Dealer Button & Card Protector Reviews
A dealer button is used in Texas Hold'em to designate the theoretical dealer for a hand of poker. Players should be encouraged
to leave the button in front of them on the table where it can be seen by the other players, especially the dedicated dealer.
When dealing the down cards, or when starting each betting round, the dealer will instinctively look for the button and then
commence action with the player to the left of the button. Dealer buttons usually look like a big poker chip (or hockey puck) and
have the word 'Dealer' written, stamped, etched, or engraved on one or both sides. They can be quite elaborate and cost up to $100.
A plastic dealer button may be purchased for a few dollars and many poker chip sets come with a button included.
A card protector (card guard) is usually a large or unique poker chip or paraphernalia that is placed on top of your hole cards to
"protect" them from being collected by the dealer or another player. It is each individual player's responsibility to protect
his hole cards at all times. If the dealer accidentally collects and mucks your cards - it is your own fault for not protecting your
cards! Card protectors do not have to be a poker chip, they can be anything at all, ranging from Greg "Fossilman" Raymer's
fossils to a Phil Hellmuth statuette! Some players prefer to use a 'spinner' as a card protector. A spinner is a card protector that
spins like a top.
This dealer button is inspired by the 1950's diner style although I think it has somewhat of a dart board or target appearance. Both faces of the dealer button are
identical with two shades of gray and a bit of black and red. The word 'Dealer' is printed in large letters on both faces of the button. The rolling edge has the word
Dealer and a red dot printed in all four directions.
This button has the feel of a ceramic poker chip, similar to a Chipco poker chip. The diameter of this dealer button is 59.6mm and the weight is 39.73 grams.
The price of this dealer button is $4.99 and is available from Old West Poker Supplies. January 2012
This is a series of buttons from www.dealerbuttons.co.uk that can be used as
a dealer button or as a card protector. The finish is antique nickel with fine detail and is very smooth and slides well on poker
cloth. The buttons are just thick enough to allow you to easily lift the button off the table.
The back of the button has www.dealerbutton.co.uk, a serial number, and 'Made in China' engraved into it. You can also have your own personalized message
engraved into the back of the button - you can personalize your button with your name, your tournament name, 1st place winner, 2nd place, etc..
The Twisted Joker dealer button features an
image of an evil joker and the word DEALER engraved on the face of the button. It measures 45.16mm in diameter and is 3.95mm thick.
The Shark Attack card cover has a 'shark bite'
removed from the top left corner of the button. I have never seen any other card protector with a feature such as this and makes it
somewhat unique - it is not the same old perfectly round card protector. It weighs 21.92 grams, measures 45.04mm in diameter, and is 3.05mm thick.
The cost is �8.99 per dealer button/card protector. Each card protector comes with a metal case that is 62x62x18.5mm in size. The button sits
inside a felt bedding within the metal case. March 2010
This is a customizable playing card cover from CardTrojan.com. It is available in 2 inch diameter or a 1.75 inch diameter versions in
six different graphic styles.
The center area of the card cover is a vinyl label that can just barely be peeled off with a fingernail. The
label is slightly recessed into the base of the card cover an should not come off on its own. The quality of the graphics is good.
Different graphics can be printed on either side of the button.
The Card Trojan is available in 2 inch or 1.75 inch diameter versions and is 4mm in height. The 2" card cover
weighs 60 grams. The card cover is just large enough so that you can easily lift it from the table. Some card covers are so small that
they are difficult to lift off the table.
The cost of a customized Card Trojan is $16.95 and includes free artwork and shipping. The offer of free artwork is somewhat unique
since most businesses charge for the artwork service. Anyone who places an order and mentions HPT will receive a free acrylic case.
July 2008
This is a card guard spinner from
DBdealer.com. You use the arrow on top
of the card guard to determine what your next poker action should be. The arrow spins on the face of the guard and eventually lands on a
suggested course of action - Raise, On Tilt?, Bluff, Cocktail!, Fold, Check/Call, All in!, and What would Phil do?.
This card guard weighs 32.17 grams, is 54.15mm in diameter, and is 5.33mm in height - just the right weight and size for a card guard!
There is felt on the bottom of the card guard. The arrow is made of a metal and cannot be easily bent. It spins just fine.
The cost from DBdealer.com is $10.95.
August 2007
These poker table shaped card covers are available in an excellent selection of amateur and professional sports team logos
including the NFL, NCAA, NHL, MLB, NBA as well as with zodiac signs or your initials. The base of the card cover is made of pewter
and features an enamel design with a layer of epoxy that covers the surface. The epoxy gives the card cover a very smooth finish
and feel and could not be scratched off or easily marked.
You can customize the Poker Hand Protector with your initials or zodiac sign and you can even have your own design placed on the cover!
You can order your initials in Rhodium-plated brass with or without Swarovski crystals. I suppose I should know what these materials are,
but I watch more poker on television than The Home Shopping Network. The lettering is nice and the "Swarovski crystals"
give them a diamond-like appearance. The team logos and designs are very nice. All the logos are authentic and very high quality.
The Poker Hand Protectors are 61 x 37 x 4.17mm and weigh about 46 grams. They are perfectly sized for use as a card
cover - not too big and not too small. They come shipped in black velour pouches and gift boxes are available at an additional cost. The
cost of a Poker Hand Protector is $15-20 per cover, depending on the
design.; Shipping is $4.95 total for one or an unlimited number of card covers. A 10% discount is available for
HomePokerTourney readers by using code "HPT" when ordering. July 2007
This is a dealer button that features the same artwork as the James Bond Casino de Isthmus poker chip set. This dealer puck is made
of a white plastic that is a bit softer than a typical 11.5 gram composite poker chip. The plastic is a bit translucent and the button has a
rounded (flying saucer) edge rather than the straight edge of a hockey puck. The Casino de Isthmus label cannot be peeled off or scratched
without first digging through the plastic layer that covers the entire dealer button. The printing on the label is very high quality.
The James Bond Casino de Isthmus dealer button is 50mm in diameter and 5.5mm high. It weighs 11.85 grams - a bit light for a dealer puck
but it slid well on my felt poker table. The price is $8.50.
This dealer button is made by Matsui and is actually a large poker chip (jeton). It does the job very well and more poker chip
sets should offer a matching dealer button such as this! June 2007
Card Shark Card Cover from PokerPadz.com
When I first saw these card covers, I thought they looked rather lame but after receiving The Shark, shown to the left, I am
rather impressed. I was expecting it to be light-weight and made of plastic but it weighs just under 50 grams and is made of some sort
of a ceramic. The level of detail and paint work is very good. The Shark measures 34mm high, 47mm wide, and 50mm deep.
The Shark is part of the Poker Faces line of card covers. There is a donkey and various other funny faces available.
They are made in China and the price is $8.95.
This website is no longer active
ImaDonk Card Covers
 These brass card covers from
ImaDonk.com are the same size as a poker chip but have the look and feel of a silver dollar. There is a sturdy feel to the covers
and they feel heavier than they look. The graphics are nice and are better than what is shown in these images - the gold and silver trim
causes problems for my scanner and the images come out looking a bit choppy and dark. The graphics are much brighter and shinier than what
is shown here. I could not scratch the surface of the card cover - it seems to be some sort of baked on enamel finish.
The ImaDonk card covers are encased in a plastic Airtite poker chip holder. There is a foam o-ring that surrounds the card cover and
keeps it in place while in the plastic holder. Most players will use the card cover without the plastic case but using the case did make
it a bit easier to lift the cover off the table.
The ImaDonk Card Covers are 39.2mm in diameter, 2.85mm thick , and weigh 25 grams. The cost is $9.99 with
free shipping. Nov 2006 This website is no longer active
Poker Weights.com
It's getting to the point where I don't think I've met a custom dealer button that I didn't like! These dealer buttons and card protectors
from PokerWeights.com are covered with a thick
enamel that gives a nice smooth feel and makes the button slide well on a poker table. The graphics are very nice and feature just the
right amount of gold or silver trim. The graphics are nicer than what is shown in the images on this site (and the Poker Weights site!)
- the gold and silver trim causes problems for my scanner and the images come out looking a bit choppy. The quality of the graphics is
some of the best that I have seen. I could not scratch these buttons without digging through a millimeter or two of enamel, in other
words, I could not scratch them. There are different designs on the front and back.
Most of the buttons from Poker Weights come in the green retail packaging shown to the right. This packaging makes it very convenient
to hang the weights on a store rack. The buttons that do not come in the retail packaging (the first three buttons shown on their
page) come in small plastic envelopes.
All the buttons from Poker Weights.com are a good size and weight. They slide well on a poker table and they are
the perfect size for a card protector. The weights are 50 to 90 grams, depending on the size, 50 (2") or 57.25mm (2.25")
in diameter and 6mm (.25") or 5mm (.2") thick.
Prices are about $15 and up. In general shipping is about $3 to the U.S., $4 to Canada, and $6 to Europe.
PokerWeights.com accepts payment only through PayPal.
They have quite an extensive EBay store, with many auctions available. I also reviewed one of the 1st Place poker weights on my
Poker Trophies page. Oct 2006
ABC Gifts and Awards
Coasters/Dealer Buttons
These are drink coasters from ABC Gifts and Awards that can also be used as dealer buttons, card protectors, or awards for your poker tournaments.
The image shown here is the actual size of the coaster. This is a pre-made design for the
World Player's Club poker chip set, but you can
also design your own coaster to match your poker chip set!
The coaster is solid ceramic and has a bit of a rounded top surface. The graphic design is baked into the coaster, I could not
scratch it off but, like any piece of ceramic, it will probably chip or break quite easily. I wouldn't mind dropping this coaster
on a rug, but was too afraid to drop it on a hard surface for testing purposes. The glossy finish on the top of the coaster
actually makes it somewhat impractical to use as a drink coaster. Any glass or bottle
that is placed on the coaster will simply shed water off the coaster on to the surface below. If you use the coasters on your poker
table, the water dripping off beer bottles or drinks will collect in a ring around the bottom of the coaster, on to your poker cloth.
You can have customized coasters made for your poker tournaments. The cost is $8.95 each or a set of four coasters for
$24.95. Each of the four coasters can have a different design. That means for $25 you can have your own personalized dealer button,
1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place awards for your poker tournament!
The coaster is the perfect size and weight to be used as a dealer button. Each coaster comes with a piece of cork that can be stuck
onto the back of the coaster. You can affix the cork if you are going to use the coaster as a traditional drink coaster, but
leave the cork unapplied if you are going to use the coaster as a dealer button or card protector. The coaster slides just fine on
poker cloth with the cork removed, but will not slide at all with the cork applied.
The coasters can also be used as a card protector. They are somewhat large but they are just small enough to prevent a playing card
from being hidden underneath. If you use these coasters as awards or trophies to give out to your poker tournament winners, you can be
sure that they will be used as card protectors!
The coaster is 88.3mm (3.5") in diameter, 7.75mm (.3") thick, and weighs about 90 grams (over 3 ounces). The bottom of
the coaster is unfinished and cannot be printed on. The coaster has a good weight and feel to it when used as a dealer button.
The price is $24.95 for a set of four coasters, or $8.95 each. You can order custom sets with a different image on each coaster.
There is also a pre-made
Pharaoh's set of
coasters to match your
Pharaoh's or
Egyptian poker chip sets.
These
ABC Gifts and Awards coasters are a truly unique option for poker awards, trophies, or custom poker chip sets. In fact, I
think that I am going to order some HomePokerTourney man-in-the-barrel coasters to give away as prizes on this website!
Sept 2006
These poker card guards from
TexasHoldemStuff.com are heavy and well made. They
have the feel of a very heavy silver dollar surrounded by a plastic covering. You cannot feel any of the seams or engravings through the
plastic - it is completely smooth. All the guards are double-sided, with a pair of cards on one side and a short phrase on the other side.
The colors range from copper to silver to brass.
The measurements are as follows: Limited Edition - 42.5g and 40.41mm x 4.9mm, ALL IN - 35.07g and 40.4mm x 4.81mm, All-in First
Out - 35.65g and 40.51mm x 3.5mm, and River Luck - 33.62g and 40.34mm x 4.1mm. The card guards costs $15 or $20 each. The Limited
Edition card guard has a serial number between 1 to 500 stamped into it and is a bit thicker and heavier than the other three guards.
The spinner is very nice and is my new favorite. It seems to spin longer than the other spinners that
I have tried. The weight and balance are just right. The spinner is 40.5mm x 5.4mm x 41.3g and costs $15. It is quite addictive.
There is 3-button set that includes a
Dealer Button with a Big
Blind and Small Blind button. The buttons match the spinner shown here except are much larger. They have the same collage of spilled playing cards and
have the same finish and feel. The dealer button is 50.71mm x 4.5mm x 50.5g. The 3-button set sells for $35 with either a white, or an off-white dealer button.
The same card guards are also available as a key chain (50.47g and 40.3mm x 5.1mm for $20) and a
money clip ($15). All of these
articles share the same basic card guard mounted on different hardware accessories. The key chains are very sturdy and have a good
hooking mechanism. A money clip is being shipped to me.
Visage Dealer Buttons & Card Protectors
This website appears to be dead as of Sept/07
The folks that brought you the Visage 300XT poker timer also make a line of Visage Dealer Buttons and
Visage Card Covers. They are made from solid billet aluminum, are 1/4 inch thick, 2 inches wide, and weigh about
30 grams, which is just right for sliding around the poker table. The engraving is CNC milled into the button and is
very detailed. The polished buttons look like stainless steel and the anodized buttons have a nice, rich color to them.
There are several different colors and styles of buttons and protectors available. Some are dealer buttons and some are card
protectors. The anodized buttons cost $24 and the polished buttons (shown on the far left) cost $27. Each button comes packaged
in it's own leather pouch.
PokerGuard.com Card Protectors
 
These card protectors from PokerGuard.com are made
using one ounce of 99.9% pure silver. They weigh about 35 grams and have the look and feel of a silver dollar. They have a very nice shine
to them that resembles silver jewelry. The entire card protector is enclosed in a clear plastic Air Tite holder. This card cover
is much nicer than what is pictured in the scanned image on the left. My scanner has difficulties scanning metallic surfaces and
the actual card guard is much finer than it looks here. The image to the right gives a truer representation of how the card
protector actually looks.
You can buy a pre-made protector or have one custom made for you. PokerGuard.com engraved my man-in-the-barrel logo on to one
side of the button and the words 'homepokertourney.org on the opposite side. The buttons weigh about 35 grams, including the Chip
Tite holder. The diameter is 44.5mm and the height is 5.75mm.
These card covers have a very distinguished look to them. I would not want to leave one lying on a public poker table unattended
because someone might scoop it up if given the chance. This is one of the more high class cards covers that I have seen.
The cost is $28 to $47 which is a good price considering the quality of the card cover ... and the fact that it contains an ounce of
silver!
MuckingSucks.com
These card covers were sent to me by MuckingSucks.com. They are 50mm (2") in
diameter, 5mm thick, and weigh 40 grams. They have a very nice feel and good balance to them. They are made of polished brass and
are hand painted with very fine detail. I like the blank areas that allows your card to be seen through the card cover. I like these
card covers, the are the perfect size and weight. They cost $17.95 each. DEAD SITE Sept/07
KardKovers.com
December 2006 - This website appears to no longer be active.
This card cover was supplied by KardKovers.com. It is made of shredded
playing cards that have been encased in an Air-Tite single chip holder. There are quite a few shreds of cards in the clear case,
so that it has a bit of a depth to it. I tried to pry the cover off but it must be glued down. This is the Royal Flush model but
they offer about a dozen different card covers of this same type.I like this card cover, it is certainly unique. It is just
large enough and heavy enough to be practical for use as a card protector. Actually, handling it is kinda addictive
and it feels good in your hands. It costs only $6.95.
Air Tite Single-chip Holder
This Single-chip Air Tite from
HoldemPokerChips.com
will hold a single 39mm poker chip such as ASM, Chipco, TR King, Paulson, etc.. If you own custom poker chips, an Air Tite makes a
great card cover/protector! It's just heavy enough and the plastic is shiny enough to create a reflection that differentiates
your chip from other poker chips on the table. It has a nice feel and weight to it. The Air Tite can also be used to showcase your poker
chips in your collection. It can be opened, with your fingernail, at the seam that runs along the rolling edge. The price is $2.49 for
a set of 5 holders.
The Air Tite will not hold most types of 40mm composite or Super Diamond poker chips. How
different poker chips fit in the Air Tite is a good indicator of how large the various poker chips are. The ASM chips fit very
snuggly, the Paulson fit almost as tight, the Chipco fits easily, and the TR King fits the loosest. NexGens and most other 11.5
to 15 gram composite poker chips do not fit. Some of the 10 gram and under composite chips do fit.
I can't wait to pull this "baby" out during my next home poker tournament! Imagine pondering a bet against me and then
looking over to see Phil Hellmuth looking back at you!
This
Phil Hellmuth Card Cover was sent to me by www.nolimitpokerstore.com. It is 57mm high, 57mm wide, 41mm deep and weighs 50 grams. It is hand painted and the
detail is quite good. You can see a grin on Phil's face like he knows that he has the best hand but will probably lose to a lucky
opponent. These mini statuettes are available in the likeness of several famous poker players and cost $15 each.
This very nice Royal Flush Money Clip was sent
to me by PokerMoneyClips.com and can also be used
as a card protector to place on your hole cards while playing poker. It does a very good job of both functions. The quality is good, it
is very sturdy and should last well as a money clip. I was unable to scratch it but didn't really try too hard. The image shown is the
actual size. It sits nicely as a card protector, it doesn't tip over or wobble but it does sit at a slight angle towards the bottom of
the cards. It's just the right size and weight for a card protector. This is probably my favorite card protector at the moment. Too bad
it doesn't say 'HomePokerTourney' on it! The cost is $23 for one money clip or $35 for two.
I've been using a plain white plastic dealer button like the one shown in the review below ... but not no more! This dealer button was
sent to me by
SB Supplies.com. The same button is also available in gold rather than white and can be seen on their website. I prefer the white and
think it would stand out better while lying on a poker table.
The insert on this button is a hard-fired Cloisonn� disk. Cloisonn� is a decorative enamel work in
which metal filaments are fused to the surface of an object to outline a design that is filled in with enamel
paste. The hard-firing makes the artwork permanent. There is no paint or other ink that may scratch or chip away over
time. The insert was perfectly centered on the base and seemed permanently affixed. I was not willing to try prying it
off because ... I want to use this baby for my own tournaments! I'll let you know if it ever comes off!
The base is an anodized aluminum disk that could not be scratched. This button is 2.5" (63.5mm) in diameter and
0.33" (8.5mm) thick. It weighs 3.5 ounces (98 grams) and has an excellent feel and balance. Each button comes in its own velvet draw-string pouch.
I really like this dealer button. It has more color than most other high quality buttons that are
available and I found that it weighed just enough to feel substantial without weighing too much.
Price: $29.99 from
SB Supplies.com (outside Europe) or
CasinoChips.dk (Europe)
These websites are no longer active
This thing of beauty has been manufactured and sent to me by Premier Poker Buttons. These buttons are laser cut and laser engraved. The
lettering is then filled with enamel paint, unlike some other buttons where the lettering is simply stenciled on top. The button looks and
feels much more substantial than what this image shows. It weighs 40 grams, is 9.5mm (0.37") thick and 69.3mm (2.75") in diameter.
Premier Poker Buttons has numerous dealer buttons, card protectors and spinners available for auction. Custom engraving is also available.
This spinner (card protector) was sent to me by Premier Poker Buttons. It has a small ball-bearing embedded into the center of the bottom enabling it to spin like
a top. Some players prefer these spinners to a regular card protector. You can spin your tensions away ... while aggravating the other players at the same time! I
had this thing sitting on my desk for a couple days but finally had to remove it due to my compulsiveness ... it's addictive.
The lettering and artwork is very nice. You tell that a lot of time and effort went into making this. The image on the left does not really do justice
to the rich colors and fine engraving. This spinner weighs 13 grams. It is 5.8mm (0.3") thick and 58.5mm (2.3") in diameter. Premier Poker Buttons
has numerous dealer buttons, card protectors and spinners available for auction. Custom engraving is also available.
Premier Poker Buttons has numerous dealer buttons, card protectors and spinners available for auction. Custom engraving is also available.
June 2008 - This website appears to no longer be active.
The Caesars Palace button has lovely graphics that stand up well under overhead lights. It is a brighter and purer white than a standard white dealer button.
'Dealer' is engraved into the plastic. The gold appears painted on but I could not scratch it with my fingernail. The bottom has no graphics and is somewhat
textured. It measures 2" (50mm) in diameter and is 1/4" (6.5mm) thick. It weighs 12.5 grams. Button provided by Poker Gaming Products. Price: $3.97
This button is a larger version of the plain white dealer button found everywhere. It is a large plastic disk with two rubber o-ring seals around the edge.
It has 'Dealer' engraved into both sides. This was the largest dealer puck that I was sent, measuring just over 3" (80mm) in diameter with the rubber
seals and 2.83" (72mm) without the seals. It is 0.71" (18mm) thick. Button provided by
Poker Gaming Products.
Price: $11.97
This black button is a much more polished version of the standard plain white dealer button. It is much more shiny and the corners are more rounded than
the standard white button. It stands out on the table better than I thought it would, contrasting nicely with my green and red tables. It looks a little
intimidating. It measures 2" (51mm) in diameter and is 1/4" (6mm) thick. It weighs 15 grams. Button provided by Poker Gaming Products.
Price: $2.97
These two dealer buttons were provided by PokerShop.dk. The stainless steel dealer button on the left is double-sided. It has a fan of cards on the reverse side so could also be used
as a nice card protector. The button looks much nicer than this scanned image. It is 50mm in diameter, 3.25mm thick, and weighs 50 grams.
The
wood dealer button on the right is 49mm in diameter, 8.4mm thick, and weighs 10 grams.
This is a typical dealer button that comes included with many poker chip sets. It is stamped plastic and measures 2" (50.81mm) in diameter and
is 0.25" (6.36mm) thick. It weighs 15 grams. It usually has 'DEALER' stamped on both sides in black, blue, or red print. This is a truly unspectacular
dealer button but certainly does the job. Button provided by
Casino Supplies Inc Price: $2
The buttons on the right are called lammers and are usually only used during non-tournament play.
These 1.25" lammers were supplied by Poker Gaming Products. Price: $1.97 per button or 5 lammers for $8.97
Dealer Buttons & Card Protectors
Dealer Button and Card Guard Links
Card Guard Gallery (Over 900 photo scans of card guards, spinners & dealer buttons)
Please Contact me if you have a dealer button or card protector link that you
would like added to this page. I will only post links to unique buttons, not the everyday plastic pucks. You may also contact
me if you wish to send a sample for review on this page.
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