Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games.
Contents
Description
Playing cards are typically palm-sized for convenient handling.
A complete set of cards is called a pack (UK English), deck (US English), or set (Universal), and the subset of cards held at one time by a player during a game is commonly called a hand.
Use in card games
A pack of cards may be used for playing a variety of card games, with varying elements of skill and chance, some of which are played for money (e.g., poker and blackjack games at a casino).
Other uses
Playing cards are also used for illusions, cardistry, building card structures, cartomancy and memory sport.
Front and back
The front (or "face") of each card carries markings that distinguish it from the other cards in the pack and determine its use under the rules of the game being played.
The back of each card is identical for all cards in any particular pack to create an imperfect information scenario. Usually every card will be smooth; however, some packs have braille to allow blind people to read the card number and suit.
Dedicated decks
Dedicated deck card games have sets that are used only for a specific game.
Standard decks
The cards described in this article are used for many games and share a common origin stemming from the standards set in Mamluk Egypt.
These sets divide their cards into four suits, each consisting of:
- Three face cards
- Pip (numbered) cards
History
Playing cards arrived in Europe from Mamluk Egypt around 1370 and were already reported in France in 1377.
One of the most distinguishing features of the French cards is the Queen.
Mamluk cards and their derivatives, the Latin suited and German suited cards, all have three male face cards.
Queens began appearing in tarot decks in the early 15th century and some German decks replaced two kings with queens.
While other decks abandoned the Queen in non-tarot decks, the French kept them and dropped the Knight as the middle face card.
Face card design was heavily influenced by Spanish cards that used to circulate in France.
One of the most obvious traits inherited from Spain are the standing kings.
Kings from Italian, Portuguese, or Germanic cards are seated.
Michael Dummett
Michael Dummett speculated that Ganjifa and Mamluk playing cards may have descended from an earlier deck which consisted of 48 cards divided into four suits each with ten pip cards and two court cards.
Source:
- Dummett, Michael (1980).
- The Game of Tarot.
- Duckworth. p. 41.
- ISBN 0 7156 1014 7.
See also
- Ace of spades
- Card game
- Game
- Michael Dummett
- Pip (playing cards)
- Rosenwald sheets
- Suit (cards)
- Trick-taking game
- Trump
External links
- Playing card @ Wikipedia
