Standard Pattern
A card player doesn’t like surprises. During the game s/he needs to recognize his or her cards quickly and easily. Mistakes can lead to loss... thus, players prefer standardized patterns that go unchanged by fashions. These cards are printed by most manufacturers,with only minor variations. They are used for a long period, become traditional and belong to public heritage. All others are “non-standard” or fantasy decks, political, educational, advertising decks, and so on.
Russian Standard Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
Cards from an early version of a Russian standard woodblock and stencil pack of circa 1820.
Standard and Non-standard Playing Cards
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by Simon Wintle
Standard playing cards are based upon traditional designs and are used for card games.
Standard Swiss-German pattern (single-ended)
20th century version of a single-ended Swiss-German pattern pack for the game of Jass.
Waddington’s “Silkette” Playing Cards
Cards made by John Waddington Ltd. for the Madras Club, Chennai (formerly Madras), India, c.1930.
Why our playing-cards look the way they do
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by Paul Bostock
Analysis of early playing card designs: origins, suit differences, standardization, technological advancements and key innovations leading to modern designs.
Woolley & Co: “Eurekas”
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by Simon Wintle
Woolley & Co: “Eureka” playing cards with rounded corners, small index pips and decorative back design, c.1880-1885.
Woolley & Co: “Second Harrys”
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by Simon Wintle
Woolley & Co produced a range of different quality playing cards, and these “Second Harrys” are towards the cheaper end of the range.