Easiest plastic playing cards for a tabled riffle shuffle? (1 Viewer)

[jkoclanis67]

I'm finding that different plastic cards are easier/harder to perform a traditional poker (tabled riffle) shuffle, and maybe it's just me.

Which brand do you find to be the easiest?

 

[RocAFella1]

Laughable that FS is an option

 

[upNdown]

Man, I hate to say KEM, because they’re up to $50-60 per setup so they’re really not an option as far as I’m concerned. But I’ve played with everything on your list (though only the v3 of faded spades) and there’s no doubt that Kem stands above all of those in terms of ease of shuffle.

Most cards have positives and negatives, but one thing that stands out to me is that KEMs are the least slippery of all of them, and the most flexible.

I’m not trying to sell you on KEMs because they’re not worth the price. But honestly I can’t pick a second place - everything you’ve listed are great cards that shuffle fine (yes even faded spade v3.) I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them, especially with a proper dealer’s poker shuffle.

 

[RocAFella1]

Early Desjgn

 

[allforcharity]

Different cards will have different characteristics, but none should be so extreme that you wouldn't easily be able to do standard shuffles.

When I noticed that I was having more difficulties with some, I analyzed my technique and made some improvements. Now I don't have problems with any of them.

Don't wash.

 

[Colquhoun]

Kem are very flexy, but I have recently been getting the Broken Arrow cards to be the easiest to shuffle. Even though they’re a bit stiffer than KEM, they square up and slide together effortlessly.

 

[Kentucky]

Agree with what’s been said. I find the flexiest, cards are the easiest to shuffle. In a vacuum then, KEM are the easiest to shuffle (by far of the ones I’ve tried). Copags probably next.

That said I do enjoy playing with KEMs, but I’m never buying any more. They are twice the price of everything else and they have a natural lifespan of about a year before they bow like saucers. If you aren’t going to play so much that you wear them out in 6 months I’d steer clear.

 

[Chippy18]

Laughable that FS is an option

The question didn't exclude the use protective gloves or power tools

 

[jkoclanis67]

Laughable that FS is an option

I do own some Faded Spades and was surprised that I could table riffle them fairly easily considering their thickness. I liked them for shuffling better than my Copag's (too slippery).

 

[CUORE3]

When I noticed that I was having more difficulties with some, I analyzed my technique and made some improvements. Now I don't have problems with any of them.

Agree with that. If the shuffling technique is good, there is no problem.

 

[jkoclanis67]

Different cards will have different characteristics, but none should be so extreme that you wouldn't easily be able to do standard shuffles.

When I noticed that I was having more difficulties with some, I analyzed my technique and made some improvements. Now I don't have problems with any of them.

Don't wash.

@allforcharity What are you meaning by "Don't wash"? Are you referring to the act of "washing" the cards before the riffle, or literally washing the cards with water?

 

[allforcharity]

@allforcharity What are you meaning by "Don't wash"? Are you referring to the act of "washing" the cards before the riffle, or literally washing the cards with water?

Don't wash as a shuffle. Generally not effective unless you have enough room on the table surface and can do for 2 whole minutes straight.

 

[jkoclanis67]

Don't wash as a shuffle. Generally not effective unless you have enough room on the table surface and can do for 2 whole minutes straight.

Yeah, we don't really do any kind of wash in our games. I consider bringing in all the cards from the muck, the board, and people's hands a good enough "wash" for a home game.

 

[davefr]

The top cards for ease of shuffle IMHO:
#1 Fournier "Imported for Congress" early version only
#2 Angel
#3 KEM
#4 Desjgn V1 (Amass card stock)
#5 Lot Fancy