Playing Card Glossary

Playing Card: A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Each card has two sides, the face and the back. The faces usually contain the suit, rank, and other identifying information. The back of the card is typically blank and is not marked. Playing cards are used for playing a variety of card games, and have been adapted for use in many different cultures and countries.

Suit: A suit is a set of four cards of the same rank. The four suits in a standard deck of playing cards are clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. Each suit has a distinct color and symbol, and each card in the suit has a different rank.

Rank: The rank of a card is the numerical value of the card, which is usually printed on the face of the card. The rank of a card is used to determine the winner of a card game.