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The History of Playing Cards PDF Print E-mail
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Friday, 31 October 2008 00:00


When understanding the rules of cards games, not just poker it's often useful to look back at where crads and games and rules actually came from and how they developed through the ages. To say that there is much controversy and mystery regarding the origins of playing cards would be an understatement of tremendous proportions. Even now, scholars are divided in opinion on its origins. There are so many leads that it’s hard to pin down when, where, and who invented playing cards. Here are some of the more popular theories.

The China Connection
There exists reference to a game of cards similar to the modern dominoes way back to the rule of Emperor Mu-Tsung in 969 A.D. The reference mentions the emperor playing the game on a balcony with his wife on New Year’s Eve. Also, since the Chinese invented Mahjong (a tile game that has been tied to playing cards), many scholars believe cards were first made here, and since paper was invented in China, it’s easy to assume they were the first to use cards to play games.



However, that only proves they were the first to play with cards. But to attribute the invention of playing cards to them is like saying the inventor of the ball invented all games that use balls, such as football, soccer, tennis, or basketball.

The Muslim Theory
Some claim that card playing originated from the east, where it was brought into the west by Muslim traders or otherwise brought home by soldiers who fought in the crusades. There is mention of early literary references to the game being described as invented by ‘a Saracen’, or ‘that Moorish Game’ in reference to the moors.

From Egypt to Europe
There is strong evidence that the pre-modern era playing cards may have arrived in Europe from the land of the Pharaohs, as part of tradition brought by the Mamelukes of Egypt in the late 1300. The Mameluk-ian deck contained 52 cards comprising four suits: the polo sticks, the coins, the swords, and the cups. Each suit contained ten cards and three "court" cards or “Royals” – the malik (King), the nā'ib malik (Viceroy or Deputy King), and the thānī nā'ib (Second or Under-Deputy).

A pack of Mameluke playing cards was discovered by a certain Leo Mayer at the Topkapi Palace, in Istanbul in 1939, which were dated after the 1400. These cards were used to compare to older fragments made before 1400. By the years 1367 and 1378, there were three references to playing card bans in Europe, where its use has become rampant as a gambling medium.

The four suits used today probably originated in France around the 1480s. The trèfle (club) was copied from the acorn and the pique (spade) from the leaf of the German suits. The names "pique" and "spade", however, may have derived from the sword of the Italian suits. This was also around the time that corner and edge indices enabled people to hold their cards close together in a fan with one hand whereas before, two hands were needed.



The Modern 52-Deck
The real modern cards that we know today probably came into being in the 1800s. This was when the playing cards arrived in the United States, where they became an icon and part of the west’s cowboy and saloon culture. American card historians claim that the Americans invented the Joker, and the indexes -the numbers and letters at the top-left and bottom-right of the cards.

On the other side of the ocean, British historians claim they invented the deck with reversible court cards. These were patented in 1799 by Edmund Ludlow and Ann Wilcox. This was a significant step in the evolution of cards as it negated the need to turn court cards right side up, thus eliminating the “give” or “tell.”

By all accounts, playing cards evolved in appearance from country to country and era to era. Each country influenced the cards based on their art and their culture. For example during the Renaissance, artists began painting the backs of cards with pictures and geometric shapes.

With such a rich and contentious history, the real origin of playing cards may never be fully unraveled. What is most obvious is that for each stop it has had in its history, it evolved for the better. Features were added and removed and games were invented and re-invented. Eventually, cards evolved to the form we know today, something the whole world contributed to and can enjoy.
Last Updated on Friday, 19 December 2008 18:28