Interesting Thought...

[Lee Asher]

Interesting Thought...

I found this lone uncancelled casino card in the grass of the school yard directly behind my home. It's from a Nevada gaming house called the Sands Regency, located in Reno.



Finding this card got me thinking about the distance it must have traveled, in order to come to rest in Toronto.

Erlanger to Reno - 2176 miles
Reno to Toronto - 2419 miles

TOTAL =  4595 miles (7395 kilometers)



*It most likely traveled in a pack, and not by itself.
**It could have made stops in between the point of production, Reno, and it's final resting place. We have no access to this kind of information.

I know people track currency, (and it's much easier to do it with bills) but it would make an insightful social experiment to do this with playing cards.

[jupiter3]

   I hope that's just an add card or a joker.  Otherwise a whole deck is hosed.  If that card has really gone to Reno then to your school yard it has had a good life.   
   School kids love to use decks of cards.  While many are too young to learn a profitable life skill (like poker) I have seen a lot of battles of War.  This last school year I donated ten bricks of decks to the school I work at.  Most of the decks have worn out already, I going to have to donate more before the new school year starts.
   Hey Lee, on a side note, the longest lasting decks in the hands on school children have been the Fournier 605s.  Go figure 

Jim

[Don Boyer]

I thought that looked familiar.

Lee, did you take a closer look at the deck?  It's one of a handful of casino deck designs that have been circulating far and wide lately - because it's counterfeit.  I have a red and blue deck, same exact design - on the cheapest, smooth stock imaginable, in a tuck box that looks like a window Bee box and has a "casino-used/canceled" seal, but the cards inside are 100% intact and forged.  My brother found them, he doesn't remember where, a couple of years ago.  The previous owner of that card probably got the deck from a local dollar-store or a shop somewhere in Toronto's Chinatown area carrying knockoff goods.

On the plus side, that means that it actually traveled a lot farther - from some factory buried in the backwoods of China, more than likely, to a cheapo wholesaler that serves the low-end shops in the Toronto area...

[Lee Asher]

I thought that looked familiar.

Lee, did you take a closer look at the deck?  It's one of a handful of casino deck designs that have been circulating far and wide lately - because it's counterfeit.  I have a red and blue deck, same exact design - on the cheapest, smooth stock imaginable, in a tuck box that looks like a window Bee box and has a "casino-used/canceled" seal, but the cards inside are 100% intact and forged.  My brother found them, he doesn't remember where, a couple of years ago.  The previous owner of that card probably got the deck from a local dollar-store or a shop somewhere in Toronto's Chinatown area carrying knockoff goods.

On the plus side, that means that it actually traveled a lot farther - from some factory buried in the backwoods of China, more than likely, to a cheapo wholesaler that serves the low-end shops in the Toronto area...

I disagree Don. This is a legitimate Casino in Reno, and I can guarantee you this card is not a knock-off. It's real.

My best educated guess says this is a design offered in the Aristocrat Casino deck line. I'm not disagreeing that the pattern might be printed on knocked-off decks in China. However, I believe with absolute certainty, this card is USPC-made.

... in Toronto's Chinatown area carrying knockoff goods.

Toronto's Chinatown is pretty good about keeping knockoffs to a minimum. What kind of people do you take us for up here???

[Don Boyer]

One of the cues that had me doubting the veracity of my own decks was that they were supposedly "canceled" according to the box seal, but the cards were completely intact - no cuts, marker ink, drill holes, etc.  The card in your photo is in the same condition.  But it is indeed possible that you stumbled upon the genuine article, especially if the design is no longer in use.

[Lee Asher]

One of the cues that had me doubting the veracity of my own decks was that they were supposedly "canceled" according to the box seal, but the cards were completely intact - no cuts, marker ink, drill holes, etc.  The card in your photo is in the same condition.  But it is indeed possible that you stumbled upon the genuine article, especially if the design is no longer in use.

It's real. I'm certain...

[Card Player]

Hello Lee

http://www.wheresgeorge.com/#

I'm familiar with the Where's George $1 tracking project. I've registered a few myself years ago.

Your idea for tracking a deck of cards sounds awesome but I'm afraid not practical. Most people that buy a deck of cards hold on to them till they are no longer useful or sold as part of a collection. It would hit one location and not move very far there after. I doubt the garbage man would waste time to register a deck after someone has thrown them away.

Even if decks of cards circulated like money, most likely the only decks that you could stamp a tag would be the used/cancelled casino cards. From what I know, Nevada prisoners repackage many. Some are still in the original tuck with a hole in them and resealed by the casino. Either way, I can't see the State (prison) or Casino paying people to tag cards/decks for tracking. Lol

Lee I put you in charge of the great idea. You should call some prisons in Nevada and see if they would be interested in your project. Lol

[Lee Asher]

My job is to simply create good ideas. It's up to others to act upon them! 

[Card Player]

My job is to simply create good ideas. It's up to others to act upon them! 

Fair enough. lol

Maybe we can lightly irradiate the cards like the Dark Knight? lol

[Don Boyer]

Maybe we can lightly irradiate the cards like the Dark Knight? lol

Don't laugh - it's been done, or so I'm told.  I heard a story about card cheats that used irradiated cards, but it seems ridiculous.  The one who told me of it swore it was true, but I'm still trying to figure out just how it could have been done effectively and for less money than other, more traditional cheating methods.  It just sounds like too much trouble and risk - the residual radiation from handling the cards all night at a poker game would also make you light up a Geiger counter like a Christmas tree...

[Card Player]

Maybe we can lightly irradiate the cards like the Dark Knight? lol

Don't laugh - it's been done, or so I'm told.  I heard a story about card cheats that used irradiated cards, but it seems ridiculous.  The one who told me of it swore it was true, but I'm still trying to figure out just how it could have been done effectively and for less money than other, more traditional cheating methods.  It just sounds like too much trouble and risk - the residual radiation from handling the cards all night at a poker game would also make you light up a Geiger counter like a Christmas tree...

I remember reading that here I believe. Lol