Best Poker Graphics

With its Radeon RX 5700 XT, AMD introduces its new graphics architecture, a suite of software improvements, and enough speed for the money to keep 1440p gamers very happy—and competing GeForce. 888 Poker was an easy choice as the internet’s best 3D poker site. No other poker sites have even come close to offering the same 3D experience as 888. The graphics are rich, the games are good and the level of play is very soft. The 888 software is compatible with both PCs and Mac computers.

• Best Poker Graphics Cards

1. We are a design studio for streamers and gamers. We create premium twitch overlays, twitch emotes, streamer packages, logos, twitch alerts, panels and more.
2. Standard Poker Hand Rankings There are 52 cards in the pack, and the ranking of the individual cards, from high to low, is ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. There is no ranking between the suits - so for example the king of hearts and the king of spades are equal.

When hosting a poker game, the quality of the deck of playing cards you employ is an important key to the enjoyment of your players. Flimsy, low-quality cards are to be avoided at all costs. There really is no reason to be a cheapskate on this front, since even high-end casino quality decks of cards are really not that expensive. Take my advice, spend the extra few bucks, and purchase some good looking quality playing cards.

The 3 best quality playing card brands

Now let’s go through the types of playing cards so that you know what types to avoid and which to choose.

Types Of Playing Cards

There are basically two types of construction used in making playing cards. There is vinyl, sometimes plastic coated, decks of cards and 100% plastic cards. The former is the cheap kind of cards that you find in any typical department store. While they are inexpensive, they are generally constructed of cheap materials and subject to being bent or torn easily. The most common brand associated with this type of card is Bicycle. Avoid these cards at all costs!

To that end, this article will focus on my favorite three brands of high quality, durable playing cards. Let’s go through them in turn.

The Top Playing Card Brands

#1. KEM Playing Cards

The most expensive brand. The preferred card used at the WSOP & WPT. Extreme durability, the brand that all other cards are compared to.

#2. Copag Playing Cards

A less expensive, a bit lighter, high-quality card. They are a bit more slippery but are the best alternative to KEM. My personal favorite.

#3. Modiano Playing Cards

The least expensive of the three. A very nice option if you like a bit more weight or heft to your cards. A bit different than the other two, but Italian quality makes them worth a look.

Reviews

1. KEM

The most expensive brand of the three. Manufactured out of 100% Cellulose Acetate, KEM playing cards are the most common quality deck of cards in the world. In fact, most casinos and card rooms employ this brand. This is also the card used in the WSOP and WPT.

These cards are a bit thinner than their competitors, but not so much as to cause a problem. They are not “slippery” at all and the top cards do not slide off when you set them down. This is one of the most noticeable traits of any good deck of playing cards. KEM cards are also are known to have legendary durability. There’s a reason casinos use these cards, they last a long time! You would likely go through 10 or more decks of Bicycle cards before wearing these out.

Get these KEM cards (Click see them on Amazon) if you want to play the cards “seen on TV” or in casinos. Also available jumbo index, which I highly recommend due to their enhanced readability.

2. Copag

Copags are my personal favorite and reasonably priced as well. The flexibility and thickness just seem to strike the right balance. They are slightly more slippery than the other high-end brands, but not in an annoying way.

There is not much in the way of texture to the surface and they have an overall lighter weight to them, which I find appealing. In my opinion, these cards shuffle the best and just exude quality and are perhaps the favorite of top players around the world.

My advice is that if you are unsure of which brand to try, go with Copag. Try these black and golds, my favorite deck color. Or, if this is your first time purchasing Copag cards, I recommend that you buy the dealer’s kit, which comes with nice buttons for the button, small blind, and big blind. Also available with jumbo index.

3. Modiano

As the least pricey quality brand, Italian made Modiano cards are thicker and heavier than all of the other brands of high-end playing cards, with a more “hefty” feel to them. It takes some getting used to these cards if you have been using other high-end brands.

They are not as smooth and many variations have a sort of light texture to them. Often, people either love or hate Modiano playing cards, due to their noticeable differences to what most people may be used to. I advise that you only try this brand out if you like cards with a bit more weight to them.

Overall, these are awesome decks of cards. I recommend trying out the Da Vinci Ruotes regular or jumbo index, I think you will really like them.

When it comes to purchasing the best playing cards for hosting the perfect poker night, here are a few things to consider.

• Playing Card Size
  There are numerous different sizes of playing cards, but the vast majority of non-standard sized cards are just manufactured for novelty cards. When it comes to quality playing cards, you have two basic options; poker size (2.5″ x 3.5″) or bridge size (2.25″ x 3.5″). Unless you just happen to like slightly narrower cards, I would just stick to the standard poker sized cards. Otherwise, your buddies might tilt their heads slightly on the first hand of the poker night and say, “something isn’t right here.”
• Glare
  Having meticulously compared all 3 brands, I don’t feel glare is an issue on any of them. However, if you just go by how shiny the cards are I would say that KEM reflects light the most, with Copag having the dullest sheen of them all. Modiano cards fall somewhere in the middle. If you play with a lot of bright lights in your poker room and glare is a genuine issue for you, I would go with the Copags. However, I am fairly confident that glare should not be an issue with any of the three. To put things in perspective, tons of casinos use KEM cards and I haven’t ever heard anyone complain about the glare on them. It’s just not a huge concern.
• Readability
  When players discuss the size of the playing card, they are sometimes talking about the index. What that basically means is the size of the numbers or letters on the face of the card. It’s all about personal preference, however, casinos and a lot of professionals prefer the jumbo index size, due to how much easier they are to read further away. Nothing is worse than being at the end of the table and having the flop, turn, and the river being spread out at the opposite end of the poker table. For most people, trying to read regular index would be next to impossible. Therefore, I recommend erring on the side of purchasing jumbo index.

• Feel, Texture, & Thickness
  This is another thing that is all about personal preference. KEM cards are the thinnest of the set and Modiano is the thickest. Copags are the most slippery and Modiano the least, generally due to their heft and slight texture on the face of the cards. KEM feels lighter with almost a “papery” feel to them but still doesn’t have issues sliding around when the deck is set down. Long story short, if you want the feel of cards from the casino, get some KEMs. If you like more heft and texture, try Modiano. Personally, I prefer Copags since they bridge the gap between the variations. Overall, all 3 brands shuffle smoothly and handle very nicely when being dealt.
• Graphics & Back Designs
  As far as the design, graphics, and general look of each brand, KEM, Copag, and Modiano, are all beautifully made cards with a sophisticated and professional look. They all look high quality in every way. I don’t think anyone at your poker game is going to be disappointed, no matter which you choose.

4 Color Options

Summary

Having a poker night is all about the poker and playing cards are the tools of the trade. They are an investment in the fun factor of your home game and should not be overlooked when planning the event. A lot of people focus on having a great poker table or professional poker chips and forget the most important part.

Please, for the love of the poker Gods, do not show up with cheap Bicycle playing cards at your next poker night. You playing partners will thank you for it and think you are the classiest guy around.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to browse my other articles for more poker information.

The Administrators announced their first priority would be to seek a buyer for PKR Poker and its assets – including the player database. Until such time as a sale is completed, players with balances at PKR Poker will be unable to access their funds.

Players with funds in their accounts should contact the Administrators via email at – pkr.restructuring@rsmuk.com – for further information.

This review of PKR Poker has been compiled since the site joined the Microgaming Poker Network in February 2016. Players previously familiar with PKR Poker may be glad to hear that the same 3D software still exists, as does the fabulous PKR community. If you want to find out what´s new on PKR Poker, click “PLAY NOW” to visit the site, or continue reading my PKR Poker review below.

A Little Bit of PKR History

PKR Poker was founded and launched in 2006. At the time the 3D software used for the poker platform was revolutionary as it allowed a much greater level of interaction with other players. Certainly the graphics raised the bar for other online poker sites and casinos – some of which are still struggling to catch up ten years later!

Unfortunately, the revolutionary software was very demanding on computer resources up to and including Windows XP. So, although the site claims to have more than five million members registered, PKR was not able to command a regular flow of traffic. Fortunately, more modern computers find it easier to cope with the demands of the PKR Poker download, and – since PKR Poker joined the Microgaming Poker Network in February 2016 – the site is enjoying a bit of a renaissance.

Value: The PKR Welcome Package

The PKR Welcome Package contains plenty to excite new players. The PKR Poker bonus is a generous 200% on first deposits up to a maximum bonus of €1,000. The bonus is cleared at the rate of 50 VIP Points per Dollar (more about VIP Points below) and released in increments starting at 0.5% of the bonus value and increasing to 5% of the bonus value. Players get sixty days in which to clear as much of the PKR Poker bonus as possible – if not all of it.

The remainder of the PKR Welcome Package includes four tickets for the network´s €1,000 first depositor freeroll tournament, 100 VIP Points to use for cool avatar enhancements (clothing, accessories, and chip tricks), and five free spins on the “Hot as Hades” slot game that can be found in the poker client. Please note: This Welcome Package will be credited to your account automatically. There is no specific PKR Poker bonus code that you have to use.

Value: The PKR Poker VIP Club

Whenever you play real money poker at PKR, you are rewarded with VIP Points for contributing to the rake deducted from cash games or for paying a tournament entry fee. VIP Points are awarded at the rate of 10 Points per Dollar raked or paid in entry fees, and the points accumulate in your VIP account. The more points you earn within a month, the higher your status within the club and the higher rate of cashback you receive when you want to exchange your points.

With the 100 VIP Points players receive as part of the PKR Welcome Package, it does not take long to step up onto the first VIP level (Silver – 150 Points), and players aiming to clear the maximum PKR bonus should easily clear Level 5 (Sapphire Elite – 3,000 Points) – at which point the cashback rate is equivalent to 30%. Players achieving Silver Status or higher will also be awarded free spins on the site´s casino side games – with the prospect of winning free cash between hands.

Value: PKR Poker Promotions

Since its move onto the Microgaming Poker Network, PKR Poker has launched a lot of casino-based products and consequently the site primarily focuses on those. There are some network-wide leaderboard competitions to participate in and a stack of freeroll tournaments for players to develop their skills in; but, other than that, there is not a lot to write home about.

The exception to the above is the qualifiers for live poker events. PKR has a long tradition of hosting excellent live poker tournaments and often has online qualifiers for these, or seasonal events such as the World Series of Poker. The standard of play on PKR Poker (and the network in general) is not particularly strong, so it is worth keeping an eye open for these promotions if you want to qualify for a live poker event for a fraction of the buy-in.

Software: Poker Games and Tournaments

The poker games and tournaments available at PKR are pretty much what they were prior to the move to the network – there´s just more of them. There is quite a good deal of action at modest stakes if you like playing Texas Hold´em or Omaha, and the site also has its own fast-fold poker variant – Blaze Poker. You also have the option of playing poker anonymously at selected cash game tables.

Naturally the tournament schedule is much improved. The feature event is a monthly “Masters” tournament guaranteed for €50,000, while there are decent events with guaranteed prize pools available during most European evenings and at the weekend. As many of the guaranteed tournaments are re-buy and add-on events, there is also a strong community playing Sit & Go games.

Software: PKR Poker Download

The PKR Poker download is compatible with the latest versions of Windows and Mac operating systems and there is also an Instant Play option for players with a shared computer or those who are content to access a low-res version of the software. The PKR Poker download effectively requires a 2Ghz processor (Lion 10.7 or above for Mac users), 2GB of RAM, 2GB of free space and a fairly good graphics card (I recommend DirectX 9 128MB or better for Windows and a VRAM 128MB or better video card to play PKR Poker on a Mac).

If you have never experienced the full download of PKR Poker, it is a little bit special. Everybody should experience playing on the site at least once in their lives, if only to find out what all the fuss is about. As mentioned above, the site does seem to attract plenty of players with more technical skills than poker skills, so the standard of play is not that great at all levels except the very highest.

Software: PKR Poker on a Mobile

A PKR-Lite version of the software is available for players who enjoy their poker on the go. At present the software only supports the fast-fold Blaze games of Texas Hold´em poker, but plans are being made up in PKR Towers to introduce cash games, Sit & Go games and multi table tournaments in the near future.

PKR Poker on a mobile is available for both Android (Jellybean 4.1+ allegedly) and iOS 5.1 or later (the iOS app is only available in the UK, Sweden, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands). Whichever device you use, it should have 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 570Mb of free space and a 3D capable GPU graphics card. PKR also has a decent mobile casino app available for download.

Security: Banking

Players have the choice of a web-based cashier or the secure cashier in the poker client when depositing into their accounts. The deposit options generally include credit and debit cards, PayPal, Skrill and Neteller, PaySafeCard and Bank Transfer, and you will be advised of any other deposit options that exist for your country of residence when you open the cashier´s page. There are no fees attached to funding a PKR Poker account, and the minimum deposit is just $/€/£10.00.

As the site has a license to operate in the UK, PKR Poker has to comply with the standards stipulated by the UK Gambling Commission. These include the guaranteed security of player funds and the processing of withdrawals within a reasonable timeframe. Withdrawals are usually returned to the payment source used to make a deposit and limited to one free withdrawal per seven days up to a maximum of €2,000 per withdrawal (thereafter a 2% fee applies).

Security: Currency Conversions

PKR Poker allows players to create an online account in either US dollars, Euros or £ sterling. This does not affect the amount of PKR bonus you are entitled to, as the PKR bonus is 200% up to €1,000 or currency equivalent. Games of poker and buy-ins to tournaments are all advertised in Euros (even though VIP Points are awarded in dollars), but whatever currency you hold your account in, the same exchange rate will be applied when you stand up from a table as when you joined it.

Ideally you should maintain your PKR Poker account in the same currency as your funding source. PKR operates a fair policy when it comes to dealing in mixed currencies and will not charge you for currency conversions or add a premium to the exchange rate, but your bank or e-Wallet provider is likely to definitely will.

Security: Customer Support

PKR Poker has a fairly comprehensive help section on its website, but also offers great customer support via live chat and email. I would advise against using the Live Chat facility to discuss lost or forgotten passwords (one of the options on the menu) and am a little bit surprised that the site does not offer the option of “chatting” directly with somebody in technical support. However, the general standard of knowledge is pretty good.

PKR Poker is also very tight on security. The help section explains a great deal about the efforts the site makes to keep the games fair and enjoyable for everyone. It also has a Responsible Gambling policy that requires every player to verify their account within 72 hours of making a deposit or else the account will be suspended. Although I would recommend verifying an account as soon as you have created it (for your own security), top marks to PKR Poker for insisting on verification at an early stage.

My Experience of Playing at PKR Poker

My experience of playing at PKR Poker is a bit of a mixed bag. For me, the novelty value of the 3D graphics wore off in 2007 and although the minimum computer system requirements have doubled since the site joined the Microgaming Poker Network, I don´t see double the improvement in the software. I think that the PKR Bonus is unclear for new players and the promotions are nothing special unless you want to play in live poker events.

Best Poker Graphics Cards

On the plus side, it is pretty easy to reach a worthwhile stage in the PKR Poker VIP Club because of the way in which the Club is structured. There is enough variety in the tournament schedule to keep me interested (and enough freezeouts to prevent me from complaining) and the cash game tables are beatable if you have a decent amount of skill. Overall, whether or not you enjoy PKR Poker will be down to your personal preferences. I do believe however, that PKR Poker is a site everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.