The New Deal Playing Card Company

At around the same time as Ergomia was developing its range of ergonomically efficient cards in France, across the Atlantic The New Deal Playing Card Company was patenting its ergocards in the USA. Their range comprised bridge and poker cards as well as cards for games such as Old Maid, Go Fish, War and Crazy Eights. What they all had in common was the fact that the top and bottom edges were curved, with some sets having concave sides and others straight. One can understand that cards with curved sides may be easier to hold but why make the top and bottom edges curved?

In 2001, I received the following sample sets:

Poker 1. Redrawn version of the standard English pattern, though still recognisable. Publisher’s name, address, telephone number and U.S. patent number on Ace of Spades. Large indices in 2 corners. Straight sides. 52 cards + 2 Jokers in tuck box. Size: 63 x 83 mm approx.

Above: Poker 1 ergonomic playing cards made by Gemaco, Blue Springs, Missouri, USA. Published by The New Deal Playing Card Company, Leawood, Kansas, USA, c.2000.

Bridge. Modernised version of the standard English pattern but with traditional elements retained. “NEW DEAL”, U.S. patent number and publisher’s telephone number on Ace of Spades. Indices in 4 corners (2 large and 2 slightly smaller). Straight sides. Back designs by children at the Lawrence Art Center, Lawrence, Kansas. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 extra card. Size: 57 x 83 mm approx.

Poker 2. Design as in Bridge, but U.S. patent number, “NEW DEAL Playing Card Co.”, publisher’s address and telephone number on Ace of Spades. Large indices in 2 corners. Curved sides. Backs advertise New Deal and the ergocard website address. Linen finish. 52 cards + 2 Jokers. Size: 58 x 90 mm approx. (Joker collectors should note that each of these first three packs includes two different jokers).

War. Four sets of 8 cards. Curved sides. 32 cards + 4 extra cards with rules of War and Slap Stinky. Size: 58 x 90 mm approx.

Crazy Eights. Four sets of 7 cards plus 4 CRAZY! cards. Curved sides. 32 cards + 2 extra cards with Crazy 8s rules. Size: 58 x 90 mm approx.

Old Maid. Sample not available.

Go Fish. Sample not available.

The New Deal Playing Card Company seems to have been created in about 1995 but I have no information about how it fared after 2001. It seems quite likely that, as with so many firms with revolutionary ideas in the playing-card world, the ‘innovation’ did not catch on and the company did not survive for very long.

Some of the firm’s advertising material from 2001 can be found below. On one leaflet, the patented curved shape is likened to a bone.