Playing Cards

games · history · skill

Made from special paper. Playing cards are cut from thick paper, cardboard, or plastic that's been coated to make them smooth and easy to shuffle. The coating protects them from wear and keeps them from bending too easily.

Decorated front and back. Each card has a unique design on one side (called the face) and usually a matching pattern on the back. The designs help you identify each card and make them pretty to look at.

Perfect hand size. Playing cards are designed to fit nicely in your palm so you can hold a bunch of them comfortably. This makes them easy to shuffle, deal, and hold during games.

Used for way more than games. While people mostly use cards to play games like poker or solitaire, magicians use them for tricks, athletes practice throwing them for fun, and some people build impressive card towers or collect rare decks.

Come in complete sets. Cards are sold together in a deck or pack, usually with 52 cards plus a few extra called jokers. Having a full set means you have everything you need to play almost any card game.