Friday 7 September 2012

The Playing Cards We Love And Enjoy So Much

By Wicky Benad


There is more to playing cards than meets the eye. Others easily dismiss it as a tool for recreation or, simply, a toy that is used when one is bored or simply need something to pass the time with. But do we know all there is to know about playing cards?

The playing cards now a days could either be made from special heavy paper that is like a thin cardboard, or with a plastic coating. Some are even made from pure plastic. Typically sized to fit the palm of the hand when playing, each playing card has one side with a unique distinguishing mark while the other side, the back, has identical designs for that particular deck. The 52 cards in one deck of playing cards is divided equally into four suits, namely: spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs.

According to history, the playing cards were 'born' sometime during the 9th century, in the Tang Dynasty in ancient China. Card games were also said to have originated in the same era by the Chinese. The faces of the cards were soon designed with characters from popular novels during the Ming dynasty.

The 14th century rolled around and the playing cards rolled into Europe as well. Instead of book characters, the designs were abstract and the names were that of military officers. There were 52 cards in each deck of these so-called Mameluke decks. The four suits in the deck include polo sticks, coins, swords, and cups.

The evolution also applied to the technology or tools used in making these cards. It wasn't until the 15th century when printed woodcut decks were used to decorate fabric and transfer to printing paper. Soon, in the 1430s, engraving was also incorporated in the manufacture of these cards.

It was in France in 1480 when the familiar suits ' spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs ' were introduced. Images and drawings of European royalty were also used in the design. It's a design styling that is clearly apparent in today's modern playing cards.

It is a fact that in some places, their card games are unique and all their own. As a result, they need decks of cards that fit those games. The Italians have a deck of cards that only has 40 pieces because it fits the regional games such as Scopa or Briscola. Some countries still cling to traditional designs in their decks of playing cards. The traditional Spanish deck, for instance, makes use of Latin in its suit symbols.

Now, of course, we can have our own personalized playing cards, thanks to modern technology and the advanced tools that have been developed. Customized designs such as personal photograph or any other image we fancy can be printed on the cards. Not only is it a good way to personalize the playing experience, it will also make the game much more fun.

You will be surprised to discover just how versatile these playing cards are. There are a lot of card games that you can play so you will never be bored. If you have a customized design, you will definitely enjoy the card games even more.




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