The Art of Playing Cards is your tour guide to a standard deck. This handbook covers the classic games, tricks, and skills you'll need to become an expert card shark. There’s something about opening a new pack of cards. It doesn’t matter whether you buy them at a filling station to while away a few hours on the road or if they’re a classic deck of Bicycle cards bought specifically for a poker night—they smell the same. There’s the same whiff of possibility, of hands to play or chances to take, of bets to win and of fun just waiting to be had. THE GAMES: There are thousands of games we could have included, but along with some of the most popular, we’ve also chosen those we think are the most fun, the most challenging, and the most exasperating. Also, much of the beauty of card games is that they vary so much, and we’ve included plenty of tips for trying something a bit different. Of course, when faced with so many variations and different games, it would be impossible to include them al