Bee Playing Cards vs. Bicycle Playing Cards: Which Iconic Deck is Truly Superior?
As a gaming enthusiast and playing card connoisseur, one of the most common questions I‘m asked is: "Which is better – Bee or Bicycle playing cards?" Both brands boast rich histories and near-legendary reputations – but how do these two titans of the industry truly compare?
In this epic head-to-head battle, we‘ll scrutinize every aspect of these iconic decks to determine if the esteemed Bee brand or best-selling Bicycle brand claim playing card supremacy!
The Key Factor – Card Stock and Handling
The card stock composition and resulting handling are make-or-break for any deck‘s performance. Let‘s examine the core materials and touch/feel that define both brands.
Bee Playing Cards
Card Stock: Bee playing cards feature a premium smooth bee stock that is approximately 20% thicker on average than standard card stock at 28 pt thickness (0.028"). The paper blend contains 25% cotton for added durability.
Handling: The signature stock grants Bee decks a crisp, snappier feel during shuffling and cuts. The cards spring and flow smoothly right out of the box. Enthusiasts praise the "well-broken-in" handling.
Durability: As a result of the thickness and material blend, Bee‘s card stock is highly durable and resistant to bends, fractures, and softening. Well-suited for heavy casino use.
Bicycle Playing Cards
Card Stock: The traditional Bicycle stock clocks in around 0.023" thick, or 23pt. Smooth, flexible, but thinner than Bee by a noticeable margin. The UltraCote finish provides a slick glide during shuffling.
Handling: While the thinness has pros and cons, Bicycle stock also promotes reasonably smooth handling for spreads, cuts, springs etc. The slick finish may bother some at first.
Durability: Expectedly less durable than Bee stock, but still decent for average use before signs of softening or marking. Not ideal for intense casino use.
Clearly Bee playing cards boast vastly superior card stock and performance handling – predictable given Bee‘s casino pedigree. But how do the two brands‘ history and reputations compare?
Background and Brand Reputations
Bee Playing Cards
First introduced in 1892, Bee playing cards earned their iconic diamond-back patterns from the company‘s foundations manufacturing diamond-mesh gloves.
Over a century later, Bee‘s upscale playing cards are now produced by United States Playing Card Company – revered by casinos and professionals worldwide as "the deck that lasts." The preferred house card of casinos like The Venetian, Bee‘s have dealt cards for poker legends like Johnny Moss and Doyle Brunson.
Bee earned their stellar reputation through quality and durability. Bee decks grace the hands of today‘s top poker players and their flashy card flourishing counterparts – celebrity cardists like Chris Ramsay and Jaspas Deck.
Bicycle Playing Cards
As one of the original American playing card manufacturers, United States Printing Company (now USPCC) made a name for themselves over 130 years ago with their flagship brand – Bicycle Playing Cards.
Since then, the Bicycle brand blossomed as one of the most widely-recognized playing card identities ever. The vintage Bicycle Ace of Spades, Jokers, card back design are now pop culture mainstays even among non-card players.
Part of Bicycle‘s monumental success stems from USPCC‘s innovations – mass-automation technology brought economies of scale to playing card production. This birthed now-industry-standard features like air-cushion finishes and double-wide card presses.
In recent decades, Bicycle now offers hundreds of eye-catching custom graphic card backs while preserving the vintage designs. Coupled with affordability and accessibility, Bicycle undoubtedly dominates market share across novice players to card magic legends.
Playing Card Recommendations By Use Case
Given the key differences across history, materials, and handling – how do Bee and Bicycle decks compare for players? Below I break down usage recommendations based on playing environment and card handling needs:
Clearly, while Bicycle playing cards continue their reign as most popular deck overall, Bee playing cards narrowly edge out Bicycles for demanding environments (8.8 vs 8.5) thanks to their vastly superior card stock and construction.
However, Bicycle deserves immense credit for outstanding handling considering card stock limitations (8.7) – a testament to USPCC‘s innovations and experience. Durability issues aside, Bicycles should handle most casual home games reasonably well.
The Verdict: Bee Playing Cards Claim the Throne
While I award minor handling honors to stalwart Bicycle (8.7 vs 8.8), legendary Bee playing cards edge out overall based primarily on vastly superior materials and construction:
- Card Stock: Bee‘s 20% thicker, snappier stock dwarfs Bicycle‘s paper thin composition (9.2 vs 7.8)
- Durability: Bee‘s durable stock and finish edges out Bicycles by a country mile (9.3 vs 7.5).
- Reputation: Bee edges Bicycle, beloved by casinos and cardists (9.0 vs 8.9)
Thus, while Bicycle playing cards offer outstanding handling and accessibility for the masses – the mythic Bee deck claims playing card superiority thanks to their upscale materials and construction. Prestigious casinos and card technicians agree: when your card handling and performance is on the line, few decks compare to the venerable Bee deck.
For my fellow playing card enthusiasts, I recommend keeping both classic brands readily on-hand: Bee playing cards for their world-class quality and handling, Bicycles for their accessibility and endearing charm. Because no matter how playing card technology evolves – these two titans stand the test of time.
