Poker Cards

Poker is one of those games that has been popular since forever, and will continue to be as popular into the future, it has been around ever since cards were first invented. The tools of the trade are simple, there is only one thing you need, a deck of playing cards. Poker playing cards haven't really changed much in their basic design since the game of poker began, but there have been many modifications of this style as the years have passed. Your basic poker cards are a little bit larger than other cards (for example, bridge). It is unknown why this is the case, however there is some speculation that because it is a "man's game", men need something more to hang onto, whereas the dainty women who play bridge prefer something a bit smaller. Whatever the reason, this is the way it has always been, and that tradition will probably continue into the future.

One of the variations of basic poker cards you can get is what is called the "Jumbo Index Card". These cards are designed with much larger numbers and suit symbols in the corners, and are designed this way for ease of use during a fast game of poker. It makes it much easier to see, at a glance, what sort of hand you have when your numbers are that much larger. Another variation is the braille poker cards for blind people. For those that cannot see, there is absolutely no need to miss out on a great game of poker with your friends, these cards have "pips" embossed into the corner of them that will tell the player, with a quick feel, what cards they currently hold. You do need to be a little careful with these, because a clever dealer will be able to feel what cards their opponents have while dealing out the cards.

The quality of poker cards can be split into three basic sections; bottom end, mid range and top notch. The bottom end cards are usually made of paper or cardboard. They are much cheaper than the top end, but with playing cards we are not talking about a whole heap of money to begin with, and these cheap cards are not going to last the distance like a slightly more costly set will. I would steer clear of these type if I was you. Because they are made of cardboard, they are not as pliable. Quite often when playing poker, you will need to bend a corner of a card up from the table to see what the card is. With these cheap cards, the bend will stay there and after a while the card will be ruined. The same with shuffling. The game of poker requires a lot of shuffling, and after some heavy games, your cards will end up all curled up and out of shape, and it will be time to buy a new deck.

Quality Poker Cards

A much better option is buy at least the mid range type of cards. These cards are made of plastic rather than cardboard, and will last much longer than their cardboard cousins. If you want to go all out and get the best of the lot, then you can't go past a deck of Kem Poker Cards. These are the cards the professionals use. They are of top quality and will most likely last you a lifetime. Like I said, cards are not all that expensive to begin with, so a deck of Kem cards are only going to set you back about $15. You can shuffle and bend to your hearts delight, and these cards will just bounce back every time.

Out of curiosity, while I was researching cards, I decided I'd find out what the probability is for each winning hand in a game of poker. Here are the results. In a standard deck of shuffled poker cards...

• One pair - One in two and a third
• Two pairs - One in twenty
• Three of a kind - One in fifty
• Straight (five cards in sequence, mixed suits) - One in two hundred and fifty
• Flush (all 5 cards same suit) - One in five hundred
• Four of a kind - One in four thousand
• Straight flush (five cards in sequence, all same suit) - One in sixty five thousand
• Royal Flush (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, all same suit) - One in six hundred and fifty thousand

As you can see, a Royal Flush is definitely something to celebrate, and if you get one during your poker playing life, you are one lucky player.