I’m someone who knows cards. Some people collect spoons, others collect stamps. Me? I collect cards and take pride in that fact. I received my deck of cards with anticipation; it being one of my first card purchases that features an erotic theme. Let me just give my overall feeling before we get too far into the technical details:

Meh.

The cards are printed on standard thickness card stock, and have the slick plastic finish that cheap cards tend to have. I’ve you’ve ever played with traditional Bicycle cards, you’ll notice that they have an “air-cushion” finish, which is a texture that allows for more fluid manipulation and card play. The lack of the air-cushion is apparent when you try and fan the cards, as they stick together. After a few uses, dealing becomes more difficult than it should, with cards coming off together in twos or threes. Perhaps I’m just spoiled from years of Bicycle cards, but buy these knowing that they will do more for show than they will for work.

On to the show, since that’s what we bought these cards for, right? Each card features one woman (some feature more) on the face of the card in various poses and states of undress. The quality of the pictures from a photography standpoint is very good, with every shot having the touches of professional work. Let’s not short change the featured women, who have a great deal of talent, sometimes DD sized talents. This may be personal preference, but some of the actresses look like they’re having more fun than others, and I prefer my woman be happy to be there.

I was, however, disappointed with several things. First, it would have been nice to have the actress names printed somewhere on the card. There are faces that I recognize, such as Sasha Grey and Jenna Haze. But others, whom I may want to see more of, I have no way of easily finding more shots of them. From a marketing standpoint, this seems like a large oversight. Tease with cards, cash in on the movies when the fans come looking. Second, for a so-called erotic deck of cards, there seems to be a low level of nudity in the cards. I know sexuality is measured in more than simple nudity, but when you’re working in a print medium, nudity tends to be one of the major points.

For something that sells for a premium price, there seems to be a distinct lack of premium content and premium construction. The three dollar decks you find at tourist attractions have the same card quality, while the pictures themselves are not as erotic as one would expect. If I were to recommend anything, it would be to go and buy a deck of Bicycle cards, and rent a porno. You’ll get much more out of it for the same amount of money.