For many of us, the joker seems to be the most useless card in a deck. In most cases, it is omitted – many games don’t require its usage. However, the card still exists and is included in almost all decks.
The joker is undoubtedly the most mysterious card. Its symbol is widely used in other decks, not only in playing cards. For example, it has an important meaning in the Tarot. The joker embodies the concept of secrecy and a person who changes various masks during life. It is also tightly associated with poker – the game which has become extremely popular in the modern world, according to poker news online.
Jokers in cards – fundamental facts about the card
A common and the most widespread deck consists of fifty-two cards. Jokers are additional cards to this number. It isn’t marked by any suits which are clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades. A traditional system of cards includes two jokers and very often people don’t know how to apply it and just put the joker aside. In addition to this, some of them misallocate it and even substitute defective cards with it.
It plays the role of the wild card in many games or other cards that can perform different functions. It goes without saying that the joker is a significant item in any card system. Let’s find out more about its origin to understand its essence better.
The history and origin of the card
The history of all cards in a whole is very interesting and the joker has much in common with it. The first appearance of this card was recorded in 1860. Experts proved that the card was originated from an old game – euchre. Some euchre players decided to alter its rules and add a new type of card to it. They needed a card that could have a high value. The card was named “joker” and quite quickly entered the gambling world. The manufacturers from the United States began to produce decks which included it as well. That is why experts say that this country is the founder of the joker card. Researchers also say that the joker card is actually the combination of two different cards – the jack of clubs and the empty card.
If to dig deeper into details, one can find many curious facts about the joker. For example, it was revealed that the character became the prototype for a famous comic book hero – Batman. Of course, it is rather difficult to find common traits between a brave superhero who protects his city from evil people and a clown. Nonetheless, this figure inspired the creators of Batman and not only them. Joker, as a person, began to appear in movies and other videos. The cinematography used this character many times. His mysterious spirit and charisma attracted a lot of creative people.
As for the resemblance of the joker with the Tarot’s character, a lot of controversies surround this topic. Some experts are sure that the “fool” in this divination card has almost the same roots as the joker. On the other hand, disproof also exists. The Tarot system of cards includes the juggler – the card featuring a magician. This card has many similarities with the fool but the latter is closer to the joker than the former.
It is important to mention that the joker has gone under many transformations from the very beginning. The first one was connected with its name. It was entitled as the Best Bower and then its name was changed to the modern one – the joker. However, players of those times often called it “jolly joker”. In addition to this, it was stated in some researches that the word “joker” originated from “jucker” (which is the German word for euchre). This assumption hasn’t been proved by any historical facts yet. Other changes are directly connected with its appearance. We will discuss it in the next section.
Visual representation of the joker
Not only the concept of the joker but its visual overview as well has many enthralling facts to consider. Much time had passed before the symbol got the modern image. During the first period, when companies began to produce the joker cards, their appearance differed a lot, and this tendency survived to this day. Many companies created cards with peculiar to their brand pictures of the joker.
For instance, they added a brand logo, or other elements defining the sphere of their business operation: buildings, plants, etc. Notwithstanding its continuous evolution at the early stages and modern changes, the joker still has some basic traits which are usually depicted on the card.
A typical joker is a man dressed in a costume of a clown who can keep various entertaining tools in his hand. In most cases, the joker has a fool cap with bells on its ends. The joker’s costume is always colorful but some designers picture the character in black and white. Some decks have jokers of different colors: red and black. The clown can be depicted at full length or up to the waist. It can have various face expressions: from gloomy and evil to smiling and laughing. Players can frequently meet the joker cards with the “j” letter in the corner that is the index of this kind. Here are Mike Postle’s poker hacks which can help to understand the joker and other cards better.
Modern publishers from every corner of the world have own vision as for the joker representation. Usually, companies put a trademark on their images. As the joker symbol is becoming more and more popular nowadays, its variations appear at a rapid-fire pace. Contemporary artists who are fond of card games, do amazing paintings of this charismatic man. However, nothing can be better than the unusual works of the artists who were living during the 1860s: they featured the joker in his childhood and it looked very exciting.
The joker in playing cards: what games to play with it?
No matter how useless the joker card seems to us, it has wide applications in some games. First of all, it should be mentioned that its usage varies greatly. The card is cross-functional and can play many roles. You can find it in such games:
- euchre;
- poker;
- canasta;
- chase the joker;
- go fish;
- and many more.
Let’s consider some of them in detail. Of course, we will start with poker which is one of the most commercially interesting games. When we read, for example, Rick Salomon’s real biography, and find out about his net worth, it often motivates us to learn poker rules. The joker is an important card in this game because it has the function of the wild card. What does it mean? It is the card that can serve as another one basing on peculiar terms. However, the joker isn’t included in the Texas Hol’em poker version.
The father of the card, euchre, uses it as the biggest trump in a set called “Top Bower”. In canasta, the joker can be both: the deuce or the wild card. The discrepancy is only in the number of scores a player gets. Another unusual game to play with the joker is go fish. It is frequently played between two people but up to ten players are also allowed to take part in it. The joker’s role here is to complete the number of cards in order to get 27 in total.
In the game called “war”, the joker is used by players as a more valuable card than others. Crazy eights capacitate the joker for making a player cancel his turn if a previous person uses the card. The Spades game has several possible ways of applying the joker. One of them is to use it as the most significant card. In other cases, it joins other cards to create the imitation of the trump. Most of us know the game “chase the joker” which is a good idea for how to spend the evening. In this game, the card is used as a variation of the ace.
You will find many enthralling games where this mysterious card can be applied. You can play them offline or online, it’s up to you. Many of them are offered by Internet-based casino platforms.
Essential information about the joker
How many jokers are there in a deck of cards?
There are only two cards of such type in a classic deck.
How many cards are there in a deck with jokers?
There are fifty-four cards together with jokers in a deck.
Why are jokers included in a deck of cards?
As it is mentioned above, jokers are used in many interesting card games and can fulfill different functions. In most cases, the joker has the meaning of the trump card. However, it depends on a game you play and its rules.
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