10 Facts About the Joker in Playing Cards You Probably Didn’t Know

The Joker in Rummy is a highly interesting card. It is commonly associated with unpredictability, wit, intelligence and chaos. This card is used as a substitute for missing cards in modern games like Rummy, Poker and more. 

Let’s now take a look at the top 10 facts about this exciting card below. 

Fact 1: The Joker’s Origins Trace Back to Euchre

Interestingly, before this card became a part of modern games, it was a standard part of an Alsatian game called juckerspiel. The two main trump cards of this game were known as Jucker. 

Eventually, the Joker card entered the American card game of Euchre.  This game involves a deck of 24 to 32 cards, depending on the game. 

The Joker (best Bower) card forms the trump or the topmost card, followed by the Jack of trump or Right Bower card, the second Jack or Left Bower card, and the order of Ace, King, Queen, Number Ten to Number Seven. 

A fascinating thing to note is that the first illustrated Joker card was created by Samuel Hart, an American who belonged to a manufacturers’ family. He also revolutionised playing cards by adding features such as glossy finishes, and rounded corners.

Fact 2: The Joker Wasn’t Always in a Standard Deck

As explained above, the Joker card did not enter the 52 playing card deck until the American game of Euchre in the 19th century. It was added as a card that would ‘trump’ or defeat all the other cards. 

Before that, cards featured symbols per the respective place and time period. For instance, Chinese playing cards featured symbols representing coins, which were used to represent money. 

When they arrived in Europe, you could find symbols of cups, coins, clubs, and swords on them. The Egyptian variants of these cards featured cups or goblets, swords, polo sticks, and gold coins. 

Furthermore, the Italian playing court cards featured a seated king, a queen wearing a crown, and a knave (who was called a Jack). On the other hand, Spanish playing cards featured knights, kings, knaves, and so on.  

So, as you can see, cards in different geographical locations had different decks before the Joker’s inclusion into popular card games in later years.  

Fact 3: The Joker Often Represents the Fool

Many people don’t know that the modern deck of 52 playing cards evolved from tarot cards. This is why many people link Joker in Rummy with the card of the Fool. However, they serve different purposes. 

But why do people associate these cards together? That’s because they represent the wild or unpredictable element and a sense of freedom. 

One reason for this association is the historical connotation of jesters, who were unconventional people known for their wisdom and ability to flout societal norms. 

The card of the Fool originated in the 15th century and belongs to the deck of 78 tarot cards. It represents a sense of innocence and the possibility of new beginnings and adventure.

On the other hand, the Joker is a wildcard element that can substitute a missing card or trump another card, depending on the game. 

Fact 4: The Joker as the Most Versatile Card

Due to its unpredictable nature, it is a preferred card in several games. For example, the Joker in Rummy is often used to complete an impure sequence* and help a player win by accumulating a low score.

*Note: An impure sequence consists of three or more cards of the same suit, including a Joker.

That’s because the Joker carries zero points in games like 13-card Rummy and helps players accumulate a low score. 

On the other hand, these cards are important in the form of Value cards in 21 card Rummy. Furthermore, if a deck does not involve a printed Joker card, you can assign a random card as a Joker card (wild/cut Joker).

Once you do that, all the cards of the same rank or face value become the Joker cards for every round. 

Lastly, Jokers are used to form seven card sets called Canastas in the Canasta card game. So, as you can see, their uses change depending on the game you play. 

Fact 5: Jokers Come in Pairs But Are Not Always Identical

While you might find two jokers in games like Samba and Canasta, they are not necessarily identical. That’s because players often use these two cards as wild cards to substitute other cards in melds.

Using two cards helps them enhance the gameplay by adding an element of predictability and flexibility.  

The Big Joker and Small or Little Joker cards can be found in the Spades suit. The Big Joker card is higher than the Little Joker, and the Little Joker is higher than the Ace. 

Fact 6: Unique Artwork on Jokers

Each country has a unique culture. This is why you’ll find that the Joker cards have different visual representations. For example, you can find characters wearing royal court attire or wielding a sword depicted as Chinese Jokers. 

You might also find some animals like fish depicted on Joker cards and designed in their unique stain-printed style.

On the other hand, you might find characters wearing medieval sailing hats or bright jester’s suits with decidedly mischievous expressions depicted as Spanish Jokers.  

Furthermore, if you look at a Japanese Joker card, you’ll find banshee-like characters or depictions of men with wild hair and decorated kimonos. 

So, as you can see, each culture has its own representation. 

Fact 7: The Use of The Joker Card in Magic

Yes, magicians also use this card for different tricks. It is often used as a way to represent surprise or fun.  Some of the tricks where this card is used are ‘Happy Birthday Card’ and ‘Crash Joker’. 

The ‘Crash Joker’ trick involves the magician keeping the Joker card separate, making the bicycle fall on the table, followed by which the Joker card is shown to have crashed as he has no bicycle. 

In this trick, the Joker card depicts the character seated on a bicycle. 

The ‘Happy Birthday Card’ trick involves letting a member of the audience (whose birthday it is) pick a card (which they think is their choice) that turns out to be the Joker. It is a fun and simple way to get some laughs.

Fact 8: Collectors Prize Unique Joker Cards

Due to the unique characteristics of Joker cards, it’s no surprise that people love collecting them. For instance, the types of Joker cards you can find are animal cards, topsy-turvy cards, jester cards, and people cards.

Animal Joker cards have pictures of cats, giraffes, zebras, etc. On the other hand, jester cards feature jesters who are standing or sitting or just their heads. 

Topsy Turvy joker cards feature characters who aren’t entirely symmetrical. They involve various characters, from printed Mayan characters to other people and so on. Hence, you can find a wide variety of these cards when you start collecting them. 

Fact 9: The Joker in Pop Culture

Who doesn’t know Heath Ledger’s iconic representation of the Joker in films like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the same character? Surprisingly, this iconic villain was never supposed to be a part of the DC universe. 

However, his character is said to have been possibly inspired by a photograph of actor Conrad Veidt, who starred in ‘The Man Who Laughs’ or the playing card. 

Either way, he was initially written into the DC universe as a one-time character who ended up faking his death to torment Batman for eternity. 

He underwent several transitions over the years, from a gangster to a whimsical money-stealing thug to a psychotic, unhinged yet highly intelligent sociopath who tore the fabric of society apart and someone who was an anarchist. 

His most famous recognition came in 1988 with the comic ‘The Killing Joke’. However, irrespective of his various transitions, the key elements of his character include chaos, and unpredictability, like the Joker card.

Fact 10: Jokers as Symbols of Chaos and Freedom

As mentioned in the preceding sections, if we have to understand the psyche behind the Joker card, it represents freedom, chaos and hope for new beginnings. 

In popular card games, like the Joker in Rummy, this card often helps players win by accumulating low scores. 

On the other hand, in Tarot, it stands for new beginnings, while in pop culture, the character is associated with elements of violence, chaos and unpredictable events. 

Read for more info: Understanding the Significance of Jokers in Rummy – A23 

The Last Word

So, whenever you come across the Joker in Rummy or any other card game, or in Tarot, you should consider it a positive indication of either a victory or new beginnings. If you want to know more such interesting facts, don’t forget to bookmark our blog.