The 5 Best Playing Cards

With a deck of playing cards, you can play so many different games. They're a great way to entertain kids of all ages. Many adults also enjoy playing card games. If you're looking for some screen free fun, pick up a deck and play some classic games like Slap Jack or Speed. These cards are perfect for games like Spit, Kings in the Corner, Golf, and Crazy Eights. To help you get the best deck of playing cards for your family, check out these reviews on five great decks.

Bicycle Premium Playing Cards

Four Different Card Backs

You can select the back style that you like best.
Best Overall

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The classic air-cushion finish on these playing cards mean they’ll shuffle easily in your hand. They’re printed on high quality Bicycle brand cardstock, and hold up well to frequent use. These cards are made in the USA. The card faces and backs feature four different designs for you to choose from. These thoughtful designs were inspired by the sun, the Renaissance, vintage flair, and the night sky. They’re definitely more fun to look at than standard playing cards. There is a slight red hue around the hearts and diamonds, to help you distinguish the red cards from the black ones. The cards fit nicely in the case, which features silver foil.

Pros

  • Great design options
  • Air-cushion finish
  • Durable

Cons

  • The designs make it a little harder to tell the red cards from the black ones

Bicycle Jumbo Playing Cards

Easy to Read

These cards feature jumbo printing, so it's easy to see what card you're holding.
Best Jumbo Cards

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These cards are so easy to read. The print and suit symbols are large and bold. This deck of playing cards features a traditional design. The hearts and diamonds are in red, and the spades and clubs in black. The background of the faces is white, which helps improve their readability. Thanks to the patented air-cushioned finish, these cards slide easily. They don’t stick together. The cards also have softly beveled edges. You can buy a single deck of these great cards. They’re also available in a 2-pack and a 12-pack. So no matter how many decks of cards you need, this is a good option.

Pros

  • Easy to read, large font
  • Cards don’t stick together
  • Traditional coloring

Cons

  • These cards are not jumbo in size, they’re the same size of regular playing cards

EAY Playing Cards Luxury Waterproof 24K Gold Diamond Foil Poker Carta, Gold Playing Cards, Deck of Cards, Plastic Playing Cards, Waterproof Deck Cards

Waterproof Playing Cards

You can confidently bring these cards to the pool or beach without worrying about ruining them.
Most Waterproof

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Do you want a deck of cards you can bring anywhere? Thanks to the waterproof coating, these will do nicely. The high-grade gold foil makes these cards look sharp. You can also select from a handful of other design options. Because of the way these cards are designed, it’s still easy to tell which suits are red and which are black. These cards are highly flexible, so they won’t crease easily. They are durable, and hold up well to frequent playing. If someone plays a game with sticky fingers, you can easily wipe the cards clean without ruining them. The golden box that holds the cards is durable, and helps you keep all 52 cards and both Jokers together.

Pros

  • Waterproof playing cards
  • Really durable construction
  • Shiny gold design

Cons

  • Visibility of the numbers and suits is a little limited due to the gold covering

Cyberpunk Playing Cards, Deck of Cards, Premium Card Deck, Cool Poker Cards, Unique Bright Colors for Kids & Adults, Card Decks Games, Standard Size

Hand Drawn Artwork

It's a deck of high-quality, elegant playing cards.
Most Unique

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If you’re looking for a beautiful, unique deck of playing cards, check these out. The art is hand-drawn, and done in a Cyberpunk style. However, it is inspired by the traditional card design, so you can easily tell what each card is. Each design features so many details, you’ll be tempted to sit and stare at your cards as you play. You can select from four different color schemes. Made from thick 310 GSM cardstock, these cards hold up well to frequent use. They’re precision cut to ensure great handling and dealing. These cards feel nice in your hand, and the cards won’t stick to each other and slow you down. The tuckbox features foil with an intricate design. It also has embossing to help it stand out.

Pros

  • Hand drawn artwork
  • High quality cardstock
  • Great tuckbox

Cons

  • Many of the colors are a little darker in person than they are pictured

Brybelly 12 Decks (6 Red/6 Blue) Wide-Size, Regular Index Playing Cards Set – Plastic-Coated, Classic Poker Size

A Dozen Decks of Playing Cards

If you're gaming with a crowd, you need a lot of playing cards.
Best Multi-Pack

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Sometimes a single deck of playing cards isn’t enough. There are several games that require multiple decks to play. Also, you never know when you’re going to misplace a card or two, and need to grab a new deck out. If you like being prepared for fun, consider getting this set of twelve decks of playing cards. It comes with six decks of blue and six of red. They’re traditionally designed playing cards. These cards are regular index, which means the numbers and suits are in the regular font size and style. Each deck is poker size, so they measure 3.5-inches tall by 2.5-inches wide. The plastic coating helps make the cards more durable so they last for more games.

Pros

  • 12 decks of cards
  • Regular index
  • Wide size

Cons

  • These cards are a little thinner than premium cards

Frequently Asked Questions

What games can I play with playing cards?

With a deck or two of playing cards, you can play so many games. Entire books have been written on this subject. Some classic card games include poker, blackjack, rummy, and hearts. There are many card games that are great for kids, including blitz, spoons, old maid, war and go fish. You can also play games all by yourself. Solitaire is a popular solo game, but it’s not the only one. You can also try your luck at Kondike, Beleaguered Castle, and Pyramid. If you’re wondering how to play a specific game, you can often find step-by-step directions by doing an internet search for the name of the game + how to play.

Can I use regular playing cards to play Pinochle?

Typically, people play Pinochle with a special Pinochle deck. However, you can create your own version of a Pinochle deck if you start with two decks. You need to remove all cards between 2-8. That will leave you two of each suit for the 9, 10, jack, queen, king, and ace. In all, you should have 48 cards in your Pinochle deck.

How can I tell if I’ve lost a card from my playing card deck?

If you’re wondering if you have a complete deck, you can quickly verify that by counting your cards. Not including the jokers, you should have 52 of them. There are four different suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) with 13 cards in each. If you don’t have 52, you can separate the cards into suits to learn which one is missing.