Playing card

A playing card is a typically hand-sized rectangular (in India, round) piece of heavy paper or thin plastic used for playing card games. A complete set of cards is a pack or deck. Playing cards are often used as props in magic tricks, as well as occult practices such as cartomancy, and a number of card games involve (or can be used to support) gambling. As a result, their use sometimes meets with disapproval from some religious groups (such as conservative Christians). They are also a popular collectible (as distinct from the cards made specifically for collectible trading card games). Specialty and novelty decks are commonly produced for collectors, often with political, cultural, or educational themes.

Card magicians and gambling authorities

• aladin
• Allan Ackerman
• Michael Ammar
• David Blaine
• Daryl
• Alex Elmsley
• S. W. Erdnase
• Lennart Green
• Brother John Hamman
• Guy Hollingworth
• Ricky Jay
• Larry Jennings
• René Lavand
• Ed Marlo
• Jeff McBride
• Darwin Ortiz
• John Scarne
• Juan Tamariz
• Dai Vernon
• Jeff Wessmiller