Why the Pattern of Poker is 54 Pieces? (1)

The number of pokers is different all around the world in the early. 78 pieces per pair in Italy, 32 pieces per pair, 40 pieces per pair and 52 pieces per pair in Germany, Spain and France separately. Afterwards, 52 per pair evolved into the number of international poker, two “Jokers” (named great king and little king or Great ghost and little ghost) plus, 54 altogether. From this time, the suit, the number of points and the pattern of J, Q, K were finalized basically.

Different suits represent different meanings. The Western unified the meanings according to the Astronomy calendar. Because the number of poker in line with the Astronomy calendar, there is a saying that poker is the miniature of calendar. Cause as followed:

54 pieces per pair, means 52 weeks in a year. And two subsidiary pokers, one represents the sun, another represents the moon. Spade, heart, square and plum represents Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Red represents day and black represents night. Consistent with the number of 13 weeks in every season, there are 13 pieces each suit. The points of 13 pieces is 364 plus the point of little joker, is 365, which is same to days of general years. If plus the point of great joker, it happens to be a leap year days. J, Q, K and so on are 12 pieces totally, which indicate 12 months a year, also indicate the Sun gone by 12 constellations in a year.

According to the legend, Henry Ⅷ was the model of four K. Four K portraits pattern of the oldest surviving British poker, whose split curly beard and full beard are same to Henry VIII. That another legend is portrait pattern on the four Q is likely to be Queen Elizabeth of York Dynasty, the Queen of Henry VII. The development of French poker manufacturing has been along the route of the various manufacturers, the government issued an official approval of the design to give a name for each face cards in 1813, these names still being used in a lot of poker until today.

(To be continued)