LOOK
A classic set of cards with the stylish and distinctive arrow design on the back and a simple and traditional front. Made of cellulose acetate, the Arrows look and feel absolutely spot-on. 5/5
SHUFFLEABILITY
Plenty of give and slip mean that whatever style of shuffl e you use, hand or table, the Arrows make it a pleasurable experience. 5/5
MIDDLE BEND
(Cards bent in half, held for 10 seconds and left overnight to recover)
Left overnight? No need. Within a couple of minutes the card was completely fl at and left without any visible mark at all. No manipulation required. 5/5
CORNER BEND
(Corner of cards bent back, held for 10 seconds and left overnight to recover)
A more punishing test (you’d never bend the corners of the cards all the way back) and the KEM couldn’t repair itself on its own. A bit of manipulation and the card was almost useable again. 3/5
NINJA
(Cards thrown at a wall from two metres and dealt the length of a table)
The KEMs fly through the air beautifully, although they suffered some minor damage to the corners. Dealing is as smooth as you’d expect from a pack of cards with this price tag on. 4/5
WASHABILITY
(Coke and coffee liberally sprinkled over and then left to dry before trying to clean)
Surprisingly, out of all the plastic cards, the KEMs suffered the most curl. They wiped perfectly clean but even after leaving overnight the card still displayed a visible bend. Manipulation got it back to a useable condition. 3/5
VALUE FOR MONEY
The most expensive out of all the cards we looked at but that doesn’t mean they’re not good value for money. Buy a set of KEMs and they’ll give you months of baize action before you need to break open a new pack. 4/5
OVERALL
The KEM cards are the industry standard and for good reason, but they’re pipped to the post in our tests by the Copags. Like Stella, they’re reassuringly expensive but they won’t make you fall over.
Total score: 29/35
Playing card round-up