Different Types of Playing Cards and How to Use Them

You may think you know all the qualities of a standard deck of cards, but did you know that many different decks vary in dimension, coloring, number of cards – and even suits?

In this blog, we will discuss the different types of playing cards and how they can be used.

Understanding the Different Types of Playing Cards

In this first section, we’ll outline decks tailored to specific games and how a deck of cards can change based on the country where it was produced.

The Standard 52-Card Deck

The most common deck of cards is the 52-card deck, which is used in popular card games, including poker, solitaire, blackjack, and more. This deck comprises 13 cards of four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) with three face cards for each suit.

Two of the most common variations are tailor-made for poker and bridge games and have dimensions that are different from a standard deck of cards. A standard playing deck card measures 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, while a bridge card is a quarter inch shorter length-wise. It’s also slightly skinnier than your average card to accommodate for a player holding up to thirteen cards in their hand. Conversely, a poker deck has cards that are a little thicker.

When someone buys a poker deck, the images and coloring differ slightly. For example, the pips on the cards, like the number “10," are slightly more prominent on poker cards, and the contrast between the card colors is a little more pronounced. The poker cards also have a darker blue and a brighter red than the standard deck.

French Playing Cards & Other International Variations

The standard deck we know today with hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds is from France. It became standardized after France developed techniques that allowed them to produce playing cards more rapidly and cheaply than other parts of Europe. However, while most card decks use French suits, they can change depending on where the deck is produced.

For instance, Spanish and Italian cards only retain one of the French suits – clubs –while they replace the other three suits with cups, coins, and swords. The Spanish also changed out the face cards, trading out the jack, queen, and king for knave, knight, and king. Germans took another approach and kept the hearts while replacing the other three suits with the more rural flavoring of acorns, leaves, and bells.

Specialty Decks & Their Uses

Beyond bridge and poker decks, other decks have very different characteristics than other more traditional decks. Euchre decks, for instance, have a significantly decreased number of cards with either 32, 28 (7’s omitted), or 24 (7’s and 8’s omitted) cards, depending on what rules are played. You must remove the two through eight ranks from each suit in a standard deck. But a Euchre deck would already have these cards removed.

Another specialty deck made for the game, Pinochle, requires an entirely custom deck. This deck includes two copies of ranks nine through Aces in each suit, thus creating a 48-card deck. And for a very different game that won’t require a custom game, you could use standard playing cards for tarot readings.

Understandably, some conversions are required with suits and numbers, but there are a surprising number of similarities between playing cards and tarot cards in terms of suits and court cards. We won’t discuss each individual conversion, but hearts are equivalent to cups, spades are swords, diamonds are pentacles, and clubs are wands when using playing cards as tarot cards.

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Collectible & Novelty Playing Cards

The next section will discuss the rise of collectible playing cards, themed decks, and custom decks made for events and branding opportunities.

The Rise of Collectible Playing Cards

Along with decks made for specific games, there are also collectible decks that are particularly appealing to collectors. These decks also usually now come with “gaff cards," which are unique cards that are blank or double-backed. Magicians often use these cards and special gimmick decks as they’re easier to use for tricks.

Fully customizable decks are the most coveted as collectibles as each and every card will have a unique look. And these limited edition decks will have bespoke artwork, luxury finishes, and rare print details. Because of this, these decks are also usually very rare.

Themed & Novelty Decks

Compared to a standard deck, a novelty deck features customized artwork but might not have the same exact details as a collectible deck. It can also have specialized pip and index designs. Often, these decks are themed around pop culture iconography, such as Star Wars, Marvel, or Disney properties.

Some of these decks may feature these characters on a standard deck of cards, but these are less often made for play than for gifting and display purposes. Depending on the type, these novelty decks can be luxury, premium playing cards with flourishes like gold foil, embossed finishes, and custom suits.

Custom Playing Cards for Events & Branding

You also may sometimes see custom playing cards made for exclusive events and branding promotions. There are dozens of websites that specialize in creating various kinds of playing cards that can be used in everything from tabletop games to being used as wedding party favors.

Various businesses will take advantage of these opportunities as they are a great way to get your name out there in a more fun way.

Ever tried playing cards online?

You’ve learned about several different kinds of decks of playing cards, from custom-made decks for certain games to decks from different countries that use entirely different suits.

There are many things to consider when choosing a deck of cards, including the game, material, and size preferences. It can be overwhelming, but you can always play classic solitaire with a digital deck for free.

Try 24/7 Solitaire today and choose from dozens of seasonal-themed decks while tracking your progress.

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.