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Casino cards |
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Thursday, November 20th 2008 |
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History of casino cards
Casino cards appear in the life of Europeans in the mid 1500s. There are several variants of how the cards could appear - by the means of a traveler who brought the idea to the continent from Asia and manufactured similar cards, a group of travelers which simply took a card deck with them and showed it to others and Saracens who brought cards to Europe and introduced it themselves.
In fact the history of card playing begins in the 10th century in China. First cards were paper dominoes which were shuffled and dealt by the Chinese in new games. Four-suited decks with court cards evolved in the Moslem world and were imported by Europeans before 1370.
First cards in Europe were hand-painted and only the very wealthy could afford them, but with the invention of woodcuts in the 14th century, Europeans began mass-production, so the card games become available to commons.
The modern design of the card first appeared in France - just from there we have the suits of spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds. These symbols simplified the production and allowed to increase the volume of export.
Americans weren't aside the process. They made some very important innovations in the deck. Though they began to make their own cards only in the beginning of the 19th century, they invented some very useful features. First, they changed cards from one-faced to two-faced court cards to avoid the nuisance of turning the figure upright. Second thing - varnished surfaces for smoothness and durability. Third thing were indexes in the corner for better identifying of the cards. Fourth is rounded corners - it was more convenient.
Without a doubt, a great achievement was implementing of Joker card in the deck, done by Americans. It appeared approximately in 1870 and was regarded the highest card in the deck, being called "Best Bower". Then it transformed into the "Juker card" and finally in the Joker. A usual image on the card was clown, jester or a jocular imp. Of course, in different decks where the real faces were drawn on the surface, it could become a real face.
The backs of the cards served several goals too. They were land for promoting ideas, products, depicted famous landmarks, showed self-expression of the people who produced them, described different events.
The Bicycle became a symbol of very high-quality cards. The idea was presented at the end of the 19th century and became popular. Even now the back with a rider is still produced and remains the symbol of quality and is said to be world favorite playing and casino card.
Modern versions of cards
Good player never plays any card deck he sees. He chooses the best for playing. Here you will find basic analysis of the main card types. First and main division in the cards is plastic and plastic coated types of cards. They are different by durability and quality. Plastic coated cards are simple paper cards coated in plastic, so they don't live as much as totally plastic cards. They are good for several tournaments but not for years. Below you will find a brief description of both types.
Paper (or coated plastic) cards are manufactured by Bicycle, Bee, Tally-ho, Aviator, WPT, WSOP companies. They are made from a paper with plastic covering. They are cheap and cost only a couple of dollars per deck. The great disadvantage is that they are not long-lasting and tear, become grease, ripped and chipped - not good, eh? They cannot be washed, are easily marked with anything and are to be changed in case of spoiling by a beer. Though, they are good for one tournament - if you play rarely, they are what you need.
Plastic - real plastic - cards are much more long-lasting and have higher durability. They don't tear, become grease or rip as plastic-coated. They can be easily washed when they become dirty and stick together. Even if you spoil your beer on the cards - nothing terrible! Simply use the cloth and they're still in the game! KEM Cards, Royal, A Plus Cards, COPAG, Gemaco, Dal Negro and others manufacture them. They cost $4-12 per deck. As for game qualities, they are easier to shuffle and play, harder to mark and smudge. They keep the form much better than paper cards and slide much easily. To tell the truth, from a point of economy, the plastic cards are better - they save your money in long-term period.
Next difference is the size of the card. It can be 2.5" or 2.25" and are called Wide (or poker) and Bridge size cards. Majority of the casinos use bridge cards for they are easier to use and shuffle. If you have a small hand you will probably use bridge cards, but many players prefer poker cards - they are more 'weighty'.
Next distinction is index size - magnum, large or standard. Large index cards have easier-to-read and larger numbers and suits than standard cards. Magnum index cards have even larger numbers than Large Index cards. Decide what you like to play with and enjoy the type you like more.
Last tip that I can give to you is about storage of the cards. Store your cards in a consistently dry and cool environment. Best thing is to place a cut card and small weight on top of decks of stored playing cards to prevent warping or bowing. It is not recommended to leave your cards in a hot car or exposed to direct sunlight.
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