History of Card Games

The history of card games does not follow a simple and linear path as with many other hobbies and arts.

History of Card Games
The origins of playing cards and games are lost to history. Evidence exists today that indicates that the Chinese were using playing cards that resembled dominos by the 10^th century, but so far, experts have not found any hard evidence of earlier card games.

The history of playing cards next travels to the Middle East during the 1200's. It was here that four suited cards developed. However, the suits were not as we know them now. Rather, the suits were coins, cups, swords and polo sticks.

By 1370, playing cards had emigrated from the Middle East to Europe. However, card games were still a rich man's pastime. Cards were individually hand painted, so only the very wealthy could afford them. It wasn't until woodcut printing was developed in the early 1400's, followed by stenciling in the mid-1400's, that playing cards became affordable to the masses. The French developed the suits that we use today in 1470, although it would be quite some time before the French form became universally accepted.

Controlling the Rise of Playing Cards
As playing cards became more accessible, states tried to control those who played card games. For example, the city of Florence tried to stop city dwellers from playing the gambling game, naibbe, in 1376. Englishmen could only play cards during the 12 days of Christmas, according to a decree issued by the parliament of King Edward the IV of England.

It wasn't only the governments that were concerned with card games. The Church targeted cards at various times, and not only to their congregations. For example, the Synod of Langres forbade priests from playing dice, backgammon and card games in 1404. For approximately the next hundred years, the Church not only hosted card burning bonfires, but its religious leaders delivered flaming sermons on the ills of cards and gambling.

The Pilgrims tried to prevent the emigration of gambling and card games to the New World and lost. For one thing, Native Americans were already playing gambling games when the new immigrants arrived. For another, it is extremely difficult to legislate morality. By the late 1600's, cards and gambling were entrenched in America.

The United States brought their own contributions to playing cards. It was here that the joker was invented in the 1860's as an extra trump card for game Euchre. Originally called the Best Bower, the joker eventually became standard in card decks that use the French format.