What’s the Story Behind a Joker Card Being in Every Deck?

Why Are Jokers Included in the Card Deck?

Joker is a well-known card that has become an indispensable part of almost all card games in the world. Fun fact: there are many nicknames for this particular card, such as Trump Card, The Fool, Wildcard, The Bird etc.

The uniqueness of the Joker as a mainstream symbol of gambling culture was established even more by the hands of the movie characters like James Bond and Danny Ocean. But ‘The Fool ’hasn’t always been a part of the table games universe. Once upon a time, it was non-existent, and nobody could have predicted that once it appeared, it would go on to change the history of gambling forever. Thanks to it today, we can enjoy casinos both offline and online, in professionally hosted and managed sites like casino verde online.

The Origins of ‘the Fool’

In the beginning, even the game that introduced the Joker to the world did not include it in its rules. The famous “Euchre” was played with only 32 cards, and during the later years of the 19th century, the Joker was added to serve as an enhancement to the other cards without any other individual purposes. However, it quickly got accepted and implemented by the players, resulting in the creation of another game version – “Euchre with the Joker,” which turned out to be a breaking point for what would become the most featured gambling sigil ever.

However, the Joker wasn’t given his name right at the beginning of his rise. The card was initially named “The Bower,” and it had different editions such as “Best Bower” and “The Imperial Bower,” which were significantly replaced by “The Joker” right around the beginning of the 20th century.

Once the ‘The Fool’ took over appearing as a clown or a jester, there was no coming back to the old version since pretty much everybody got used to this new, crazy, and easily recognizable gambling character. It’s safe to say that the Joker’s popularity led to the further rise of gambling, which ultimately led to the birth of what we know today as online casinos.

Besides the American and British origins, some sources believe that the Joker got spread on European soil from the German card game called “Juckerspiel” and that the “Best Bower” was an alter-ego of the German “Bester Bube.” Regardless of its multiple versions and nationalities, the Joker remains an interesting detail whose absence would make the global history of gambling way different than we know it.

The Role in the Card Games

As its name suggests, the Joker is used differently in every other game, and its practical applications vary depending on the game’s edition and set of rules. It can serve as the most powerful card, like in Euchre, War, and Dou Dizhu, or it can be on the completely opposite side of the spectrum – like in the “Old Maid” game, where ‘The Fool’ is anything but desirable to get. However, the most common use for the Joker is the “ceremonial one,” meaning the Joker is just an additional card in the deck, with the ability to be inserted as a replacement for the missing or damaged card.

But, if formally included in the game’s rules, the Joker’s most usual role is that of a “wild card,” which gives it the power to represent and get used instead of other valuable cards like the Jack, Queen, and the King.

What Would Card Games Be Like Without the Joker?

It’s hard to imagine playing any type of card game without knowing there’s a Joker laying somewhere in the deck. Regardless of having a positive or negative opinion about the Joker’s appearance, nobody can deny its cultural impact on the gambling community for more than 100 years.

To be fair, Joker’s absence from the games would not be as impactful in terms of gameplay, but the nostalgia for the character would make every card games fan miss the legendary jester. Its brand has become so huge that when you think of a card deck, Joker is usually the first thing that comes to mind. In addition, if the Joker hadn’t made his appearance over a century ago, we would be denied one of the most brilliant fiction villains – The Joker, whose image was inspired exactly by the character printed on a card.

It’s mind-blowing to think how big of an impact Joker had not just in the gambling world, but outside of it, spreading his enigma into movies and comics. Regardless of the significance in terms of gameplay power, it will remain one of the icons of the gambling universe, with no replacement coming anytime soon.