
The Archaeology of Cards: Why we Play with Hearts
It’s a rare person that can’t identify the four suits on a standard deck of cards. The hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs are inseparable from the modern casino experience, defining the gameplay and rules of games as varied as poker, solitaire, and blackjack. But what do they mean? Are they the relics of a lost culture, their purpose lost to time, or are they just nice but ultimately meaningless little pictures?