* * * INTRODUCING GAMBLER'S WAREHOUSE * * *

Gambler's Warehouse is based in Texas, and while they have close connections with the gaming industry in Las Vegas, they are especially serious about playing cards. You only need to visit their subsidiary website PlayingCards Dot Net, to get some sense of the enormous selection they have available for sale. They have been part of the playing card industry for more than two decades, and are passionate the design, production, and use of decks of cards. They have gained a very positive reputation in assisting many designers of playing cards make their playing card projects a reality via crowd-funding, in part due to the strong relationship and connections they have with well known printer, US Playing Card Company.

But Gambler's Warehouse also produces high quality custom playing cards of their own design, and that's what this series of reviews is all about. In a previous review, I have taken a close look at the Alloy series of Playing Cards that they produced - you can see that review here. I was super impressed with these decks, and they quickly became among my personal favourites. Now it's time to look at some of the other playing cards they have produced in-house.




* * * ROYAL PULP PLAYING CARDS * * *

From Regal we move to Royal! The Royal Pulp decks were created in 2016, and come in either red or in green.



The tuck boxes evoke both intrigue and style. To add to the sophistication, there's beautiful interior printing, which adds to the feel of class and quality from the moment you open the box.



RED DECK

It is characterised by bright colours, and what some have described as "artistic madness", which is already evident as soon as you see the card-backs of the Red deck shown here.



It features brightly coloured artwork by Brad Foster and Charles A. P. (Blackout Brother), with fully custom cards, and humorous court cards, which especially evoke a satirical feel.



All the reds used in this deck have a very bright cherry red appearance, rather than the usual deeper red of a traditional deck, and this unusual colour combines well with the other colours of the deck.



Even the number cards have a very custom look and feel. A unique and creative design is used for all the pips (which can especially be appreciated on the oversized Aces).



GREEN DECK

The Green deck on the other hand has a quite different colour scheme.



Despite the different colours, the court cards retain the same look of sarcastic and humorous madness.



The cards all have a marble-cream-parchment background colour, which accentuates the jarring effect of the unusual mineral blues, oranges, and reds, and gives the deck somewhat of a vintage feel, as can be seen from this uncut sheet which gives an overview of the entire deck.



Both decks have a different feel - some people I've shown the deck to prefer the Red version, others prefer the Green, so the choice is yours!




* * * CONCLUSIONS * * *

Royal Pulp decks: These decks are for the mad scientist type, with unusual colour combinations that scream for attention, and artwork that borders between the humorous and the insane. It's all family friendly, but there's just something slightly off-kilter about it all, but in a completely welcome and fresh way, which helps these decks stand out pleasantly from your average playing cards. I love the way the two different coloured decks complement each other, and evoke a very different feel by virtue of an alternate palette. Completely intriguing!

Card quality: All the decks that I've looked at and own that have been produced by Gamblers have been outstanding quality. The Royal Pulp decks I've reviewed above are either produced by United States Playing Card Company or Expert Playing Cards. USPCC decks have a high quality card stock and finish, that ensures both durability and good handling, and is exactly the kind of quality that most people will be familiar with from a quality Bicycle style deck. And in every case, the cards are packaged in an appropriate and attractive tuck box.



Recommendation: I continue to be impressed by the decks produced by Gamblers Warehouse. In an earlier review, I gave a glowing report about their Alloy deck, which featured remarkable iridescent foil on both the back and the front of the cards - an industry first, and a remarkable achievement. Not only can you purchase their own decks at their subsidiary playingcards.net website, but they also have a wide range of other quality playing cards for sale there too.

In addition to this, Gamblers Warehouse also acts as a fulfilment company for a lot of other card designers, who rely on their expertise and experience. Clearly, these guys know what they're doing, and I know that if I was producing my own deck via crowd-funding, I'd definitely be considering them as a partner to assist with this. If my positive experiences are anything to go by, this is a reliable and a good choice to consider as a source for quality playing cards. I can certainly recommend very highly the decks I've reviewed above.

Want to learn more?
Gamblers Warehouse: http://gamblerswarehouse.com
Playing Cards Dot Net: http://playingcards.net



Direct links for the Royal Pulp Playing Cards featured in this review:
- Set of both decks
- Red deck
- Green deck