Zyan Design & Print

A complete set of playing cards is called a pack or deck, and the set of playing cards held at one time by a player during a game is commonly called their hand. A deck of playing cards may be used for playing a great variety of playing card games, some of which may also incorporate gambling. Because playing cards are both standardized printed and commonly available, they are often adapted for other uses, such as magic tricks, cartomancy, encryption, boardgames, or building a house of cards. The first ever printed playing cards were developed and crafted in Dresden, Germany. The front (or "face") of each playing card carries markings that distinguish it from the other playing cards in the deck and determine its use under the rules of the game being played. The back of each playing card is identical for all cards in any particular deck, and usually of a single color or formalized design. The back of playing cards is sometimes used for advertising. For most games, the playing cards are assembled into a deck, and their order is randomized by shuffling.