kiosk: middle class report: casino playing cards

[kiosk]

anyone collect and/or play around with decks of casino-grade playing cards? here's some basic info I compiled, feel free to correct or append the data as you wish.

1. modern casino card brands

a. US Playing Card Company "Bee" - the longtime standard for both gaming tables and consumers since 1892. trademark diamond back and 'cambric finish' familiar to everyone. (used by: MGM Grand, Bellagio, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Golden Nugget, Tropicana AC, Mirage, NYNY, Coast Casinos, Borgata, Circus Circus, World Poker Tour)

b. US Playing Card Company "Aristocrat" - custom casino imprint not available to consumers. slightly lighter weight than Bee brand but still feels very good. Instead of a second joker, these industry-only decks include a bar-coded "scanning" card for quality and security control purposes - many Bee decks do as well. (used by: Bally's, Paris, Hilton, Flamingo, Palms, Station Casinos, Sahara)

c. Gemaco - custom only brand also not available to consumers. available in traditional "armor finish" or top of the line "alpha series" grade. comparable quality to US Playing Card Co. (used by: all Trump casinos, Mohegan Sun, Fitzgeralds, Harrahs)

d. Paul-Son - local vegas brand manufactured in mexico. also makes other casino accesories such as chips, layouts, dice and furniture. Cards are noticeably thinner and lighter weight than Bee, Aristocrat or Gemaco. (used by: Stratosphere, Aladdin, Golden Gate, Hard Rock)

2. consumer brands

a. Bee (same as casino)

b. Paul-Son (same as casino)

c. Bicycle "Rider Back" - the "#1 US Played" brand with 'air cushion' finish. Costs only 25 cents less than a deck of Bee cards, but is noticeably thinner and lighter. Perhaps it's easier to shuffle for kids or something. Overrated mainstream marketing IMHO.

d. Tally-Ho "Fan Back" - 20 cents less than Bee, a nickel more than Bicycle (who knows why). Linoid finish does actually feel about 5 cents better than Bicycle does, but Bee is still worth the extra money overall.

e. Aviator - USPCC's 'value' line for $2.00 a pack, not generally available at your local CVS pharmacy but can be purchased from mail order specialty stores. paper-thin cards which do not have the familiar 'weave' coating of the higher brands. these cards will probably get warped to hell in no time. but at least it comes in a cool-looking box.

f. Maverick - Hoyle's bottom of the line at just $1.85 a pack, however the plastic coating on the cards feels surprisingly good and I would recommend these over better known off-brands such as Bicycle and Tally-Ho. You won't find Maverick in everyday stores either but you can special order them.

3. face layouts (the actual printed card values)

a. standard index - regular size pips and pictures, small value index in the upper left and lower right of each card. this is what you get with any consumer deck you buy in a retail store. also the preferred format for all casino poker games. all consumer decks say "poker" on the outside to differentiate from "bridge" format cards, which are actually a quarter inch narrower in width. You can also find "Jumbo" print cards which have extra large numbers in the corners, presumably easier for kids, and anyone with poor eyesight.

b. "Tech-Art" - this format was developed specifically for use in casino blackjack, and can only be seen by consumers who purchase a used/cancelled deck purchased in a resort gift shop. the main differences are as follows...#1: the ace is printed on all four corners so that when the dealer's up card is a 10 value, he can slide the hole card into the viewer to see if there is an ace underneath, which would end the hand immediately. if there is no ace underneath, the dealer just sees a blank and play continues as normal. #2: all card values ace through 9 are printed with a half-inch indentation from the top and bottom edge. when the dealer's up card is an ace, after asking players for insurance he will turn the hole card sideways to check for a ten-value card. if it is not a 10 or a face card (even if it is another ace), the dealer will only see a white blank and play resumes without the dealer knowing what the hole card actually is. Tech-Art decks are available in standard size, but many casinos use an "enhanced" format which is not quite as large as jumbo, but is noticeably easier to read for players, dealers, and the "eye in the sky".

c. "No Peek" - same as Tech-Art except black strips are added to the aces and 10-value cards in the appropriate corners. These are used on blackjack tables where instead of a mirrored slit to check hole cards, the dealer uses an electronic light sensor which will flash green if the black strip is not detected (therefore no blackjack), or flash red where there is. this provides the highest level of game security for the casinos, and players seem to like it as well...however this system is not installed in a majority of casinos yet.

possible discussion topics:
- what is your favorite brand of playing cards to collect and/or play at home with friends...and why
- when using cancelled casino cards, do you prefer a hole punched in the middle, or a shaved and/or cut corner(s)

[shaggy18vw]

Very interesting topic.
I personally prefer Bees. I use cancelled casino bees whenever possible. They definetly last longer then bicycles even though the casino has already deemed them used. I also have a tendency to use Paul-Son cards. This is because I can get them for $0.49 a pack at the Golden Gate.

You have done your homework on the cards. I also like special royal faces on some Bee cards. My favorite is the old west riverboat gambler style used by the Nevada Landing (Jean, NV) and the Colorado Belle (Laughlin, NV).

[Sonny]

> possible discussion topics:
> - what is your favorite brand of playing
> cards to collect and/or play at home with
> friends...and why

I usually use the cards from various casinos. Casinos give them away for free most of the time so you can get them easily and cheaply. When I deal to my friends I like to duplicate the casino rules based on the deck of cards. I'll usually ask "Do you want to play an El Cortez game (SD H17 RO6), Arizona Charlies (DD H17 DAS) or MGM (6D S17 DAS LS) tonight?" Nobody ever wants to play a Silver Slipper game.

> - when using cancelled casino cards, do you
> prefer a hole punched in the middle, or a
> shaved and/or cut corner(s)

I prefer the cards that are not cut or shaved but instead have a wide black mark across the sides. This leaves the actual cards intact but makes them useless for casino muckers. I have only seen this done at the Colorado Belle in Laughlin so far. As a side note, I love the special artwork they have for the face cards.

-Sonny-