Who are the characters on the cards in poker?

They have made you a lot of money, we are not talking about your chips or your strategy, but about the cards! Indeed, whether it is a straight flush, a square, a suite or a three-of-a-kind, your hand is always composed of cards. This is the basis of poker, a card game. So, to pay tribute to those who can make you rich, we celebrate the characters drawn on our playing cards. Moreover, even if they appeared in Europe around the fourteenth century, did you know that maps were never invented in Europe? Rather, it was the ancient Eastern civilizations, such as China, the Near East, Persia and India that left us the first traces of the fundamental tool for playing poker. Between mythologies and royalty, discover who is behind the characters of the playing cards.

The Valets, to serve you!

The Jack is the weakest character in card games unless you practice the belote, he is the trump card! Historically, a faithful servant, the Jack of hearts represents, for example, The Hire, or rather, Etienne de Vignolles, who tried to deliver Joan of Arc from English hands before being captured himself. Moreover, it could be that the Jack of diamonds be also an ally of Joan of Arc, but we prefer the more Ancient version. He would represent Hector, the son of King Priam who fought proudly during the Trojan War. In addition, to find out who is behind the Jack of spades , you have to go to a country a little more northern. It would be Hogier, a mythical knight from Denmark who opposed Charlemagne for a long time during the expansion of his empire. Finally, the Jack of clubs is certainly more familiar to you. Renowned thanks to the writings of Chrétien de Troyes and his Knights of the Round Table, the Jack of Clubs is none other than Lancelot du Lac, the companion of King Arthur!

Ladies, the hidden power!

To begin with, you all know that the Lady of the heart is a representation of beauty. Well, in card games, it was Judith who got this title despite a less glamorous story. A character from the Bible, Judith seduced the ruler of Babylon in order to slit her throat in her sleep. There Lady of diamonds also appears in the Bible. It would be about Rachel, the mother of Joseph who found himself abandoned by his people but taken in by the Egyptians. He is notably at the origin of the arrival of the Hebrews in Egypt, long before their enslavement. Otherwise, the Lady of spades is Athena, the goddess of War and Wisdom in Greek mythology. While the Lady of clover represents Argine, either: Juno, queen of the gods for the Romans or Marie of Anjou, queen of France during the reign of Charles VII. We don't really know who the Lady of Clover is.

Kings, the greatness of power!

Let's finish the presentation of our playing cards by the kings, the most powerful figures in the game. The King of hearts represents, for example, Charlemagne, mythical emperor of the year 800 and king of the Franks. In addition, the King of diamonds is no less known since it is about Julius Caesar! Great conqueror, he bequeathed an exceptional Roman Empire to his son Octavian. The King of spades represents David, a character from the Bible. First a shepherd, he wins a fabulous fight against Goliath before becoming king of the Jewish people. Finally, the King of clubs is surely the greatest head of state that history has known. It is indeed about Alexander the Great! Even if he did not complete his project of conquering the whole world, his exploits have crossed the eras.