Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

*Posted this on the Internet forum, but thought there would be more interest here.

This week, Stars sent me a set each of the two new brands of playing cards they're trying out for the FPP store -- they picked me because I had an issue (photos included in complaint email) with the crappy Stud King cards back in March.

I'm not a connoisseur of plastic playing cards -- I thought the Stud Kings were great when I first got them -- but the new sets seem to be of much improved quality. I would probably compare them to Copags.

I was hoping some of the experts could help me decide which brand to recommend in my report back to Stars.

First brand is Dal Negro, although there is no "model" name anywhere on the box. The box says they are 100 percent plastic and casino quality. These are about as wide as normal Bicycle cards, and actually feel somewhat papery. They don't slip as much as the other brand, but make the Stud Kings feel downright sticky. They shuffle very smoothly.

The second cards are Fournier, and they appear to have a "model" number of 2826, although that number could mean several different things. They also claim to be 100 percent plastic. They are more narrow than the Dal Negros, and have the same matte, almost papery, finish to them. They are, however, very slippery. I don't know if this is noticeable only next to the Dal Negros and Stud Kings, or if they are really that slick, but I noticed a difference from the Dal Negros right away. They also shuffle smoothly, but aren't as flexible (flimsy?) as the Dal Nagros.

Both brands are jumbo-faced and two-color.

Of less importance are the backs (identical design between the two brands) which are also much different than the old Stud Kings. The Poker Stars logo is displayed much more prominantly, and the backgrounds are an almost solid red or blue with a faint spade pattern. At first they looked a bit cheesy, but they've grown on me the last hour or so.

I'm leaning toward recommending the Dal Negros, but will have to put them in play.

Thoughts?

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

I've seen dal negros crack at the corners, I've never used Fornier.

I got nothin'

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

Dal Negros are supposed to be second only to Copag.

I've never used or handled Fournier. Supposedly, they're mostly sold in Europe.

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

Dal Negros are the best cards I've used. They have the durability/washability of plastic cards, with the feel/playability of paper. Its really the best of both worlds.

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I've seen dal negros crack at the corners, I've never used Fornier.

[/ QUOTE ]

Old decks, smoore?

OP- one of my players is a big Dal Negro fan. I'm not familiar with Stud Kings (who makes them?) so I can't give you a comparision.

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

I've no idea. Dude brought them, we all thought they were great because of that "more papery than paper" feel. All of the sudden one of the kings had a totally DEMOLISHED corner. We were playing on a hard wood kitchen table so it may have been run into the crack where the leaves go.

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Dal Negros are supposed to be second only to Copag.

I've never used or handled Fournier. Supposedly, they're mostly sold in Europe.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a set of fournier's and really like them. They are stiffer and have more of a papery feel to them then Copag, but not as stiff as my Modiano's (wich from what I hear, are similar to Dal Negros).

Mine are the ones in this picture: http://www.homepokertour.com/promotions.php#trident

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

I have a set of Dal Negros (along with like a billion other plastic cards from various manufacturers...its a friggin disease...)

Dal Negros are at the top of my list for quality. I actually prefer them to any of the other cards I have which include Copags, KEMs, Modiano and Gemaco. The old casino KEMs are my second favorite.

If you have to make a recommendation, I would say the Dal Negros hands down.

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have a set of Dal Negros (along with like a billion other plastic cards from various manufacturers...its a friggin disease...)

Dal Negros are at the top of my list for quality. I actually prefer them to any of the other cards I have which include Copags, KEMs, Modiano and Gemaco. The old casino KEMs are my second favorite.

If you have to make a recommendation, I would say the Dal Negros hands down.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ditto

Re: Trying out new Stars FPP playing cards (Internet Xpost)
 

Bump, because PokerStars chose Dal Negros. I got 2 sets of 2 decks, and they are sexy cards. One red deck and one blue deck, both with the "pokerstars.com" logo on each.