Playing card

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A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. These cards are typically palm-sized for convenient handling and are used for playing a variety of card games, performing magic tricks, for cardistry, and for building card structures.

History

The origin of playing cards is not definitively known, but they are believed to have been invented in China during the Tang dynasty. They spread to Persia and India and then to Europe in the late 14th century. The earliest European cards were hand-painted works of art, making them luxury items for the rich.

Types of Playing Cards

Playing cards come in various types, including:

• Standard 52-card deck
• Tarot cards
• Uno cards
• Pinochle cards

Standard 52-Card Deck

The most common type of playing card deck is the standard 52-card deck, which includes:

• Four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades
• Thirteen ranks in each suit: ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, and king

Uses

Playing cards are used in a variety of ways:

• Card games: such as poker, bridge, and solitaire
• Magic tricks: used by magicians to perform illusions
• Cardistry: the performance art of card flourishing
• Card structures: building structures out of cards

Related Pages

• Card game
• Tarot card
• Magic (illusion)
• Cardistry
• House of cards