Types of Cards in a Standard Deck: History, Winning Hands, and Famous Versions

Becoming a master of online Rummy starts with gaining a proper understanding of the game. Well, when it comes to understanding Rummy, one cannot understate the importance of cards in the standard 52-card deck. These cards are of different types and come with a history of their own. On top of that, these cards also differ a lot based on the location where it is being played. So, let us break down the basics and other important details related to the card to simplify your gaming experience. 

The History of Playing Cards

Understanding the root of something helps in simplifying the rest of the process. This is why we will start by focusing on the history of playing cards before moving on to anything else. 

Origins of Playing Cards

Well, it is a little tricky to pinpoint the time when playing cards first came into existence as it was way back in time. However, the earliest evidence of card games was found in 1294. Two Chinese gamblers were playing with paper cards in China, and that is how people got to know about it. After that, close to a century later 1360, the first cards were brought from Egypt to Europe. In the early days paper cards were used both as stakes and for playing in places like China. However, that quickly changed with time and it is quite different from the way cards are played in the modern age. 

Moreover, cards were also famous in ancient India a little before 1600. These were known as Patrakida and later followed by Ganjifa or Ganjappa cards. You can easily find mentions of this card in the memoirs of Mughal Emperor Babur around the time of 1527. It is said that he sent a set of these cards to his dear friend in Sindh, Shah Hussain. 

Evolution of the Standard Deck

With time these cards that you see in online Rummy have changed a lot in the way they look and are used during the game. The 52-card deck was previously known as the Mamlūk card. The suits of this deck were swords, goblets, polo sticks, and coins. 

Back in the day, these cards had a very simple design in comparison to the standard deck of today. On top of that, the designs of these cards have changed too with time. Previously the cards were hand-painted to add an artistic touch. However, the ones that you see while playing Rummy online look consistent and extremely similar. 

Types of Cards in a Standard Deck

The cards in a standard deck are broken down into different types based on their suits and colors. Moreover, there are also face cards, number cards, and Joker cards, all of which have their significance. 

Suits and Their Meanings

There are a total of four suits in a standard deck of cards that you will notice after downloading a Rummy app. These are Clubs, Spades, Diamonds, and Hearts. 

• Clubs signify the importance of nurturing, gratitude, and farming. These are black colored cards that have a three-leaf clover and symbolize achievement through work. 
• Spades encourage bravery and discipline. These too are black in color and have a teardrop shape that is pointed upward while its tail is pointed downwards. 
• Diamonds represent wealth creation and the merchants. These are red in color and just like the name, they have a diamond as their design. This card implies the journey of pursuing wealth. 
• Hearts are a representative of love, clergy, emotional well-being, and affection. The heart-shaped design of the card is red in color and it encourages selfless companionship. 

There aren’t many differences between the red and black suits. It is just their color and type of suits that set them apart. 

Face Cards and Their Roles

The face cards of a standard deck stand as a sign of royalty. These cards are Jack, Queen, and King and they represent the socio-economic structure of the olden times. These depict the face of a person and each comes with 10 points and is often referred to as high-value cards or court cards. There are a total of 12 face cards in a standard deck and they are further divided among 4 suits. 

Number Cards and Their Roles

The number cards in this deck start from numbers 2 to 10. Plus, the Ace card is also a number card in a standard deck of Indian Rummy. Just like other cards these are used for creating sets and sequences with the help of combinations and probability. You will find a total of 36 number cards in a deck, which are further divided across 4 suits. 

Winning Hands in Popular Card Games

Understanding how different cards are used to create a winning hand is important before you start playing Rummy online. These vary across card games and are a little different from one another. 

Poker Hands 

Well, you cannot become a master of this game if you do not know the hands of poker. Some of the winning hands are:

• Royal Flush: This one is the highest-ranking hand in the entire game. This consists of an ace and is followed by a King, Queen, Jack, and ten. The chance of getting a hand like this is 1 in 6,49,739, making it extremely valuable. 
• Straight Flush: All cards in this hand are of the same suit and follow a numeric order. The chance of this hand is 1 in 72,192. 
• Four of a kind: This one ranks third on the list and consists of four cards of the same value and one of a different value. The chances of this one is 1 in 4,164. 
• Full House: Ranking fourth on the list, this poker sequence has 5 cards in total. Three cards of the same value like three aces and two others of the same value like 2 queens.  
• Flush: This one ranks fifth highest and has five cards of the same suit but not in any particular numeric order. A good example of this is an ace, ten, nine, six, and 2. 
• Straight: This ranks sixth and consists of 5 cards in the following order 5,6,7,8,9. These have to be of different suits and not of the same one. The odds of getting this one is 2 in 254. 
• Three of a kind: This is the seventh-highest hand in the game and has three cards of the same numeric value while two others of different values. For instance, you can have three aces, one jack, and one queen.
• High card: This hand doesn’t have any pair, this is just a combination of 5 cards that can consist of ace, ten, eight, six, and two belonging to different suits. This one has the lowest rank. 

Blackjack’s ranking hands

A hand that has a higher value than that of the dealer’s, gets to win. This needs to have a value higher than 16 is always considered good. A few examples of these hands are: 

• Two of hearts, one that has two hearts, and a payout of 3:1. 
• Blackjack is one that has one ace and a face card or a ten. The payout of this one is 6:5.
• Ace-Face or 10 after split is a hand that has an ace-face or 10 after the splitting. 

Strategies for creating winning hands with cards 

Creating a winning hand while playing Indian Rummy or any other game is pretty easy. You are just required to keep a few things in your mind. These simple things that should be remembered are:

• Watch the moves of your opponents while playing online Rummy. You can understand a lot about the game and the cards that they have simply by observing their moves. 
• Using wild cards like Joker while playing Rummy online or other games makes it easy for you to form sets and sequences. Learning the strategies for it should be the first thing that you learn after you start playing these games. 
• Target the players who are already struggling. If you ever notice that a player is constantly drawing cards during the game then you should keep playing the colors that they do not have. This makes it easier for you to eliminate the players and increase your strength in the game. 

Conclusion

Cards play the most important role in Indian Rummy or any other game of the same kind. So, anyone who wishes to become a master of the games must start by understanding the role and types of these cards. Through this blog, we have made an attempt to discuss every detail of these cards. Just understanding these before downloading the Rummy app or other card games will help you a lot in becoming a master of card games.