I don't use them for any formal play but I just use cards from the casinos in LV. I buy them on eBay, sometimes, for about $10 a dozen. They are heavy and also cost a bit to ship. I figure though anything less than about $1.50 or $2 a deck (final price) are competitive or cheaper than the gift shops. Certainly that price is less than what I get the same brand of cards NEW, near me. I also pick up a few decks from every place I go when in Vegas. They are usually more expensive at the gift shops though. I have seen as high as $2.50 a deck. They are usually the ones marked, US Playing Card Company "Bee" Diamond Back Club Special, Casino Quality. At least that is what the Bellagio ones I am holding say. I use them for side pots while bowling and during a year they get a lot of use. I have a couple decks that have lasted over a year of weekly, sometimes twice weekly, use. We play a poker game where you get 1 card for every strike or spare. $1 to enter, player with the highest hand wins. The "Bee" cards aren't bad. I have had people get them dirty with food and spilled drinks. They are coated cards and do clean up decently if you get them right away. I had 1 deck get real bad once (beer and pizza sauce) and used a lightly damp cloth and wiped each card off. Then a light iron or just pressed in a book and they were good as new. I have also picked up a few decks that say Gemaco, Traditional(?). Those are the Venetian, Aladdin, and, I think RIO cards that I have gotten recently. RIO used to use "Bee" but I seem to recall that the last decks they had were different. Don't really remember what make they were. I prefer the "Bee" cards as they are a little more flexable and easier to shuffle. The Gemaco are stiffer and more difficult. I also just won an auction for 10 decks of Hard Rock Cards. The auction said that they were casino played but they seem to have a more unique design than the typical casino cards. I do not know what brand they are. I got them for $12 for the 10 decks.

The only casino cards, so far, that I have found to stay away from are the Coast Resorts cards, (Barbary Coast, Gold Coast, Orleans and I assume but haven't seen the Suncoast cards). Those cards have corners lopped off and are very ugly. the Hard Rock cards seem to be cancelled in a similar way but the corners don't seem to be as extremely cut. I will find out in a few days. All other cards I have received, so far, have had corners neatly rounded over. It makes for a more attractive momento. If anyone here has connections with Coast or others who lopp off the corners, please reconsider this procedure. A simple hole drilled through a corner might even be less objectionable. Those cards are truely aweful.