Master Playing-Card Terminology
In addition to the formal playing-card terms, magicians and card players have developed many slang terms. Before you get started performing magic tricks, review these terms so you'll seem credible in front of your audience. Knowing playing-card terms is also a good way to impress fellow card players.
Instructions
1. Say the word "case" to describe the package holding the playing cards. Most refer to this as the box, but in magic, it's usually called the card case, even if it is a simple cardboard box.
2. Learn the terms for the sides of the cards. The "face" of the card is the side with the numbers. The "back" of the card is the side with the pattern or decoration.
3. Know the "top" of the deck from the "bottom." The top of the deck is the side with the decoration or pattern facing up. The bottom of the deck is the side with the face of the cards showing.
4. Note the different types of cards. "Court cards" is the term for the picture cards in the deck, which includes the kings, queens and jacks. Often the numbered cards are simply called "number cards," but in magic these are referred to as "spot cards."
5. Understand what a "suit" means. A suit is a set of cards with the same symbol. Spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds are the four suits in a deck of cards. Each suit contains 13 cards--the numbers 2 through 10, a king, a queen, a jack and an ace.
6. Use the term "cut" properly during magic tricks. A cut is not any shuffle of the cards. A cut is specifically when any number of cards from the top or bottom of the deck are taken and moved to the other side of the deck.
