The jokers are two extra cards added to a deck of cards generally with pictures of court jesters. They are sometimes (although not often) used as wild cards in poker. Most card games remove the jokers from the deck before the action starts.
In this guide we’ll learn the following -
When Were Jokers Added to a Card Deck?
Jokers were introduced into the card deck in the 1860s. They were used as trump cards in the card game Euchre. Around 1875 the jokers were also adopted into certain poker games as wild cards. In the modern era, most card decks feature two jokers as a standard feature.
Are Jokers Used in Poker?
The vast majority of poker games do not make use of the jokers; they are removed from the deck before the game begins. However, some players like to make use of jokers as wild cards in home games. Jokers also notoriously feature in some forms of video poker as wild cards.
What Does the Term ‘Jokers’ Mean in Hold’em?
The term jokers is a slang nickname given for pocket jacks in Hold’em. This is when we get dealt two jacks as our starting preflop hole cards.
What Does It Mean if the Joker is Wild?
It means that the joker is a wild card. A wild card is one that can be substituted for any other card value. It is hence a very powerful card that can be used to complete all kinds of poker hands depending on which card we are missing. Most poker variants don’t make use of wild cards although they feature often in video poker and sometimes in poker home games.
What is Jokers Wild?
It’s a type of draw poker game which often features in video poker machines since it is played against the house. Alongside the standard 52 card deck, Jokers Wild features one joker which is used as a wild card.
Summary
It’s standard for modern card decks to ship with 2 jokers which are in addition to the regular 52 cards and often depict court jesters or clowns. In most card games the 2 jokers are removed from the deck before action begins. However, jokers are used in certain card games such as Euchre and some forms of poker.
