Founded in 1964 by Jerry Lodge and Jerry Stamis, Jerry's Nugget Casino stands today as a significant piece of Las Vegas history. In 1970, the casino printed a special deck of cards, and sold them in their gift shop for fifty cents. Almost forty years later, these decks fetch upwards of $200–500 per deck on the second-hand market.
History
Jerry's Nugget playing cards were supposedly printed in the 1970s for the gaming tables, but never saw any action at the gambling table. They were immediately sold in the gift store thereafter. The classic Jerry's Nugget playing cards were made from top of the line United States Playing Card Companycard stock, that is not available today, which makes the cards much thinner than today's playing cards. The Playing Card Company also used a chemical finish then, which is also not available today due to environmental reasons. Jerry's Nugget playing cards were printed in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then were driven to the North Las Vegas casino via trucks where they sat in storage for many years. The highly prized playing cards eventually sold out around 1999, after famous French magician and private collector Dominique Duvivier purchased the remaining stock of about 14,000 decks. Jerry's Nugget Casino does not have any plans to reprint them. According to Jerry's fans, there is something different about the cards that makes them perfect for different types of moves and flourishes. Dai Vernon, Larry Jennings, Ed Marlo, Lee Asher, Frank Simon, Chris Kenner, Earl Nelson, Dan & Dave Buck, Wayne Houchin, and many other notable sleight of hand artists have been seen playing with Jerry's Nugget playing cards. The playing cards are stiff, hold their form, and are easily manipulated. Flourishers have taken a liking to these pasteboards as well.
Design
The backs display fields of red or blue with an image of the oil derrick sign that graces the parking lot of the casino. The Jerry's Nugget oil derrick appears on the deck's joker as well.
Counterfeit
In 2008, sophisticated counterfeiters super-saturated the market with fake Jerry's Nugget playing cards. Random videos started appearing on YouTube from upset purchasers. While the illegal versions look remarkably genuine, most playing card experts can tell the difference easily, as the fake decks were made from cheap cardboard. Some of the signs would be that of the box. The stamp on the legitimate version of the deck is blue and off center. Another sign would be on the flap, a long flap with no context on it. If you cut open the box and look inside there will be a printed year on the side. Last but not least would be the color, the originals are off white and lightly yellowed.
Recreations
In 2019, as a result of a collaboration between Expert Playing Card Company and Jerry's Nugget Casino, a successful project was launched to recreate the decks in a modern finish and a vintage finish. In 2016 a parody deck entitled Chicken NuggetPlaying Cards was created by Taiwanese magician and cardist Hanson Chien. Hanson Chien also acquired an original deck of Jerry's Nugget Playing Cards produced by a different publisher, Arrco Playing Card Company, which features different artwork than the more well-known deck, and may even pre-date it.
