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Betting has always been, and likely always will, be a part of human culture. From the earliest civilizations to the modern day age of technology, people from all walks of life bet with cards, slots, dice, and traditional game pieces every day. Arguably the most popular form of risk gaming has always been card games. Hold’em, Blackjack, and a whole list of others have been made household words, and just about every desk drawer from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Las Vegas, Nevada contains a deck of playing cards. But where did this concept of card games come from, and how did it get to where it is today?
This answer takes us all the way back to 10th century China. China is the oldest civilization in Asia and historians believe it to be the birthplace of the playing card. However these archaic cards didn’t look like the familiar modern-day version we are used to seeing. These cards were in the shape and appearance of dominoes and obviously lacked the royal suits.
The next landmark in gaming card history comes from the Muslims. Around 1300 playing cards had one of a kind hand painted works of art on them and were only affordable to the very wealthy and royalty classes of people.
Moving along to 1400, the Europeans got a hold of the game and added the royal suits in honor of their monarchy system. They even started making creative and outlandish cards with wood carvings on them! At this point in time, the world was still yet to see cards with the suits of today.
Probably the single most important innovation in playing card development came from the French. They standardized the game by giving cards the suits of hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. This new standard in card gaming became so popular that it has stuck around to modern times. In fact, today, one would have to go to great lengths and probably outer corners of the earth to find a deck of cards that does not use this format. The second important contribution from the French was the mass-production of playing cards. They were the first to print them on very cheap cardstock, making them affordable for the first time to the mass public.
Cards came to America around the 1800s. It didn’t take long before the craze caught on. Western America was the first to catch the betting fever. Many disagreements, issues and deals were settled in saloons over games of cards. A little known fact about cowboys and mavericks is that many of them actually made their living perfecting the many card games and winning bets. Soon, taverns and saloons began advertising card games along with liquor as their premiere forms of entertainment, and America was hooked.
Americans could not embrace the new form of entertainment without innovating on it, however. It was in America where cards first got their rounded edges, the twin headed image and the lacquer finish. These changes were made in order to make shuffling easier to perform.
Moving closer to modern times, advertising became enmeshed with playing cards. Businessmen began printing advertisements on the backs of cards to help try and sell their goods or services. These were the earliest form of business cards.
Have you ever wondered why you see so many decks of cards known as “Bicycle Cards?” The popular brand of cards stems from the mind of a company known as Russell and Morgan. Around this time, vicycles had just been invented and were all the rage in America. When contemplating a brand name, Russell and Morgan decided to name their cards after this fad.
Today, playing cards are enjoyed by boy scouts, grandparents and children, teenagers and adults, from picnic tables to the gaming oases everywhere from the east to west coast. Whether you play for fun or for money, as a career or an amateur, card games are an excellent way to pass the time.