Poker Games List

You were given an overview of some distinct types of poker in the prior article. That doesn’t cover all the various kinds of playing card decks, so here is more that you should be familiar with to complete your knowledge.

Types of poker – Transformation card decks

Transformation playing cards began to emerge at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The renowned J.G. Cotta transformation decks were the first sets of transformation playing cards to be issued. This sparked a brief but intense interest in transformation decks.

Many beautiful decks were made in this vein between the end of the 19th and 20th centuries. The popularity of these playing cards has recently seen a revival in the age of online crowdsourcing and crowdfunding.

Some old transformation decks have been republished in high-quality replica versions. At the same time, brand-new transformation decks designed by the game’s original creators have been released into the market and met with a positive reaction.

The most important feature of transformation deck is the ability to imaginatively and artistically integrate individual dots into the background design of the cards.

For instance, pips on the Six of Clubs may be reinvented as tree leaves, while the pips on the Two of Hearts could become two swans; these images could be subsets of bigger compositions that take up most of the card faces.

A traditional transformation deck of playing cards keeps the pip symbols in their original positions and shapes. However, a semi-transformation deck provides the artist with more creative freedom since the pip symbols can be moved and reshaped in any way the artist sees fit.

It is not difficult to understand that the artist is forced to work within certain constraints while creating this kind of artwork; these constraints are inherent in the medium itself.

On the other hand, this opens the door to an incredible amount of creative potential because it poses the challenge of producing something that is both original and appealing while still adhering to the parameters of the genre.

It is precisely this creative potential that contributes to the genre’s widespread appeal and success.

Souvenir card decks

This is a deck of playing cards designed specifically to be sold as a memory or souvenir to tourists or other visitors is known as a souvenir deck. They often include images taken in various locations, portraying well-known landmarks, architecture, fauna, flora, or other aspects unique to the region.

In many cases, the backs of the cards will have either a picture or some writing that conveys some aspect of the general location. After that, each card will have a unique picture or image that takes up most of the space on the card in the region.

And, it is often reserved for the primary images of the court cards and pips. These primary images would ordinarily be seen on the card.

The presence of indices on the opposing corners of the card’s case that specify the suit and value of each card ensures that the deck may still be used for its intended purpose, namely, that of a game.

Because such a deck of playing cards effectively functions as a tiny picture book by recording essential photographs of a location, it is a perfect product for visitors to buy at a souvenir store because it captures key images of the location.

Souvenir decks are not required to be based on a specific nation or location; instead, they might be designed for a place of interest, such as a zoo or theme park, or even for a significant event.

They are produced largely for the visual graphics printed on the cards rather than for extensive usage in the games played using playing cards. As a consequence of this, they are often manufactured using thin card paper, which has poor performance when it comes to handling and shuffling.

However, they are fantastic for use as novelty things, and they accomplish the objective for which they were developed, which was to serve as a piece of memorabilia.

In addition, they serve a useful purpose in that they make it possible for you to engage in card games even when you are away from home on vacation, should you so want.

Advertising card decks

The potential for using playing cards as a medium for advertising was quickly recognized by the companies that make playing cards.

Playing cards, somewhat unlike souvenir trading cards, are an excellent medium for businesses to use to advertise their enterprise or the items they sell. The history of advertising decks dates back to the nineteenth century, with some stunning surviving examples.

Due to their primary use as promotional tools, advertising playing cards are often made on the cheap rather than high quality in terms of durability or aesthetics.

However, there are a lot of well-known companies that have devoted followers. Because of this, advertising decks that include these firms or goods automatically appeal to collectors who collect memorabilia linked with those companies or items.

For instance, a deck of playing cards that pays tribute to Coca-Cola will not only appeal to those who are passionate about playing cards, but it will also have a crossover appeal to anybody interested in collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia.

The popularity of decks that depict prominent beer and liquor labels may be attributed to the same factors.

As a consequence, you will come across playing cards promoting well-known brands of alcoholic beverages, such as Jack Daniels, as well as well-known brands of motorbikes and automobiles, such as Harley Davidson and Ford.

Tarot card decks

The playing cards used in tarot readings should be included in their own category since they are often misunderstood. To start, a Tarot deck is not like a regular deck of playing cards because it contains an additional 26 cards. This is the primary distinction between the two types of decks.

In addition to the standard 22 playing cards, there are additionally 22 more cards that are referred to as the Major Arcana. Each suit contains four court cards rather than three.

The addition of these trump cards was likely what led to the development of the Tarot deck in the first place; after all, the purpose of the Tarot deck was to make playing card games more difficult, and adding these additional cards was the easiest way to do so.

Some believe that Tarot cards originated in the occult and were tied to ancient secret organizations that spread esoteric information. Some people hold this perspective, but it is not universally held.

The origin of the Tarot deck is sometimes the topic of discussion. In some theories, Tarot decks were the foundation of the modern standard playing card deck. 

However, with the release of Michael Dummett’s The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City (1980), there has been a growing agreement that Tarot decks were not employed for fortune-telling and the occult until the 18th century.

Before it was ever used for occult objectives, the “Major Arcana” was included in the standard deck of playing cards in the 15th century. At that time, it was used for trick-taking games and was always considered the strongest suit.

Tarot decks were utilized in this manner for centuries until cartomancers became enamored with them around the 18th century. This led to the Tarot decks developing a life of their own for fortune telling, as well as the artists shifting the focus of their work in a new direction.

Regardless of when or why it was decided, the number of cards in a Tarot deck is fixed. This is one of the primary ways it may be differentiated from a standard deck.

It often comes with very beautiful and visually appealing artwork, and the subject matter of the artwork frequently reflects occultic themes associated with fortune-telling.

It’s easy to understand why Tarot cards are so popular among collectors, given their unique design and aesthetic. This is true regardless of your thoughts on the cards’ origins, purpose, or historical importance.

Oracle card decks

Unlike regular decks like Tarot, there is no standard format or quantity of cards in an Oracle deck. For instance, the number of cards contained in Oracle cards’ deck might range from 12 to 100.

Other than the fact that the cards have a religious or spiritual meaning, there are no hard and fast rules regarding the composition of a deck of cards. In addition, there are no hard and fast rules about the number of cards or types of symbols that should be included in an oracle deck.

On the other hand, Oracle cards are only used for interpreting people’s destinies, in contrast to the Tarot deck, which may be used for other card games.

Cartomancy refers to divination via playing cards; the Tarot deck is now the most often utilized for this purpose. Even the most common deck of playing cards, which consists of 52 individual cards, may be used for divination and reading fortunes in certain situations.

Decks of regular playing cards have also been produced specifically for cartomancy. Some examples of these decks are the Ye Witches Fortune Cards (1896), the Kadar Fortune Playing Cards, and the Cartomancer Fortune deck.

People who are new to playing cards, or who only occasionally play poker, may only recognize the traditional Bicycle or Bee playing cards.

However, different types of poker are a colorful and amazingly vast world! They come in a wide variety of varieties and designs that can cater to more than just entertainment, magic, flower cutting, collecting, and more.

Therefore, this article will introduce you to 10 different playing card decks. Hopefully, you will be able to learn something after reading it, pique your interest in poker even more, and take the initiative to explore the endless fascination in the world of playing cards.

Types Of Poker – Standard decks

When card lovers discuss a “standard deck,” they usually have in mind a deck with a classic design. Over time, the court cards and the form and design of the pips and indices have both progressed toward being standardized.

Although the backs of the cards can be different, and both the ace of the spades and the jokers can be personalized, the majority of a standard deck will typically look the same.

With the possibility of a few minute differences, like the colors utilized for the court cards, the faces of the cards often appear precisely as you would anticipate seeing them in a standard deck designed in the Bicycle style.

Poker game players prefer reasonably conventional decks. It is acceptable for a deck of basic playing cards to come in a tuck box that has an elegant appearance and conveys an air of complexity and style as a result of embossing and foil accents.

However, the playing cards themselves must be able to fulfill their intended purpose and be easily identifiable in order to be used in games. In most cases, the ideal tool for the job is a regular deck of playing cards, the kind that comes with indexes and suits that are easily discernible.

Most performers believe that working with a normal deck is the best option since they do not want their audience distracted by intricate artwork or difficult-to-read pips and indices.

In addition, the sleight-of-hand abilities that they have acquired will frequently make stunts seem more difficult and miraculous if the deck of playing cards that they are using seems to be conventional in every regard.

This is because the sleight of hand skills allow them to manipulate the cards in a way that is invisible to the naked eye. We may thus anticipate that conventional decks will continue to be attractive for card games and card magic, despite the popularity achieved with personalized playing cards.

Game decks

Many popular card games can be played using a conventional deck of playing cards; however, some standard decks have been modified to make them more suitable for play.

In most instances, this is little more than assigning point values to individual cards. A prime illustration of this would be the card game Canasta, which rose to prominence in the 1950s. Canasta card sets often include two decks, and the point totals on the point-scoring cards are written right to make the game more user-friendly.

Alternatively, in the card game Euchre, players don’t need almost a whole deck to take tricks. Usually, you’ll find enough cards for two games of Euchre in a standard deck, plus some extras that can be used for scoring.

Wizard is another highly popular trick-taking game. It is a regular deck with some modest adjustments to include specialized Wizard and Jester cards. These cards are what set Wizard apart from other trick-taking games.

On the other hand, the traditional card game Pinochle needs a specially constructed deck since it uses two copies of each card from 9 through Ace in each suit, resulting in 48 cards in the deck.

These are also available on their own, although given the unconventional make-up of the cards, they cannot be considered a regular deck of playing cards anymore.

Cardistry decks

Card flourishing has been in use for some time, and performers have been using it for a long time. Cardistry, on the other hand, has evolved an autonomous life alongside and apart from card magic over the last decade, and it is quickly establishing its credibility as an art form in its own right.

Cardistry is a card juggling style performed for an audience. It can be roughly characterized as the performance art of card juggling. Cardistry often includes an individual making visually attractive cuts, twirls, spins, and other moves with a deck of cards.

Cardistry is seeing explosive growth, particularly among younger people, due largely to the proliferation of social media platforms and the ease with which anyone can now upload and distribute films online.

Cardistry, on the other hand, has led to the development of a unique deck made specifically for the art. Because of the emphasis on appearance, a deck with vibrant colors and eye-catching patterns will provide the best results while cardistry is performed. Since that, decks tailored and built expressly for cardistry were eventually developed.

Due to the widespread popularity of cardistry, decks of playing cards that focus only on visual aesthetics rather than a practical utility for games and card magic quickly found a willing consumer base. Although some cardistry decks are designed to be multipurpose (for both games and magic), their main function is to be aesthetically pleasing.

Usually, a cardistry deck would need the absolute greatest level in terms of quality and performance. It will contain a design and pattern that appears amazing while the cards are being handled.

This is because cardistry relies heavily on visual illusion. There are also cardistry decks where both sides of every card are the same, eliminating the need for pips and indices.

Gaff decks

There are decks designed specifically for magicians, just as cards designed specifically for gamers. Since USPCC provides a 56-card deck as a standard when printing, it means that there are two more cards in addition to the Jokers and the deck itself.

Card magicians utilize these cards for card magic, thus creating specific Gaff decks. Sometimes these may be a deck containing individual gaff cards meant to be used independently, such as a double backer or blank card.

Other times, though, they will be more sophisticated than that. A gaff deck can be completely made up of gaffed cards, also frequently referred to as “trick decks”. These decks allow you to do things you wouldn’t be able to accomplish with a standard deck.

Vintage decks

Collectors who are serious about their profession will often be cautious to differentiate between the terms “antique” and “vintage.”

The term “antique” can refer to anything over a hundred years old. However, the word “vintage” is far more versatile. It can be used to refer to anything that is from a previous generation or historical period.

A deck considered to be vintage originates from a time period that has since passed. Playing cards are a product designed to be utilized rather than maintained; as a result, the vast majority of pre-World War II decks have been destroyed or are in very poor condition when they are discovered nowadays.

Since these decks are so rare and valuable, the marketplace for them commands prices much beyond what the normal card collector would spend.

On the other hand, only because a deck has a vintage aesthetic does not imply that it is of a certain age. Some beautiful and eye-catching decks give off the impression of being quite worn and outdated. However, they are composed of brand-new playing cards of very good quality.

This could be accomplished by utilizing a graphic design that gives the cards the appearance of being damaged on purpose or having an antique appearance. Sometimes, these are precise reproductions of well-known decks from the past.

On other occasions, however, the decks have been digitally manipulated to give the impression of having been used for a long time.

This was accomplished by using a creative license to produce an item that only gives the impression of having been used for a long time. In any instance, many of these contemporary decks are aptly referred to as “vintage decks.”

They have the appearance that they have been transported into the current day directly from an earlier era. However, they are still high-quality items that feel amazing and perform well.

The popularity of poker cards as a pastime is very high and has penetrated into every household. The randomness and unpredictability of the combinations between different cards can make players feel very excited. 

You may have more or less mastered the poker rules. However, do you know what is poker exactly?

History Of Playing Cards: Why Were Playing Cards Invented?

There are many different opinions about the origin of poker cards, but three main accepted ones are as follows:

1. Playing cards were probably first introduced to Europe by Venetian merchants.
2. The predecessor of playing cards is the leaf play in the Southern Song Dynasty of China.
3. India is more likely to be the origin of poker cards than China because the early European Tarot cards are somewhat related to Hindu mythology.

Although their origins vary, they all share a common feature, agreeing that playing cards were originally identified as “game coins” used as wagers in other gambling games, before slowly becoming a game in its own right. 

What’s more, a link between poker and the games of chess or dice has also been suggested, but this is also speculative.

Suit: What’s In a Deck Of Cards？

The internationally used playing cards are divided into four suits: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs. In different countries, the design of the four suits of poker card games varies:

• France: Hearts, Tiles, Clovers, Pikes;
• Germany: Hearts, Bells, Acorns, Leaves;
• Switzerland: Roses, Bells, Acorns, Shields;
• Italy/ Spain: Cups, Swords, Coins, Clubs.

There are also many arguments as to why these four patterns should be used as the poker suits. Two of the more concentrated statements are following:

1. They show the four main trades of the society at that time, in which the spade represents the spear and soldier; the club represents the trefoil and agriculture; the diamond represents the brick and tile used by craftsmen; and the heartrepresents the red heart and the priest.
2. They come from the drawings of the artifacts used in ancient European divination, in which the spade represents the olive leaf and peace; the club is a clover, meaning luck; the diamond is symbolizing wealth; and the heart symbolizes wisdom and love.

Number Of Poker Cards: Why Are There 52 Cards In a Deck?

The number of cards in the earliest card deck varies from place to place. Italy is 78 cards, Germany is 32 cards, Spain is 40 cards, France is 52 cards, etc.

Among them, the 52 cards represent the 52 weeks of the year, and the spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds represent the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Each pattern has 13 cards, shows a season of 13 weeks (about equal to three months). The number of ranks for each pattern (1-13) adds up to 91 points, and each season is also 91 days. 

The K, Q and J have 12 cards, indicating both that there are 12 months in a year and that the sun passes through 12 constellations during the year.

The two jokers were invented by the Americans, where the Red Joker indicates the day and the Black Joker means the night. In addition, the playing cards have only red and black colors. 

So far, the international common 54 playing cards are basically finalized. Some custom playing cards, will also add one or two “advertising cards” in a deck of cards.

Why are there jokers in a deck of poker cards?

The concept of these two cards was based on the trick card game Euchre, when some players changed the rules to require an card in addition to the 52 standard cards. 

As a result, an “trump card” was created and used as an extra card, or even as a replacement for a lost card. Due to the popularity of the Euchre, American card manufacturers soon joined the trend and started producing this poker with extra cards. 

It wasn’t long before the card became known as the “Jolly Joker” – because it could be played as a “wild card” in many games, which is very surprising and deceptive to play.

Rank: Deck Of Cards Symbols

The rank is also known as face value or points, and the order of poker cards is based on the number of points, except for aces and twos, which are slightly controversial. The number of rank 1-5 is called wheelcard, rank 3-10 is called spotter, and rank 1-10 is called whiteskin.

JQK, which are bigger than 10 points, are called Face Cards, Royal Cards or Court Cards. The origin of the latter two expressions goes back to the prototype of the 12 JQKs in four suits. Among them, K are four important kings, Q are four famous queens, and J are four legendary knight of great merit.

Who are the JQKs in poker cards?

The king of clubs is Alexander the Great, the most powerful military commander in European history, who established his dominance over all of Greece and then destroyed the Persian Empire. His clothes were always worn with jewels equipped with crosses, and his hair was curled outward.

The king of diamonds is Julius Caesar, the rightful uncrowned king of the Roman Empire. Since Julius Caesar is depicted in profile on the coins of the Roman Empire, he is the only profile portrait on the King’s Card.

His hair is curled inward, and he is the only one inside holding a battle axe instead of a sword – a symbol of power in Rome.

The king of hearts was Charlemagne, who controlled most of Europe. The emperor is described as a six-meter-tall giant whose hair curls inward and holds his sword behind his head.

He is the only king card without an upper row of beards, because the carpenter who first carved his portrait accidentally scraped off the beard on his upper lip. And all the later king of hearts are based on this painting as a specimen.

The king of spades is King David, who is described as the most righteous of all the ancient kings of Israel, and was an excellent warrior, musician and poet. 

According to the Bible, Jesus was a descendant of David, and since David was good at playing the lyre, the king of spades often has a harp on it.

The queen of clubs is called Argine, which is not a real character. Her name originates from the European Scrabble game, which was recombined to become Argine.

Legend has it that the Lancaster royal family in England was symbolized by the red rose, and the York royal family was symbolized by the white rose. 

After the Battle of the Roses, the two royal families reconciled and tied their roses together. So this queen is holding a rosebud in her hand.

The queen of diamonds is called Rachel, the second and favorite wife of Jacob (the ancestor of the Jews). She was originally a shepherdess, with a beautiful and lovely figure, holding a flower in her hand as well.

The queen of hearts was Judith, a beautiful widow of the ancient Hebrews. It was saying that when the Assyrian army invaded the Hebrew region, she seduced the Assyrian general Holofemes, killed him in his tent while he was drunk and asleep. 

Then she cut off his head, causing the Assyrian army to flee in terror, thus saving Bethulia.

The queen of spades is Eleonor, the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. Leopold married this German princess as a way to stop the German nobility’s attempts to gain independence from the Empire. She is the only one to hold a weapon.

The jack of clubs is Sir Lancelot Du Lac, the first warrior in King Arthur’s Round Table. His love affair with Queen Gwynevere led to a war between him and King Arthur. He was gentle, and quite brave, and helpful.

The jack of diamonds is Hector, the first warrior of Loti, known as “The Walls of Troy”. Finally, he fought with Achilles and died in the hands of his opponent.

The jack of hearts is La Hire, an attendant of Charles VII le Victorieux. Also, he was a French military commander in the Hundred Years’ War and Jeanne d’Arc’s right-hand man, who was very resourceful.

The jack of spades is a Czech nobleman, AEW von Wallenstein, who fought in many wars and won many victories in commanding Catholic armies against Protestants.

What Types Of Poker Are There?

There are a great amounts of poker cards, from the famous classics to the emerging variants, which vary in style, length and complexity of play. 

Among them, texas holdem poker, madison deck, star wars playing cards, kem playing cards, harry potter playing cards and nintendo playing cards are arguably the six most popular types of playing cards.

To sum up, poker is the crystallization of human wisdom, but also the product of human recreation and entertainment. It relaxes the mind and body to a certain extent and makes people spiritually happy.

But on the other hand, it is the condensation of human greed and darkness and a symbol of gambling. And in modern times, more often than not, playing cards are used as a custom artwork, or advertising and marketing tool. 

If you have your own creative ideas for playing cards, we can help you really make it happen!