Piatnik 100% Plastic Cards Review. Discuss Piatnik 100% Plastic Cards Review, on ChipTalk.net the place to go for your Poker chips and gambling tips. Read it in Poker Gear Reviews.
The Ferdinand Piatnik and Sons Company of Vienna Austria has been manufacturing playing cards since 1824. They are known primarily for manufacturing very pretty and ornate novelty cards.
They also manufacture 100% plastic playing cards in both poker and bridge width that are very competitive with KEM, Copag, Dal Negro and Modiano. This review is limited to two sampled bridge width styles - #1365 and #2464. Other styles, including a 4-PIP poker width, are available.
Pros
Very appealing, slightly grainy feel.
Flexibility.
Conventional and non-ornate graphics.
Cons
Neither the individual nor the double (setup) furnished plastic cases stays closed without using a band of some sort. The cases also look kind of cheap and don't appear to be made of a high quality plastic.
Conventional and non-ornate graphics.
Limited availability.
Limited offerings.
Minor quibble with the styles being numbers - kind of confusing.
Options
Available options (at Trident anyway) are limited to:
2 different bridge width 4-PIP standard index styles - #1365, which are sold as two separate decks, and #2364
bridge width jumbo index - #2464
poker width 4-PIP standard index - #2360
#1365 Ace of Spades and red card back
#2464 Ace of Spades and blue card back
Even with those limitations though, I'm impressed. As the (kind of corny) company slogan says "Piatnik is trumps".
Feel
The Pianiks have a slightly grainy texture. They are very flexible and make for a nice shuffle. Both of the Piatniks that I tried out are near the center of the thin-thick spectrum.
Looks
These cards look pretty ordinary and aren't really anything special. Even the Ace of Spades is the plainest that I've seen on both of the setups that I have sampled.
Both decks have true white, but not bright white card face backgrounds. The #2464s though have the classic yellow rectangular center.
Durability
My experience with the Piatniks was limited, but I have no reason to expect that they won't hold up as well as other quality 100% plastic cards. We played one evening with the 4-PIP 1365s. I only shuffled and handled the jumbo index 2464s.
Bend Test
The 1365 joker when folded over did almost revert back to flat. In fact, I did the bend test in both directions and it was then back to perfect as if I'd never bent the card to begin with. The 2464 joker did much better in the bend test and reverted all the way back to flat immediately.
Unfortunately my Piatniks have all now been sold and I neglected to take pictures of the before/after bend test. Our own mrticsay was the buyer of one of the 1365 setups. He and his son Stephen, who claims the Piatniks are his favorite cards, conducted a bend test on the 1365 joker. Many thanks to the Ticsays for supplying these excellent bend test photos.
Reviewer's Comments
I really love these cards in spite of their 'plain Jane' appearance and the cases that won't stay shut. The main reason is that they have the nicest shuffle of any cards that I've ever handled.
Dealing them is a joy also as they slide very nicely across the felt and don't stick together at all. I've only had the opportunity to handle the bridge size 4-PIPs and the bridge size jumbo index though so can't comment on the other options available.
The 1365s are a bit thicker while the 2464s have a more supple texture and shuffle a bit easier. The 1365s remind me most of Modiano bikes and the 2464s are most like KEM pre-USPC Casino cards.
The cases are the main drawback for me. I just don't care for a plastic case that not only looks kind of cheap, but won't stay closed without being secured. Oddly, the Piatnik review at homepokertourney.com Home Poker Tourney - Piatnik Playing Cards Review praises the cases and claims they stay shut without being banded. Since this was not my experience, I'm left to assume that the cases have been changed over time.
#2464 setup in case
#1365 deck in case
As for the conventional and non-ornate graphics on the cards, that's appealing to this reviewer. I like a classic looking card. The jumbo index 2464s are especially appealing with the light yellow centers.
I'll be interested in seeing how the Piatniks wear over time. Right now, they are my favorite card in spite of their drawbacks. Only time will tell though how they compare to other decks that have already seen the test of time. Fortunately, two of the setups are now in the hands of people that I play cards with regularly so I should be able to address how they wear after play.
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