Popularity of Card Games in Literature

Before technology revolutionized everything, you could enjoy a game of cards everywhere. You could play with your family at the kitchen table or at your favorite casino. Although technology has now changed the way we play cards, every game has its roots in classic literature. These magnificent tales associated with card games make gambling more than just a pastime activity.

Over the years you will find that cards have been used for several activities like games, gambling and fortune-telling. If you love art, you will love the century-old cards that were works of art. They were covered with intricate and colorful designs.

But, with time, cards centered less on gorgeous imagery and more on the size of the card value and suit indicators. Online card games have limited screen display, but large cards perform better since they convey information to the player faster and more effectively. Reference to specific card games has been made severally in literature over time. There has been a rise and fall in the number of mentions of card games in literature. In the new millennium, the poker references increased steadily and peaked.

Card games such as poker, blackjack, solitaire, euchre, pinochle, and gin rummy were among the top on the list of mentions. However, poker was leading the pack. In the early 1970s, blackjack mentions in books increased rapidly. It is during this period that smart players developed card-counting strategies to gain an advantage over the house. In the year 1994, right after the first computer version of Microsoft Windows Solitaire came out, references to solitaire peaked. Euchre also got mentions, albeit infrequently. It experienced a surge in mentions in 1989 due to the publication of a book on the game.

Now let us check out some card games books authored by renowned writers. We look at the best works of literature on card games.

The Rape of the Lock; Alexander Pope authored the book. In the book, Coquettish Belinda plays ombre with two male enthusiasts. You can follow the game card after card until the final trick, on which it all turns.

Another great piece of card games literature is The Prelude, written by William Wordsworth. In this book, the poet remembers the card games of his childhood. However, the play seems to prophesy the conflicts he would witness as an adult, especially in revolutionary France. In the play, the boys' grimy playing cards predict the future.

Alexander Pushkin wrote Queen of Spades which is an excellent piece of literature. In the book, Hermann watches his fellow officers play every night without taking part himself. But, he hears that old Countess Fedorovna has the secret of winning cards his obsession is revealed. He goes as far as courting her ward Lizaveta to extract it from her. He thinks he has gotten the secret but at the table Queen of Spades does for him.

From these pieces of literature, among others, you can see that card games are prevalent in literature. Great pieces of literature have been written with the card games theme to a significant effect. The classic tales that feature the card games make them a great source of inspiration for literature.