Are Kem Cards Really Just About The Best Cards . . . |
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Posted Fri Mar 04, 2005 9:06 pm GMT by ALEN-TNT
Hey, I ordered a set of Kem cards and I wanted to know how good they are. This is for anyone who has Kem cards or has used Kem cards. Are they easy to shuffle and deal. And are they really the best cards. I have also heard that some Kem card sets are missing a couple cards, is this true?
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-TNT 
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Posted Fri Mar 04, 2005 9:23 pm GMT by yeltzen
Personally I print cards up on computer paper and use them. Saves a lot of money!
Posted Fri Mar 04, 2005 9:26 pm GMT by ALEN-TNT
| yeltzen wrote: | | Personally I print cards up on computer paper and use them. Saves a lot of money! |
Seriously 
Posted Fri Mar 04, 2005 10:05 pm GMT by ott
I pick up my cards up from Yeltzen's trash. He throws away quite a bunch. Although I don't have a complete set yet, hopefully I will one day. 
Posted Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:25 pm GMT by Iron Butt
^^^ Bwahahahaha!
OK, seriously. You could get all this information and in greater detail from searching the forum for "Kem" but here's the precis:
Kems are the best known brand of plastic cards. Many hold them to be the best overall. However many others see little difference between them or even prefer other brands such as Copag, Dal Negro, Gemaco, A Plus, etc. The Kem brand and process was recently sold to USPC and production is sketchy at this point. Quality problems were reported with the first new USPC Kems and I don't believe they are available currently. So, the market right now is almost totally new old stock (NOS) Kems, many of which seem to be factory seconds with a variety of problems, also USPC is apparently not honoring the old Kem guarantees. Some vendors however will replace or refund for bad sets. I have one set with slight problems on the faces which are usable, one set with problems on the backs making them marked and unusable.
Kems are more flexible than paper cards. They are very easy to shuffle and deal, although you might find them slippery at first. Most people like this or can get used to it. They are more resilient than paper cards, i.e. they tend to stay flat, unmarked, and otherwise more playable than paper cards. Copags are very similar in these regards. "Export" Copags are slightly stiffer and more like a paper card except with the superior plastic durability, as are Gemacos and, I'm told, A Plus. Dal Negro cards have received good reviews here also.
Having used Kems and Copags, I'd recommend Copags with no reservations.
Good luck with your Kems. Hope this is of use.
Posted Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:00 am GMT by Prettey Toney
Not all Kem's are created equal.
I can testify to this.
Arrow's rule
Posted Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:22 am GMT by yeltzen
Walmart sells some good f*cking cards.
Posted Sat Mar 05, 2005 10:29 am GMT by Prettey Toney
| yeltzen wrote: | | Walmart sells some good f*cking cards. |
It's funny,
Family Dollar, sells a decent "Bee" knockoff for, well, a dollar!
Posted Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:15 am GMT by Tex Rex
Dear Alen-TNT:
I bought several decks of Kems several months ago. We play 2x/month. I've been using the same decks, and they are still just like new. Mine are great cards.
I haven't personally experienced problems with my Kems, and really only know a couple of other people with Kems. Their experience is the same as mine.
They do take some getting used to, but our group loved them the first time we played with them.
Iron Butt provided a lot of info, and sounds knowledgeable. I'm personally happy with my Kems, and would recommend them to others.
Hope this helps.
Posted Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:09 pm GMT by ALEN-TNT
Thanks for the help guys im looking forward to getting my set of Kem cards.
-TNT
Posted Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:32 pm GMT by Idaho
Got a pack of Copags the other month. Used them for two tourneys so far and they still seem like I've just unwrapped them.
Posted Sat Mar 05, 2005 5:39 pm GMT by tomb1
Good cards are definitely worth it. If you play a lot, one good Kem or Copag deck will cost less than continually replacing paper cards.
I've been a Kem guy for a long time, and I continue to use my older Kem decks. But a few new decks from eBay (which I've ordered for gifts or extras) have been either really crappy and/or outright counterfeit. So buyer beware if you're not using a decent source.
So now I'm going to buy some Copags and see how good they are. From everything I've seen written, they are the equal of Kems.
But get good cards if you play a lot.
Posted Sun Mar 06, 2005 5:39 am GMT by Prettey Toney
| Quote: | So now I'm going to buy some Copags and see how good they are. From everything I've seen written, they are the equal of Kems.
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Wishfull thinking IMO. However, when you get em, let me know where you would compare them to a "real" set of KEMs. I would say that a Copag card is around 80-90% of a KEM. But like you said, some folks think they are equal, I just do not.
As I've posted on the other thread, I am very impressed with Dal Negro cards, more so than Copag.
Posted Sun Mar 06, 2005 12:25 pm GMT by PocketRocket
I'm not sure, but it looks like most if not all of the inventory of Kem cards on the market are the remaining inventory and the liquidated inventory of the original Kem plant. I don't know if USPC is going to consolidate the Kem brand with it's current Diamond brand for plastic cards, but I did see in their WPT products brochure that they're planning on putting a bridge sized plastic set out as part of their WPT products under the Bicycle branding.
Posted Sun Mar 06, 2005 12:52 pm GMT by MattyFatty4
I got a couple decks of Kem cards at a local store a few months ago. I probally play once maybe twice a month and they are holding up fine. Well worth the $25.
Posted Sun Mar 06, 2005 2:24 pm GMT by Prettey Toney
| Quote: | | I did see in their WPT products brochure that they're planning on putting a bridge sized plastic set out as part of their WPT products under the Bicycle branding. |
Although they were wide size, I seen these at a local mall retailer. They were plastic WPT cards. Not Kems, and overpriced. Not sure if they were from the USPC co.
Posted Sun Mar 06, 2005 4:41 pm GMT by circlencircle
I've only had one set of Kems and they were crap. I honestly believe that there are Kems out there that are outstanding if not some of the finest cards ever made but with out a doubt, I think Dal Negro is the best card out there.
Posted Sun Mar 06, 2005 6:33 pm GMT by PocketRocket
They're probably not the ones that were in their brochure since those haven't been released yet. The only WPT cards I've seen have all been in poker size and have been plastic coated paper (i.e. Bee) and they have a Bee logo on the package
| Prettey Toney wrote: | | Quote: | | I did see in their WPT products brochure that they're planning on putting a bridge sized plastic set out as part of their WPT products under the Bicycle branding. |
Although they were wide size, I seen these at a local mall retailer. They were plastic WPT cards. Not Kems, and overpriced. Not sure if they were from the USPC co. |
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