Forty-Eight (card game layout)

This article describes card games based on sets of forty-eight cards.

Forty-eight, Four, and Two

A standard deck of fifty-cards may be thought of as:

• A set of forty-eight cards
• A set of four cards
• A set of two cards

Forty-eight

Forty-eight is a useful number for four-player (and two-player) games:

• Forty-eight is evenly divisible by 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24.

Four

Four is useful: the number of players. (Two-player is a variant, not discussed here.)

Two

Two left over: traditionally, the Jokers.

Jokers are actually used in some games.

I suppose the Jokers have a historical function as backup cards, to stand in for missing or damaged cards.

• The traditional sticks-based I Ching calls for a bundle of 50 sticks:
  • One is set aside.
  • Forty-nine are used in divination.

See also

• Card game
• Game design
• Games by Karl Jones and Friends