded corners; the KEMs, the sharpest corners.

Facecards

The KEMs seem to me to be the most traditional and most attractive.

Whiteness

The white portions of the Modianos are the brightest. The KEMs have a slightly greyish tint and the COPAGs a slightly cream-colored tint.

Color

The Modianos have the deepest red, almost a maroon, and the COPAGs the lightest red. In general, the color on the COPAGs seems very washed out and unappealing compared to the other two.

Interior Background

I was a bit disappointed to discover that only the Modianos have the yellow background on the non-facecards, which I like quite a bit. (The photos online had led me to believe that the COPAGs also had this feature but apparently not.) In addition, the line comprising the interior border on the COPAGs is blue rather than black or red, which I think was a poor design choice.

Pips

The numbers and letters on the Modianos are the most rounded, the ones on the KEMs the most elongated and the ones on the COPAGs the most blocky. The heart and spade symbols are the most rounded on the Modianos. I personally prefer the Modianos in this respect.

Feel

All the cards are plastic but the COPAGs have the most papery look and feel and the KEMs the most plasticky. Both I and my 13-year-old independent consultant picked out the Modianos as having the nicest feel. The COPAG deck is noticeably thinner than the other two. The KEMs are less slippery. All three shuffle nicely with the main difference being that the KEMs offer a bit more resistance when marrying the two halves of the deck together.

Smell

Right out of the box, the KEMs have the most chemical scent, the Modianos the most neutral, but I imagine this will fade over time.

Taste

The KEMs have a pleasant crunchy texture but also leave a bit of a chemical aftertaste. The Modianos go down well with a nice dry red. The COPAGs were chewiest.

Jokers

The Modianos win hands down, the other jokers are terrible. What were they thinking?

Conclusion

Hard to tell how the cards will wear but you can probably guess that based on first impressions, the Modianos are far and away my favorites with the KEMs a distant second. Another triumph for Italian design! Will have to try to get my hands on some Dal Negros next....