††Playing cards are a set of small pieces of card with different markings, used in playing games.
The earliest playing cards for which there is some evidence, existed in ancient India or China. By the 14th century they had appeared in Europe, where they were known as tarot cards.
At first there were 78 cards in a pack, which consisted of 22 'trump' cards and 56 cards arranged in four suits, each suit containing two knights, a king and a queen.
Over the years the form of playing cards has changed. The trump cards have been discarded and the two knights replaced by a single jack. Today's pack of cards contains 52 cards, with 13 cards in each suit.
