Article - Fifty Two Pickup: The History of Playing Cards: Phonydiploma.com

Playing cards have become the cultural symbol of Las Vegas and gambling, of luck and fortune. However, long before sin city, playing cards were being used for many different purposes, of both entertainment and money-making ventures. The modern deck of cards is made up of 52 small, laminated pieces of thick paper, that have various symbols on them to identify the four different suites of a standard deck. When people play cards, they are dealt a certain number of cards, depending on the game that is being played; this is called a hand. Playing cards can also be used for magic tricks, building a house of cards, for board games, or casino games. These cards actually go back as far as the Tang Dynasty in China in the 9^th century, when emperors entertained themselves by playing games with hand stamped cards. Since then, these little cards have become a symbol of competition, money, and fun across the world.

Each culture uses different symbols and signs. While the United States uses the symbols of a king, queen, jack, as well as spades, hearts, and diamonds, other nations used different symbols and colors to play cards. U.S. cards use two colors in their playing cards, black and red. Islamic cards, dating back to the 15^th century, have elaborate patterns and designs, almost resembling oriental rugs. European playing cards are somewhat similar to the United States, but have variations of the traditional queen, king, and jack. The cards are often much more detailed and include a lot of symbolism, color, and some even designed to tell stories.

Not all playing cards must be used for games. Tarot cards are a type of card used, theoretically, to help tell someone’s fortune or future. These cards have long been a part of the occult, gypsy communities, and businesses who specialize in fortune telling. Each card is a symbol of future events in a person's life, and when a hand is drawn, the cards combine together to form that person’s potential future path.

Novelty decks are also used in some instances to provide entertainment, or to be a souvenir. These cards were simply meant to serve as décor items, or as a form of advertisement, and have limited value when playing a card game, but are frequently collected by card and gaming enthusiasts. In the United States, the traditional-style of playing card was especially popular in the days of the Old West, when cowboys, and outlaws alike, would gather at local bars to play a game of poker. Today, poker is one of the most popular games in the world, and even has a televised “World Series” event. Playing cards can take on many shapes, colors, designs, and forms. All over the world, these little pieces of paper have become the source of fun and enjoyment for countless people.

• History of Playing Cards – A complete history of worldwide playing cards, with pictures.

• Where Cards Began – This article describes where playing cards started & what they were used for.

• Where Did Playing Cards Come From? – Information about playing cards & their origins around the world.

• Trends of Card Games – How card games have adapted and changed over the centuries.

• European Playing Cards – Background about the popularity of playing cards in Europe and how they’ve adapted over time.

• A Playing Card History – A comprehensive resource about playing cards and what different symbols represent.

• Encyclopedia of Playing Cards – Just about every type of playing card and brand of cards can be found here.

• Tarot Cards – Some images of different tarot cards and their meanings.

• Novelty Decks – Pictures and information about varying novelty card decks.

• Courts on Playing Cards – This web page explains the different courts shown on French playing cards.