You should know how to play cards already. They have been present for millennia. A contemporary card deck is simplistic but able to adapt. A deck of cards will never fail to amaze us, whether it’s for online casino gaming like blackjack or doing card tricks! You know very little about playing cards, don’t you? There are some intriguing facts that you may not be aware of. Continue reading to learn some of the most fun facts about cards.
The first playing cards were invented in an unexpected location
Do you know where the original decks of cards originated from? Perhaps you should reconsider. We will acknowledge that our first estimates were incorrect. The first decks of cards were created in China in the ninth century. At least, that’s what the majority of academics insist on. The earliest printed playing cards, according to popular opinion, emerged in China as well, in the style of a 32 domino card deck imprinted on wood, bone and paper. Cards are said to have expanded slowly over India, Egypt, and Persia before reaching Europe, enabling a wider range of variants.
There is a reason why a deck of cards has 52 cards
Have you ever pondered why a deck of cards has 52 cards? It wasn’t always like this. Decks have had varied card variants (36, 40, 48) and virtually every number in between throughout the ages. However, 52 beat the remainder of the pack to earn the most popular position and widely used deck size in many parts of the world.
Nobody knows for certain why this is the case. There are other competing hypotheses, but French and British colonisation is most likely to blame, as it allowed the normal French deck size of 52 cards to proliferate all over the world.
Early cards included no female characters
The queen, or just about any female character, did not appear in the earliest card decks. The majority of the characters were monarchs, knights, and knaves. These later transformed into Jacks. Female figures first appeared in French decks in the fifteenth century.
The calendar is symbolised by cards
According to one fascinating hypothesis, the number of cards in a deck is said to correlate to the total of weeks in a year. The two colours — red and black — are said to signify day and night, while the 4 outfits are said to symbolise the 4 seasons. It becomes stranger when you realise that each suit has 13 cards, one for each lunar cycle, plus 12 court cards, one for each month of the year. Additionally, if all the signs in a deck are added together, there are 365.
Royalty on cards
Do you realise that the King and Queen cards are all modelled after historical aristocracy? Yes, you read that correctly. Monarchs in the United Kingdom and France employed unique designs in their card decks. The 4 strong monarchs are shown on the King ones: Alexander the Great (Clubs), Caesar (Diamonds), Charles (Hearts) and David (Spades). The Queen ones also include well-known royalty such as Rachel, Pallas, Judith and Argine.
The Queen’s common misconception
The majority of people think that Queen Elizabeth I is the queen of Hearts’ face. We can’t deny that the two have a remarkable similarity. However, this is a frequent misunderstanding regarding this card. Queen Elizabeth I was born in 1533 whereas the Queen of Hearts was present before her. The queen of hearts card is based on Queen Judith, quite contrary to this popular belief.
Plastic cards are used to ensure the casino’s security
Whenever it relates to casino card decks, you may note that they have a distinct feel. This is because they are entirely made of plastic. This is attributed to the reason that it allows for longer card dealing in games like blackjack or poker before the cards get weary, filthy, and dog-eared. Which in turn helps the players in shuffle tracking or card counting strategies. Such strategies help the players to bring the blackjack house edge down by a significant amount, which may not be as beneficial to the casinos in the longer run. Plastic cards make it more difficult for players to employ any cheating techniques.
Card maker dominating the market
Currently, the United States Playing Card Company is the largest manufacturer of playing cards in the world. It employs approximately 700 people and generates as many as 100 million cards annually. This is greater than 5 billion single playing cards – nearly as many as there are humans on the globe.
Cartamundi, a Belgian firm, makes a competing claim to be the world’s largest card producer. However, they produce a broader range of card games than the USPCC does.
Card battles
Is it true that playing cards had a big part in the Vietnam War? Several tales are circulating that say they did. As per the historians, the Vietnamese were extremely superstitious of the Ace of spades, believing it to be a portent of death. Once the USPCC in Cincinnati learned about this, they began creating custom decks of cards that had only 52 numbers of Aces of spades. To implant terror in the enemy forces, they dispatched the packs to American soldiers, who then left them on the corpses of dead soldiers and dispersed throughout the fields and jungles.
Casino cards necessitate a high level of protection
As we previously stated, any flaws in a deck of cards might reveal a lot to keen-eyed gamers. This implies that several safeguards protect casino cards. This contains bigger signs and symbols so that surveillance cameras can catch any questionable activity. Before getting reshuffled, pit supervisors and dealers must sign off on new cards. Whenever a pack of cards is ultimately discarded, each card must be numbered and reported for before being burned or marketed with deliberate flaws to prevent them from being traced back to the casino. Of course, you do not have to worry about this while playing online blackjack.
Conclusion
That’s all there is to it! Aren’t these fascinating and fun facts about playing cards? We think that by learning more about them, you will be able to see them in a new light. Perhaps you can use these facts to demonstrate your card expertise to your friends or relatives when playing a game of blackjack or poker. Have fun gaming!
