The Cards

The "American" fifty-two-card deck, which was actually designed by the French, might be regarded by most as the world's standard, but it's certainly not the world's only deck. To this day, traditional German decks consist of only thirty-two cards, bearing leaves, acorns, and bells instead of spades, diamonds, harts, and clubs. Their court cards have a more military bent-no queens and jacks, but the all-male Obers ("overofficers") and Unters ("underofficers").