There are some scholars who believe that playing cards originated in the Middle East, from where they have spread to the rest of the world. Though there are alternating theories about the development of the games themselves, even the history of the origin of the playing cards is not completely clear, or agreed upon.

In India, games like Teen Patti, Lucky 7, Sweep and Rummy are very popular. Many people play these games for fun and there are others, who play these for money as well. Usually, in any household in India, playing cards are an integral part of the socialization process. Typically a card game can be played using playing cards which are of four suites and in which the deck consists of 52 cards. A typical deck of playing cards is the same all over the world.

History of Gambling In India

Some of the early European playing cards have been found to have symbols of a chalice, ring, sword and a baton. These symbols can be traced to India, as these are some of the common hand held objects of Indian statues.
In India itself, the oldest of the scriptures and epics have mentioned gambling through various games of dice and playing cards. The culture itself has been adopted since the beginning of civilization in the country. One of the greatest epics of the Indian literature, Mahabharata, has several stories where gambling was involved. The epic dates back to 1500 B.C., indicating that the concept of gambling was nothing new in India even in those times.

It is believed that different members of a family would compete for the throne and instead of ascertaining the real claimant to the throne by waging bloody wars, often the disputes were settled by testing the skills at board games and dice games. There are chapters upon chapters of such instances in the book of Mahabharata, a true epic of the Indian culture and the mirror of the evolution of the modern day Indian society.
Unlike some of the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia, Indians used nuts of vibhitaka tree as dice. Before the 6 faced dice actually came into being, these nuts made for excellent dice in themselves. These nuts are flat on 5 sides and therefore are very much like the modern day dice. Eventually, the cast 6 faced dice were used for playing dice games.

Gambling in Rural India

Till date, gambling continues to be one of the most entertaining activities. Ram fighting and cock fighting are some of the most popular gambling games in the rural parts of the country. Apart from that, there are also the card games, which are played with much fervor and gusto. According to some historians, playing cards has been derived from the tactical game of chess. The Indian card games require a lot of strategy and keen observation and are therefore often very hard to learn.

Teen Patti, which is the Indian equivalent to poker, is considered one of the hardest games ever to be played. Yet, it is the most popular card game in India.
There are a total of 52 cards in a deck and it is believed that the earlier rural versions of card games also had 52 cards in a deck. On each of the cards, were numerals and symbols, just like the modern day cards. Even today, in some rural areas, these homemade cards are used to play traditional card games. While earlier the symbols were of cups, swords, canes, coins and sticks, today, it is hearts, diamonds, spade and club.

Card Games In India

There are many different card games played in India. Not all of these games are always played for money. Many people prefer to play for fun and socializing rather than play for money. Some of these games are fifty six, rummy, Literature, Twenty eight, teen pathi and sweep.

Each of these card games is complicated in itself, with a set of distinct rules. Some games are played with a single deck and there are other games which are also played with a double or triple deck as well. Most Indians prefer playing single deck games over multiple deck games.

The game Literature is most famous in the Southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerela. Teen Patti, which is the Indian equivalent of poker, is considered to have British origins. It is believed that the game evolved from the British game known as three card bag. The game was invented during the British rule over the Indian subcontinent and is a favourite all through the country. There are other card games which are based on plain tricks. These are the Ekrang, Hamrang and Naqsh. These games are played with a standard 52 card deck.

While playing cards may be large in other parts of the world, playing cards in India have always been palm sized for easy handling. In the mid 20th century, playing cards in India were being manufactured from plastic. However, due to rising environment concerns due to the extensive use of plastic, the manufacturing process was changed to incorporate thick paper cards with a thin plastic coating so that they can be used for a longer period of time.

Different card games may be known by different names in the different states of India. The rules of these card games may also be different and yet, the games are usually as enjoyable everywhere.

Diwali card playing is a great fad as this is a special festive occasion where friends and family may come together and play cards for money.