Playing card games is a common form of entertainment that originated several centuries ago. Today, several modifications have been made to card games, not in gameplay but in the card deck. In some card games, a card in the deck is called “Joker. The joker meaning in cards will usually depend on the game played.
But, how did the Joker card originate? And what purpose does the Joker card play in a standard deck of cards? Join us to explore the meaning of the Joker in cards and delve into its uniqueness in this casino news.
Joker Meaning in Cards: A Jester History
To grasp the joker meaning in card games, is necessary to know about his history or origins. The Joker card has been around for centuries but has recently been an addition to the regular 52-card deck. This unique card is suitless, holding no affiliation with clubs, hearts, spades, or diamonds, but impacts casino games.
The history of the Joker card begins with the game of Euchre. The Euchre’s true origin remains undiscovered, but it gained fame in the 18th and 19th centuries, contributing to the early joker card we use today.
Some say that Joker meaning in cards comes from “Juker,” the German spelling of the game Euchre. Other tales suggest that the Joker was named after a jester character. Jesters were common entertainers for Kings and Queens of court in the Middle Ages, so it’s reasonable that these characters are also together in playing cards. However, there’s no specific reason why there are two jokers; we guess it’s to keep the even numbers of cards in the deck.
The Americans added the Joker card to playing card decks to play Euchre in 1850. In the 1870s, a British producer, Charles Goddall, was the first person to manufacture a deck of cards with joker cards, but it was only available for the Americans. Five years later, the Joker card had evolved from an Euchre-only prop to a wild card or trump card.