| Some 7th- to 10th-century manuscripts trace the | | | | depending on the game. In both cases, any card is |
| earliest instance of playing cards to China. The earliest | | | | identifiable by its face. The set of cards is called a |
| authentic references to playing cards in Europe dates | | | | pack in British English and deck in U.S. English.In a |
| back to circa 1377, and the history of English playing | | | | number of card games, cards in a pack are grouped in |
| cards dates back to mid 15th century.Per the basic | | | | suits. Dealing is done either counterclockwise or |
| rules of a card game, when a game is played, the | | | | clockwise. It is usually assumed that the dealing is |
| players arrange themselves in a circle around a | | | | clockwise for games from North America, North and |
| horizontal surface on which the cards will be played. | | | | West Europe and Russia; counterclockwise for South |
| The players face inwards, and are seated so that | | | | and East Europe and Asia, also for Swiss games and |
| they cannot see each other's cards.A pack of cards is | | | | all Tarot games.Card games for a solo player are |
| used to play card games. All cards are identical in | | | | called Solitaire in the U.S and Patience in the U.K.Some |
| shape and size, and each card has a two sides; one | | | | of the popular traditional card games are Bridge, |
| being the face and another the back. Backs in a pack | | | | Canasta, Cribbage, Euchre, Hearts, Pinochle, Pitch, |
| are indistinguishable and faces may all be unique, | | | | Rummy, Solitaire, Spades and Whist. |