KEM Playing Cards

Great cards that stand the test of time. by Trent Rockport @ 10, Jun 2007
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:

I bought a set of Kem bridge cards for playing poker and they're great, well worth the additional cost over plastic coated cards. They stay clean, they don't deform as easily as other brands and they shuffle nicely. I should also mention I purchased them on eBay and they are used decks made in 1951.

best cards in my point of view by Jack @ 02, May 2007
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:N/A

I think these are the best cards I have ever played with.. I got lucky getting 2 decks for 8 bucks at a special sale.. Thery are so nice to shuffle, dont ever get curly like and just have an awesome feel to them.. I've been playin with bycicles, cheap plastic cards, and plastic coated cards before and i have to say that these are an improvement.. Its just like the difference between an 11,5g composite chip and a paulson clay chip!! awesome (they are pricey though and that will be the reason why i will play with bycicles again when these are worn)

Great Cards by 33dantheman33 @ 16, Jan 2006
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:N/A

Great quality cards. They have great snap and feel. A little slippery and hard to handle on a hard table, but are perfect on felt. They are a good deal because they last a lot longer than paper cards.

Kem cards by barnzee @ 05, Dec 2005
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:

Kem cards are good for one thing- abuse! these virtualy indestructable cards are very durable and hardy, making them 'poker-proof' and therefore not susceptible to crimps,etc. The major downfall of these cards is the fact that they are appauling for magic and even worse when it comes to flourishes. A good buy for poker as they last say 15 times longer than a paper deck at the table.(Bit pricey though!)

I just bought some by rab23us @ 23, May 2005
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:N/A

I just purchased a set of new Kem cards. These are not original Kem's I was told these are ones that have been manufactured by the company that has bought them out. This is my first set of "plastic" cards, I usually would go to the local Wal_mart and just purchase the WPT cards they had on sale there. I can't complain about the quality of these cards they don't crease or stick up when people take the peeks at their cards they hold up well when purposly abused. For my first set I will say these are what I was looking for when I purchased them.

KEM/COPAG by PalmImports @ 24, Apr 2005
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:

Weve been a master distributor for KEM and currently handle COPAG. Kem will be available as of June this year since the equipment to make em was bought by a US company. Theyve had ALOT of problems with the EPA and ink-- but theyre going to be made once again. THe problem we find is this: theyre too expensive and... in our opinion, COPAG cards are every bit as good- if not better-- and MUCH less expensive. Joe

KEM Cards by TuTone @ 09, Mar 2005
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:

I have been using these cards for about a year now. The casino I dealt at used them and I purchased two setups of them for my home games. They are a bit pricey but if you think about it you'll go through about 20 - 30 decks in the time that these would wear out. So it's actually a great investment for anyone that plays poker ofter. Or any other card game for that matter. These cards are definately a must have for poker. I recommend them. ;)

KEM Cards by Pokerfanatic @ 06, Mar 2005
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:

I deal at a local club that offer’s Texas Hold’em, we use arrow KEM's, they are extremely nice for poker and as a dealer of poker, because they will not get bad bows in them. I can abuse the crap out of these things as I shuffle, I also don't have to worry about people trying to put punches or crimps in them because that will not work they don't tare they break. Another good thing is because they are plastic they can be washed if they get extremely dirty, If we used paper there we would probably go though about a deck a weak considering the amount of poker that is played, with KEM’s they will out last 50 decks of paper maybe more in this situation. So if you are interested in having a great deck for poker I suggest these. Your initial investment might be higher but you will save over time.

Good choice for poker by Shadow @ 09, Feb 2005
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:

The main advantage of these 100% plastic cards is that they last much longer than regular cards (you can even wash them). So the high price is balanced by the lifetime. There are many different back designs - everyone can chose the one he likes. The cards are printed and cut really perfectly. KEMs are great for playing poker. They can be handled easily. However for flourishes or magic it's better to use regular cards but I know much worse cards for manipulation.

KEM Cards by Eric @ 09, Feb 2005
Price: Appearance: For Poker: For Magic:

I have been handling playing cards since I was a little kid. Most packs I've owned have been relatively cheap, I didn't get my first expensive pack of KEMs until recently. They are expensive but they last so long that they are worth it. The KEM cards look good, the appearance is crisp and detailed. They are probably the best cards in terms for quality for poker. These cards are not good for flourishes, The plastic finish is too slippery and the flexibility does not feel right. If you are looking for poker cards then these are for you. If you are looking for a deck of cards for card tricks then you are probably better off going with Bicycles or Bees.

Our thoughts on the KEM Playing Cards

Price Comparisons for KEM Playing Cards

KEM Playing Cards Appearance

KEM Playing Cards Flourish and Magic Quality

KEM Playing Cards Poker Quality

Paisley Bridge Kem Cards

KEM Cards Discussion

I am new to looking at poker cards because I like chips more, but what are so good about these cards? I noticed they are used in rounders. But what makes them so expensive?

They are plastic cards that are very durable. They will last about 30 times longer than a regular deck of cards.
As far as flourishes or magic they are about your worse choice....but if you want a deck of cards that will last through about 6-12 months of home games then kem cards are the right choice.

You can find out everything you want to know about them on their website.

You know how Bee and Bicycle's are made of a sort of paper/hard cloth/ultra-thin cardboard type texture and feel? Very specifically, they are made of paper...

Well, kems are *not* made of paper. kems are made of plastic! But it's not a really hard plastic, it's a very pliable and very comfortable plastic compound that resists bending (you can bend 'em, but they spring back to flat in, well, no time flat), and as well is easy to clean and harder to ruin (if you drop Beer on paper... it soaks in. Beer on plastic cleans up with a napkin).

So not only do they survive more "catostrophic" situations, they also don't get ruined nearly as easily from things like bending.

Of course, the "downside" is that they slide really easily off just about anything, and they can be "weird" to shuffle once you are starting to get used to them. As you start to use them more, you will get used to their quirks, just like anything.

= Da-Sh =

kem cards are awesome. We used them in our game a few weeks ago. They bend right back into shape, I've never used a more durable card before.

So with bee/Bicycle cards, how often do you magic-performers have to get a new deck?

Depends on how often you practice/perform with that deck. My Bee's I use often and they lasted less than a month (In terms of fanning ability). Bee's are more expensive and don't last as long as bikes. But they are great while they last Smile

Bikes on the other hand I've had for several months and still fan well. But I don't use them as often as the Bees.

I found kem cards for decently cheap for two decks at bdgamers.

Not too bad, only have brown and green sets left, but hurry as supplies might be limited. I picked 'em up last night, hopefully they'll be here soon for my home game so i can get out of using my Bees.

Another thought.....Most non-card players have never seen kem cards. They will look strange and feel strange to them.

Therefore, when performing magic you are better off doing as little as possible to arouse suspecion (in my opinion). So, stick with popular name brands like Bicycle or Tally-HO. You also want white border cards for most magic effects.

That's my 2 cents for what it is worth.

kem cards should only be used at a Poker Table...they shouldnt be used for anything related to tricks

they don't fan well even when fresh out of the plastic.......just got my second set a few days ago.....i would use nothing other than kem's for my poker games.......and when i go to other people's home games i usually bring my older kem Arrow set since hardly anyone has kems.....they usually use crappy casino cards........but for cards tricks they aren't all that great.....i definitely prefer bikes.....haven't really tried anything besides bikes but oh well

Ever since my first pair of kems I have never bought any other cards. My first deck lasted about 8 months worth of home games (we play about 3-4 times a week) and I swear everyone is retarded when it comes to shuffling. These cards are the real deal for your home game and EASILY save you money in the long-run!

I'm a big fan of bee's but around here they are a little more expensive then bikes because not as many people use them... bike has the market for here considering they are out of Cincinnati, OH and I live like 30min north of there, well the bike decks I have say that on the side of them... that might be one reason… for that reason I learn tricks on bikes or old Bees and apply it to my nice deck for poker... since most the stuff i know is used at the table anyways...

I dont know about kems speciifically, but I bought a deck of Royals recently that were 6.00 and are, like kems, all plastic with that special coating. I bought them because i was going through too many Bic decks practicing as much as i do. At first, i was dissapointed because i couldnt adjust to most the tricks with the plastic deck and figured i just bought a long lasting deck that were never going to get used. However, i kept practicing with them because i didnt have a deck of Bics that werent sticking. I eventually started to develop the knack for the Royals and when i finally got a new deck of Bics, i found that i could do everything i could do with the Royals but much easier. Its kinda like when athletes practice control with a smaller ball, they have better control when they go back to standard size. Also, these cards seem like theyre gonna last forever so im saving a ton of money and progressing more rapidly at most tricks.
Long story short, theyre GREAT for practicing, but use somethign the audience is familiar with and more comfortable for performing.

when you say poker you mean gambling routines i do one with kem cards including bottoms and seconds and its flawless they slide great maybe its just preference
just my 2 cents
-taylor-

I want some kems. They look very nice, and interesting designs...Prolly stock up when I buy a Poker Table and have my OWN home games.

I have some 'expenses' at the moment, and for practice I dont need em.

BTW: Anyone try Hoyle. I believe (just a guess) they are quiet similar to kems. They are paper, BUT they seem a little different than bikes and Bees (same price). There stronger and seem to last longer (don't fan well, but seem slippery).

yea, they are great but you need to get used to them at first. when you do though your sleights are flawless, i think they make the tricks easier.
just my 2 cents
-taylor-

If you are an expert card magician and try kem cards for the first time they will throw off your game. By that, I mean it is like a professional tennis player playing racquetball. I know a number 2 man that is 100% solid with kem cards but can't work that well with bike's.

Copags aren't bad.

KEM Playing Cards Reviews

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