Deckopedia guides
Playing cards: suits, decks and games to get started
Understand the 52 cards in the deck, the four suits, the figures and the jokers. See which cards to use in each game and how to build a custom deck.
How many cards are in a deck?
A common French pattern deck has 52 cards: four suits with 13 cards each. Wild cards, also called Jokers, are additional cards; a presentation with two jokers totals 54. The number of jokers may vary between physical decks.
The cards in each suit are Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King. In many decks, the figures appear as J, Q, and K. The Ace uses the letter A. The order of strength and points of each card depend on the game.
What are the four suits?
Hearts
Red · 13 cards
Diamonds
Red · 13 cards
Clubs
Black · 13 cards
Spades
Black · 13 cards
Suit and color are different information: hearts and diamonds have the same color, but they are different suits. This difference appears in the Klondike Solitaire, which alternates colors in the columns and separates suits in the foundations.
Is the Ace worth 1 or 11? And the figures?
There is no single value for all games. In Pyramid Solitaire, an Ace counts as 1 and pairs must total 13. In Bisca, an Ace is the strongest card and scores 11 points; a 7 scores 10. In Regicide, card values and suit powers determine attack and defense.
Therefore, check the rules page of the chosen game before using the order of numbers or assigning points to cards.
What deck does each game use?
Some games use all 52 cards; others remove values, add jokers, or combine more than one deck. The Deckopedia catalog informs the composition of each available version.
| Game | Required deck |
|---|---|
| Klondike Solitaire | Standard deck (52 cards) |
| Spider | Dois baralhos (104 cartas) |
| FreeCell | Standard deck (52 cards) |
| Pyramid | Standard deck (52 cards) |
| Bowling Solitaire | 20 cards (Ace–10 of hearts and diamonds) |
| Scoundrel | 44 cartas (sem figuras nem Ases vermelhos) |
| Regicide | 52 cartas + 2 Jokers como recurso solo |
| Donsol | 54 cartas (52 + 2 Jokers) |
| Card Capture | Standard deck + 2 Jokers (54 cards) |
| Bisca | Deck de 40 cartas (sem 8, 9 e 10) |
| Blackjack (21) | 6 decks · 312 cards |
What is a deck of cards?
Deck is another name for the set of cards used in a game. It can be a complete deck, a cut of specific cards or a set that changes throughout the game. In Card Capture, for example, capturing cards builds your deck during play.
No card game creator, you can build independent decks, choose suits and values, add single cards and define custom values. This allows you to experiment with rules with a small deck before expanding the idea.
How to start playing with cards?
- Choose whether you want a solitaire, a solo adventure or a computer-controlled opponent.
- Check the deck composition, preparation and objective on the game page.
- Open the table in your browser and use the rules or help during play.
To choose your next match, see the card game guide to play alone or return to online games catalog.