The card isn't even called the joker, instead being referred to as 'the bird.' Rulesįor those who've never played video poker before, here's a rundown of the rules: Australian playing cards, for example, depict a Kookaburra (a bird whose call sounds like laughter). In some countries, the joker exists with a symbol different than the classic fool. At the very least, a joker can be used as a substitute for lost playing cards in a pack. Therefore, it can be the most important card in the deck or entirely ignored. While most card games do not use the joker, others often have it serve as a wild card. In its original use, the joker was often depicted as a tiger or a series of words marking it as the highest trump card.Īll that changed in the 1880s, however, as the classic image of the fool began to appear in keeping with the card's name. In fact, the name 'joker' likely comes from 'jucker,' which is the German spelling for Euchre. It's believed that the joker card first appeared around 1860, when it was used as the highest trump card in the trick-taking game known as Euchre.
Since Joker Poker is named for the inclusion of a specific card, I thought we'd begin this article by taking a closer look at the most overlooked item in the deck.
