The Joker…

the joker-PokerLion

…….The Card of Opportunity, the “Wild Card”

One of the mysterious cards in the deck is the joker.

Snuggled between the Ace of Hearts♥ and the King of Spades♠ lies the elusive Joker!

“Joker” card is believed to be discovered by American Euchre players who, while revising the rules of poker games sometimes during 1860s, decided that an extra trump card is needed at the game. Joker was initially called as “the best bower” and later “the jolly joker” or “the little joker”. Around this time, other innovations and developments began to appear in the card. Like rounded corners instead of the squared corners and other types of corner indices.

The extra cards

These joker cards were the extra cards. And were first introduced into the American pack of cards in 1863. It took several more years to reach the English pack of cards, in around 1880. One British manufacturer, named Chas Goodall, was manufacturing packs of cards with Jokers for the American market in 1870’s.

This Joker card is capable of almost nothing and almost anything, depending on the rules of the game you are playing. It has suggested by someone named Dianne Longley in 1999. The Joker is the ‘wild-card’, or the card of opportunity.

This is not unlike the philosophy of chances and uniqueness which has been the driving force behind America’s pursuit of prominence.   Some historians have seen the Joker as a successor of the “Fool of Italian tarot cards”. And in some of the 19th century tarot sets. The Fool depicted as a buffoon or harlequin.

A number of early Jokers particularly designed, along with special Aces of Spades, as part of the company’s brand identity. Therefore, they can also be a help in identification. Many poker games players largely fascinated in certain cards such as Jokers, Aces of Spades, unique backs, court cards, etc. The Joker card has also turned into a collector’s item for its interesting history and evolution.

Happy playing!