Wild Cards
About this episode
This episode explores the hidden history and cultural significance of playing cards throughout time.
Some of the coolest stories in history are the ones that hide in plain sight. A deck of cards is no exception. We see them everywhere and almost every household has a deck or two of cards. From casinos to your grandparents’ house, to that junk drawer in your kitchen nobody cleans out. Fifty-two cards. Four suits. A couple jokers. Simple, yet historic, and absolutely fascinating because none of it is random. The kings? Chosen intentionally. The suits? Symbolic. The numbers? Possibly connected to the calendar itself. And depending on who you asked throughout history, playing cards were either harmless entertainment, mathematical genius, tools of gambling and crime, or to some, the work of the devil. Am I being overly dramatic for something used to play Go Fish? Well, today on The Missing Chapter , we’re diving into the whole story - the bizarre hidden history of playing cards - how they traveled across continents, got banned by governments, terrified religious leaders, inspired magicians, and quietly became one of the most recognizable objects on Earth. So take a sip of your favorite brew, turn up your volumes because it’s time for the Missing Chapter Podcast. Want some Missing…
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