A Better Understanding of What Joker Cards are for

There are several face cards that are seen in a standard deck and almost all of them hold a special value. However, this is not the case for joker cards as some see them as a filler rather than a valuable part of the deck. 

What some people don’t know is that these cards are more than just a ‘joke’ and they in fact mean something on the deck. What makes it remarkable is that unlike the numbers and the face cards, these jokers don’t classify under any suit. 

If you aren’t that familiar with the role of joker cards in a deck yet, read along to find out: 

What are Joker Cards?

Most contemporary decks of French-suited playing cards include the Joker in addition to the traditional four suits (clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades). This card’s name comes from the fact that it has the appearance of a funny-looking jester. 

In several games, the joker card frequently serves as a wild card. It can serve as a skip card, the lowest or highest ranking card, and the top trump. Depending on the game, the joker is typically used as a makeshift substitute for damaged or lost cards. Still, it can’t be denied that this card is often disregarded by players.

Quick History of Joker Cards

The joker card is thought to have made its appearance in a deck for the first time in the 1860s during a game of euchre. The Best Bower or the Imperial Bower, the highest trump card, was needed at this time by American Euchre players to comply with the game’s new rules. Soon, the Best Bower changed into a joker, and the card was specially created with the company’s logo in mind.

Years after it was developed, people saw its importance and how great it is to have it on the deck. Now, the Joker card plays a unique role in several card games.  

How to Use Jokers in Card Games

If you haven’t tried playing with a joker card yet, you may be amazed to see just how different games treat it uniquely. Here are some of the most popular uses of the joker in popular card games: 

Indian Rummy

In this game, jokers help you complete your sequences and sets more quickly. If two decks are used to deal the cards to all of the players, there may be two joker cards in it. Once all players have been dealt with 13 cards, one card will be randomly picked from the remaining cards and placed face-up beneath the remaining pile. In online rummy games, this card serves as the wildcard joker.

In a 13-card rummy game, you can have a total of two printed jokers and seven wildcard jokers. You should keep count to determine whether any of your opponents might be holding a joker that you might be waiting for. All of your aces will be the selected (wildcard) jokers for that game if the random card chosen as the wildcard joker turns out to be a printed joker itself. Joker cards also have no points.

Poker

Jokers are sometimes known as wild cards or as a pair of jacks in poker. Two additional jokers, known as wild cards, are included in the standard poker deck and are depicted as clowns or court jesters. When a player draws a joker, they may choose any other card to replace it. Wild cards are frequently used in home games and online poker tournaments, although they are rarely featured in casino poker games or tournaments.

Chase the Joker

As the name suggests, this game considered the joker as an important symbol. Some people know this as Chase the Ace but there are players who wish to substitute the ace with a joker instead. It is a simple card game played among several players who all try to stay in the game while making sure that they don’t have the lowest-ranked card at the end of each round. 
These are just some facts that you have to know about joker cards in a deck and what makes them special. By keeping these in mind, you will understand that these cards have more potential than what they usually are credited for. Try including the jokers on your deck and see how they can make your games more thrilling to play!

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