[Ligarius]

ZERO Plastic Playing Cards Review
by Ligarius

Manufacturer: Rizzello e Romagnoli (Zero Playing Cards)
Retailer(s): Rizzello e Romagnoli (online), Akspiele, Poker Productions
Average Price: 8.50 € per Deck
Material: 100% Plastic (PVC)

Pro's

• Added security (due to limited market distribution)
• Unique design
• Attractive artwork
• Surface finish prevents cards from sliding

Con's

• Limited distribution and availability
• Cards are fairly rigid
• Not all the indices are available for both cards sizes

Reviewers Comments

In all, I'm quite pleased with the ZERO Tabriz cards. The colours and graphics are absolutely amazing. If I were to rate them, I'd give these cards 4.5 out of 5 stars. If they were just a wee bit less rigid like a Fournier or Copag, they would definitely be 5 out of 5 stars. To some, the stiffness may be a desired attribute (especially when compared to the flimsiness of Kems), but I find that after long sessions of shuffling, your hands can become tired and cramped.

Nonetheless, my interest has certainly been piqued and I am quite curious to try other products that Rizzello e Romagnoli have to offer.

SUMMARY

Rizzello e Romagnoli is an Italian manufacturer and distributor of professional and home gaming equipment. Based in Milan, the company hosts a wide assortment of products ranging from casino games, to backgammon, chess and various other merchandise for gaming aficionados and enthusiasts.

All of the playing cards produced by Rizzello e Romagnoli can be found in their online catalog. In both paper and plastic, they offer a variety of unique back designs (outlined border and full bleed) in just about all of the contemporary indice styles, although not all indices are available for both poker and bridge card sizes.

Poker Size - 4SI, 2JI, 2JI (“Poker Peek”, “Poker Vision”, etc...)

Bridge Size - 2SI, 4SI

(4JI not offered)

In addition, Rizzello e Romagnoli offers numerous customization options to add personalized elements to the backs their cards.

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N.B. The following review focuses specifically on the standard “Tabriz” design, poker size, PVC cards. It must be pointed out that, to my knowledge, these are the only ZERO cards that can currently be purchased retail and are available solely through European distributors. All other ZERO playing cards must be ordered directly through the company.

Packaging

Decks of the ZERO Tabriz cards are sold individually in a choice of four different colours (red, blue, green and yellow). Each deck comes cellophane wrapped in a very sturdy and well made kraft paperboard tuck box that stays closed such that the cards cannot be forcefully shaken out of the box. There is no "security seal" that, once peeled off, leaves the box gummy where the sticker was (not particularly important, but a tiny detail that annoys me personally). Each deck comes with two jokers, which are hardly worth mentioning, and the cards themselves have absolutely no smell whatsoever.

Feel

My very first impression when handling these cards?

---STIFF---

These cards are very much like the Torcello cards made by Dal Negro, thicker and heavier than your average plastic card and possess the same rigidness when riffle shuffling. The texture of the cards is very unique. If I had to compare them to another brand it would be Dal Negro, but with an important difference. Looking closely at the surface of the card, you can see that the pores/pits are quite large and this imparts the cards an uncanny suction ability to the backside surface of another card which is fairly smooth and untextured in comparison. When cutting the deck, you can feel a slight tug upon separation. More importantly, card sliding, especially slipping off the top of the deck is non-existent. As a matter of fact, if you drop cards onto the deck from 10-20 cm above, not only will they not slide off, but actually position and centre themselves over the top card of the deck. (See video).

Looks

Aesthetic-wise, the cards are very attractive. The artwork on the front and back is sharp and very detailed, the colours are rich and vibrant, not washed-out and faded looking like some of the Copag cards. I personally prefer the jumbo index cards that have the Euro-style beige/ivory field on the non-face (paint) cards, such that it gives the cards a certain added elegance.

Security/Originality

With its rarity on the market, ZERO card owners are few and far between, and the brand name Rizzello e Romagnoli is virtually unheard of in North America. This gives the cards a definite uniqueness, which is a plus if you are worried about security issues at a game.

Durability

Like most high-end plastic playing cards, ZERO plastic playing cards are resistant to the build-up of grease and grime. After many hours of use, any noticeable accumulation of material can be simply removed by applying gentle pressure with a soft cloth soaked in warm, soapy water. It goes without saying that you should NEVER PUT PLASTIC CARDS IN THE DISHWASHER.

For physical toughness, again, these cards are very much like the Dal Negro Torcello cards and hold up very well to abuse. When performing the bend test, the cards will have a very slight bend at the centre, but the cards can easily be straightened out by bending them back a little in the opposite direction.