I've collected many cards over the past few years (KEM, Copag, Dal Negro, Royal, Gemaco, etc...) and happened to come across these cards because they were promotional cards for signing up for a particular poker site several years ago. I'm used to calling these Modiano cards and this is the first time I found out about the name change to Da Vinci cards. So here's my take:
I agree with all the reviews about the thickness of these cards. They are wonderfully made: sturdy, and with a very snappy and slippery feel. It's a far different feel than the KEM cards. People have varying tastes, and I have friends say they like the KEM cards better. However, on a recent trip to Europe, I had friends say that these Da Vinci cards were by far the best cards they ever played with. And that was after they had played an overnight poker game with my KEM Arrow cards. On the trip back, I ordered them two sets of these Da Vinci cards from Greece as a gift to them. The Da Vinci cards have a distinctive feel and toughness. They are by far the thickest cards in my vast collection. They have the snappiness of the Italian Dal Negro and Royal brand cards. One thing I will say about KEM Arrow cards, and you can agree or disagree with me if you want - If I leave my KEM cards out in an cold, open, or air conditioned environment, the edges tent to wilt/bend upwards. I live near the ocean and wonder if anybody else has this same problem with the KEM cards. And unfortunately, you cannot bend them back into shape once they get in that shape. That's why I have three sets of the KEM cards. If you keep the KEM cards in the case they hold up fine and don't give you the wilting/bending problem. You will never get this problem with these Da Vinci cards. They are manufactured extremely well. It is virtually impossible to bend them in a way to leave a handling mark. These cards have a far more slippery feel than the KEM cards so keep that in mind when factoring in your decision to buy these.
As for appearance, these cards are beautiful. The bicycle motif on the front is fancy enough but not overdone. The face part of the cards have a little more brightness to them than say the KEM and Copag cards. The hearts and spades imprints have a more rounded look. Words can't really describe the exact look, but I take it if you are reading reviews on these cards, then you enjoy collecting cards. And trust me, these Da Vinci cards have a much more artistic appeal to them than any of my other deck of cards. Because of this, I strongly disagree with the one reviewer who said the cards were "very plain and not impressive".
Note: there are two versions of these Da Vinci cards. One has the 4 PIP feature (which I own where all the corners have the value of the card on them) and the other one has the value of the card on only 2 corners. Judging by the pictures at the top, these cards only have card values on the 2 corners. I ordered the 4 PIP cards on Ebay as I know of that one seller from Greece that sells these particular cards with that 4 PIP feature (they sell for about $16.00 shipped). Again, it's a matter of preference. I like the 4 PIP feature which is common among the Italian card manufacturers (such as the Dal Negro cards). I personally can't comment on the complaints about the hard shell carrying case that comes with these cards since I have never seen one. The promotional cards that I received came with a fancy plastic case. As the case is opened, it gently slid the cards upwards. The same group of people that loved these Da Vinci cards on my Europe trip were equally wowed by the design of that fancy card carrying case. Judging by the pictures, it appears that Da Vinci went with a different case with these cards. The Da Vinci cards that I imported from Greece (through Ebay) didn't even come with a fancy case. It was just a box with a plastic tray holding the cards in place.
So my final analysis: These are by far one of the best deck of cards I've ever owned. Whenever I travel, I bring a set of KEM Arrow cards and a deck of these Da Vinci cards. So basically they're in my top two decks of cards that I own, and that collection includes over 20 decks from all the top of the line card manufacturers in the World. Need I say more? I give these cards a 5 star review without hesitation.Get more detail about Da Vinci Ruote, Italian 100% Plastic Playing Cards, 2-Deck Poker Size Set, Regular Index, w/2 Cut Cards.
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