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[–] 22015316? 3 points -3 points (+0|-3) ago  (edited ago)

House of Cards continued <

Part 2 >

Two main types of card widths

Size Comparison: A four of diamonds shown in Poker size (top) and Bridge size (lower).

Card Size and Makeup: Although many novelty sized and shaped decks of cards can be found, most cards used in serious play conform to specific sizes. This is usually determined by the specific type of card being used.

Playing cards usually come in either Bridge Size or Poker size. The only difference between these two types is the actual width of the cards in the deck.

Bridge size cards are usually 3.5 inches (8.89 centimeters) in height and 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) in width while Poker size cards are also 3.5 inches in height but are slightly thinner at 2.25 inches (5.715 cm) in width.

Bridge size cards are thinner to make it easier to hold and view all of ones cards in a game where a fairly large number of cards might need to be held in the players hand (such as Bridge with 13 card hands), while Poker sized cards are wider for games with a potentially smaller number of cards in the hand (such as Poker, often consisting of 5 card hands).

Other than this size discrepancy (Bridge size cards being one half inch thinner than Poker size cards), there are no other differences between the two types and either deck type conforms to the makeup of a standard deck and can be used for any game calling for a normal deck of playing cards.

In addition, most cards are approximately .25 millimeters (.0098 inches) thick. Standard playing cards are usually manufactured from pasteboard (multiple layers of thin paper glued tightly together) and then are often coated with a thin plastic coating to help them withstand normal wear from usage.

Common Modifications to the Standard Deck

Sometimes for peculiarities of a specific game or to accommodate differing numbers of players in a game, changes are made to this standard deck by adding or removing cards from it to make a larger or smaller deck size. The following are some of the most common changes that are made to this standard deck.

Wild Cards: Many games include the addition of one or more wild cards to the deck. These are generally cards that can be used, through the course of the game to represent any other card that the holder wants it to represent (although these cards can also be given other special significance or usefulness for the holder in the game). These cards often also carry other special abilities within the game. Although any card or type of card in the standard deck can be used as a wild card, the most commonly used are the following:

A collection of Wild Cards

A variety of wild cards are commonly used in a number of games which can be used to represent other cards of the holder's choice.

Jokers: Almost every commercial deck of cards comes packaged with two additional cards as part of the pack. These are called Jokers and usually have a representation of a court jester or a similar character or emblem. They are usually marked clearly with the word "JOKER" on the sides. One or both of these Jokers are often added to the standard deck for certain games or variations of games. Most standard decks come packaged with two such jokers in the pack, in which they are normally removed unless needed for a particular game. These two Jokers are usually distinguished from each other in some manner such that each may have a different significance in the deck. This difference usually consists of one Joker being in color and the other being black and white.

Deuces: The four twos (also called deuces) are another type of card that is often used as a wild card in a number of games. When using deuces as wild cards, usually no other new cards are added to the deck but every 2 in the deck is indicated to be a wild card and these cards carry whatever special privileges are given to wild cards in that game.

Unique Face Cards: A number of the face cards have unique features which make them prime candidates for designation as a wild card in a particular game. These can include such cards as the One-eyed Royals (The Jacks of Spades and Hearts and the King of Diamonds in which the figure on the card shows just one eye from a side profile), the suicide King (the King of hearts which is pictured holding a sword behind his head) and the "man with the axe" (the King of diamonds, being the only King not holding a sword).

Others: Although those given are the most popular, there are many games which also declare other various cards within the deck to be special or wild cards. These can include things such as threes (treys), Aces, all Spades and so on. Just about any denomination or type of card can be designated as a wild card, but it should be clear and unambiguous to all players which cards these are.

Games with a larger number of players often employ two or more standard decks Multiple Decks: Many games, particularly those with a potentially larger number of players may require the use of multiple decks. This usually consists of two or more standard decks shuffled together and treated as one larger deck. In most cases these should be decks that have the same back design so as to keep all cards indistinguishable, although in some circumstances it is necessary to intentionally have the decks be of differing designs to distinguish and separate the decks throughout play of the game. Players must keep in mind the additional number of each denomination and suit of card when using such decks, as his can change their strategy considerably throughout the game. Also in these games, multiple Jokers may also be added to the combined deck to make an even larger stack.

Stripped Decks: Many games may use a smaller subset of the full, standard deck. This requires, before beginning the game, stripping the unneeded cards from the deck. This usually consists of removal of some of the smaller denominational cards in the deck (such as the 2's, 3's, 4's, etc). These cards are then set aside as they would not be used during play of the game. See the section titled "Variations of the Standard Deck", below for a specific description of some commonly used Stripped Decks.

When using secondary decks, they should have differing back designs Secondary Deck: Even for some games in which one deck is sufficient for the game to be played, it is fairly common practice to make use of a second deck of cards. Although only one deck is used at any one time in the play, the additional deck is a secondary deck. This secondary deck is usually shuffled by another specific player and set aside before the current hand begins. Then, when ready for the next hand or game, this secondary deck already shuffled is then ready for immediate cutting and dealing. Then, when the secondary deck is used in a hand, the other deck can be shuffled and set aside for the next hand. This is done to decrease the time between deals as well as speed up the general proceedings.

This is very common in tournament and partnership game settings, such as with Contract Bridge. In addition, this alternating of decks between hands also helps such that players may not remember the specific layout from a previous hand of a sloppily shuffled deck.

The decks should have differing card backs from each other to ensure the cards from each deck do not become unintentionally intermingled. The second deck is usually being shuffled by another player while the current deck is being dealt.

In partnership games, the secondary deck is usually shuffled by the current dealers partner and placed to his right such that the next dealer will have it immediately ready for the next deal. In non-partnership games, any other player can perform this shuffle.

See Part 3 >