How to choose the perfect deck of cards
Playing cards has been a traditional pastime for hundreds of years. However, many people don’t realize that over the last century, playing card design has diversified. Players now have a wide variety of options when selecting the deck they use. It’s worth looking at what’s out there instead of settling on the first cheap pack of cards you see at the grocery store.
Ever since card games became popular, playing cards have been printed on paper. Originally this was just heavy paper, sometimes with rounded corners to prevent damage. In the early 20th century, manufacturers began applying plastic coatings to their cards throughout their lives. The plastic also provides a slippery surface, making them easier to shuffle and deal. To further enhance the feel of the cards, some manufacturers send them through a process to print a linen finish on their surface.
Even with plastic liners, paper cards still have several shortcomings due to their porous nature. A drink spill, of course, will completely ruin a deck of cards. The natural oils from the skin of players’ hands gradually seep into the cards over time, making them sticky and difficult to handle. Paper cards are also easy to fold and tear. Unscrupulous players can mark paper cards simply by pressing a fingernail into the surface in a particular spot.
To solve the problems inherent in paper cards, manufacturers began offering cards printed on plastic material. These cards are plastic through and through, with no cardstock core. Therefore, they are not porous and are washable. If someone spills a drink on the plastic cards, you can simply blot them up with a paper towel. You can easily wash the sticky cards with soap and water.
The main disadvantage of plastic cards is that they can cost much more than paper cards. However, the additional expense is justified by the long shelf life of plastic cards. Paper cards are usually the best option only if they are going to be used once and thrown away later.
Playing cards come in two standard sizes: poker size Y bridge size. Poker size cards are approximately 63 millimeters wide, while bridge size cards are only 56 millimeters wide. Both sizes have the same length, 88 millimeters.
Which width is best for you largely depends on the game you’re playing. The narrower width of bridge-sized cards makes them a better choice in games where players must hold a lot of cards, such as Bridge and Hearts. However, when it comes down to it, the choice of size is mostly a personal preference. Some people find bridge-sized cards easier to shuffle and deal. You can even find bridge-sized cards in use in games of Texas Hold’em, where players only have two cards in their hand!
Originally, the cards did not have any text to identify the value and suit of each card. Around the end of the 19th century, manufacturers began adding a label to the corner of each card to make it easier for players to identify the cards when they were held in a fan. This tag is called index.
Not all indices are the same. Indexes come in two main sizes. The smallest size is called standard index, which can be comfortably read from a player’s hand. The largest index size is called giant index, which, in most cases, is large enough to be read from across the table. Jumbo chips are best for games where players have to look at cards from a distance, like Texas Hold’em. In games where players need to have a lot of cards in hand, standard index tiles work best, as players don’t have to open them too wide to see the contents of their hand.
There is another index size, called magnum index. Magnum-index cards have indexes that take up most of the face of the card, leaving little room for the other artwork you’d expect to find on a card. Magnum indices are really only useful for those with vision problems who require large print. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to stick with standard or jumbo index cards.
Now that you know the different options available to you, all that’s left to do is choose a deck! Experiment with the different material, size, and index options to find a combination that works well with what you’re playing and who you’re playing with. A well-chosen deck of cards can help make a good game night great.
