Card games have been played for centuries in various countries around the world. While most of these card games use the French-suited 52 card deck, there are a number of different styles of playing cards still in use that range from the 32-card German-suited deck to the 152-card Mah Jongg deck. This post takes a look at 10 different variants of playing cards from around the world.
French-suited
Country of origin: France
Cards in deck: 52
French-suited playing cards are perhaps the most widely recognized playing cards used today. They consist of four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades) and thirteen ranks from Ace to King. Dating back to the 15th Century, French-suited cards became internationally popularized after being spread around the world by the French and British Empires. They are the type of playing cards found in almost all casinos around the world, and there are believed to be over 1000 card games that you can play using these cards ranging from Solitaire to various variants of Poker
German-suited
Country of origin: Germany
Cards in deck: 32 or 36
German-suited playing cards are believed to be even older than French-suited playing cards, and potentially the inspiration behind French-suited playing cards. Today’s decks mostly consist of 32 cards made up of four suits (hearts, bells, leaves and acorns) with each suit numbered from 7 to 10 followed by Jack, Queen and King. There are a few regional variants, including 36-card editions that use an Ace. Some of the traditional games played with German-suited cards include Skat and Doppelkopf.
Spanish-suited
Country of origin: Spain
Cards in deck: 40 or 48
Dating back to the 14th century, Spanish-suited cards are still played with today throughout the Iberian peninsula. They consist of four distinctive suits: cups, coins, swords and clubs. Decks consist of either 40 or 48 cards, made up of cards ranked 1 to 7, plus three face cards per suit (jack, knight and king). These cards are known for their colorful illustrations and are used for traditional Spanish games like Mus and Brisca.
Italian-suited
Country of origin: Italy
Cards in deck: 40
Italian-suited cards use the same four suits as Spanish-suited cards: cups, coins, swords and clubs. However, the symbols used look slightly different - whereas Spanish-suited cards use straight swords, Italian-suited cards use curved swords, while the Spanish-suited cups resemble goblets and the Italian-suited cups look more like hexagons. The rankings are much the same and decks are made up of 40 cards. Traditional games played with Italian-suited cards include Scopone and Tresette.
Swiss-suited
Country of origin: Switzerland
Cards in deck: 36
Popularly used within Switzerland, Swiss-suited cards consist of four unique suits: shields, flowers, bells and acorns. The cards are some of the most colorful and intricate European cards, and use the same rankings as German-suited cards with aces included in all decks. The most popular game played with these types of cards is Jass. It is a trick-taking game and it is often regarded as the national card game of Switzerland.
Hanafuda
Country of origin: Japan
Cards in deck: 48
Originating from 19th Century Japan, Hanafuda cards are very different to the European playing cards discussed so far. They are noticeably smaller in size and contain no suits or numbers - instead consisting of various flowers representing the 12 months of the year. The most famous traditional card game played with Hanafuda cards is Koi-Koi, which is still heavily played across Japan.
Ganjifa
Country of origin: Persia/India
Cards in deck: 96 or 120 cards
Ganjifa is a very old game that is believed to have originated in Persia, becoming a popular game among Mughal emperors in 16th Century India. It is a rather niche game today, but still played in some parts of India - mostly among the older generation. Most decks are hand-painted and consist of 96 cards divided into 8 suits: horses, elephants, infantry, warriors, treasures, ships, women and gods. You can buy hand-crafted Ganjifa decks online.
Tarot
Country of origin: Italy
Cards in deck: 78 cards
Believed to have been used in the 15th century, tarot cards are most commonly used for divination and spiritual guidance. That said, there are a few card games that you can play with a Tarot deck - most famously the trick-taking game called French Tarot. The Tarot suits represent the four elements: wands (fire), cups (water), swords (air) and pentacles (earth). They consist of 14 cards each ranked Ace to 10 and four extra cards: king, queen, knight and knave. There are an additional 21 trump suit cards and a lone card known as The Fool. Each Tarot deck often has unique imagery and custom Tarot decks are popular.
Mahjong
Country of origin: China
Cards in deck: 144 or 152
Mahjong was developed in the 19th Century and remains a popular game in China that has started to spread around the world in recent decades. It is traditionally a tile-based game, however card-based versions also exist. Card games based off of the original Mahjong contain 144 cards, while a popular American version called Mah Jongg uses 152 cards. There are four main suits in Mahjong: dots, bamboos and characters. Each of these suits contains cards ranked 1 to 9. Additional honor cards represent the four winds (north, east, south and west) and the three dragons (red, green and white).
Uno
Country of origin: USA
Cards in deck: 108 cards
Uno was developed in the 1970s in Ohio and has gained immense worldwide popularity. Based on the card game Crazy Eights, Uno consists of four colored suits ranked 0 to 9. There are also several special action cards including Skip, Reverse and Draw Two. The aim of Uno is to get rid of all your cards by matching either the color or the number of one of your cards to the previously played card. Many decks come with custom cards that allow you to create your own rules. Its simple rules make it an easy card game to pick up and often a great card game to play with kids.
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