Of quite a number of card games of varying ages and complexity, one factor they share is the game being played with a standard modern card deck of 52 cards and maybe a pair of jokers. The games range from the many variations in poker and solitaire to the basic uniform rules of twenty-one or blackjack, go fish, baccarat, all of them played quite successfully with one or more decks at a time, using the one same unvarying set of cards. At the same time, aside from the card decks that are specifically tailored for one game only, the other deck of cards that is in fairly major circulation is that of the tarot.
Of the tarot, both it and the regular card deck seem to have a parallel and interlinked history that dates back to Europe of the 1400s to 1500s. From there, there are all sorts of speculations and stated origins, all of which are outside the scope or interest of this paper, although Oy Vey do some of the websites on the subject get Really Thick with How Deeply Symbolic and Magickally Greatly SigNificant They All Are . . .
At any rate, there are indeed a number of points which seem to be universally agreed upon, or at least a look at a number of decks, both tarot and regular play, do make them obvious.
A deck of 52
The regular playing deck is made of four suits of 13 cards each, for the total of 52. The suits are hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs, and within each suit, the cards start with the Ace and then the 2, and continue up to the 10 and the Jack, Queen, and King. In varying games, the Ace can be the supreme card or be rated below the 2, which suit is being played can have significance to the play of the game, and so forth as the deck gets used for it's primary use as a means of playing games.
A deck of 78
Of the basic tarot deck, one of its stated origins is as merely a playing card variation. Today, such a deck is still used in game play, but a primary use is as a divination tool where there almost seems to be about as many variations in placement and interpretation, and also style of divination deck, as there are practitioners. Almost.
The tarot deck itself is divided into two groups of cards, called the minor and major arcanas. The minor arcana is made of four suits of 14 cards each, where the four suits are: 1) Wands, staffs, or batons. 2) Cups. 3) Swords. 4) Pentacles or coins. The regular card deck's Jack, Queen, and King are replaced by the tarot deck's Page, Knight, Queen, and King. The major arcana is a series of 22 individual cards that represent historical and legendary archetypes that begins with the Fool at number 0 and The Magician at number 1, and finishes with Judgment and The World, numbers 20 and 21.
The tarot-as-game theories state that the the major arcana were merely cards that would have particular meanings or influences within the individual game being played with them. This does tend to be the case with 78 card tarot playing decks. For those using the tarot for divination, the individual cards of both arcana are considered to have particular philosophical meanings which come out as each card is played. The minor arcana have generally prosaic meanings, with the major arcana having the entirely universal meanings and influence.
With tarot game playing decks, the cards are like regular playing cards in that all the cards are printed so that they will read the same regardless of which end is up. With a regular divination oriented tarot deck, the cards have only one orientation, letting them be placed face up but upside down, which is called "reversing". When a card is so reversed, there are variations in meanings, but the meaning of the reversed card is almost entirely the opposite of the card placed upright. Such reversing of cards is a very important matter because with both majors and minors, most of the meanings of the cards are basically benign when upright. Reversal of most of the cards can give the bad news of the reading and thus guarantees requiring the possibility of card reversals in all readings. After all, in all circumstances and not just divinatory, fantasizing that bad news is just not relevant usually proves guaranteed to bring disaster in any circumstance.
Beyond that, a main variation to note is that in various tarot decks, the conceptual images related to the numbers 8 and 11 in the major arcana cards are switched. The historically documented reason for these differences is found in Thee Ollde And Deeply Symbolick Discussions Of Dyverssee Greate Masteres, As Mentioneeed Aebove(1). However, as readings tend to be based more on the image of the major arcana card rather than its number, the switch in the images tends to have little effect. For playing Two-Win, the game described here, the switch in images has no effect at all.
(1) Yeah, I juste hate it when mye "E" key gets stucke that waye. Ande Whate du youe mean its notte cleareley documenttedde?? Off Course It's Doceumemetede. Aske Ye Localle Experte to showe you. Alsoe aske f'r a deale on oceanne beachefronte propertie in Arizona. Butte I digresse.
Adapting 52 card play to 78 cards
For the purposes of playing card games usually played with a regular card deck, the extra card of the minor arcana and the entirety of the major arcana are easily adapted to preexisting games. Two-Win as a game has particularly been drawn from holdem and high low varieties of poker, from twenty-one, and from pai gow poker. Of much more complex games such as bridge, those already are somewhat the nature of the modern tarot variation playing games and decks.
A game called Two-Win
For playing Two-Win, the adaptations are as follows.
The minor arcana is unchanged, with the numeric value of the face cards being 10 and the Aces being 1 or 11, as in twenty-one. The major arcana is divided into three suits, 1-10, 11-20, and 21 and 0. The numeric values of the major arcana have two possibilities. When counting in twenty-one, the value is the entire number of 0 through 21. When counting in poker, the value is the second displayed digit of two, counting 0 as 10. Thus;
The Fool
10
Or
0
The Magician
Ace or 11
Or
1
The High Priestess
2
Or
2
The Empress
3
Or
3
The Emperor
4
Or
4
The Hierophant
5
Or
5
The Lovers
6
Or
6
The Chariot
7
Or
7
Strength or Justice
8
Or
8
The Hermit
9
Or
9
The Wheel of Fortune
10
Or
10
Justice or Strength
Ace or 11
Or
11
The Hanged Man
2
Or
12
Death
3
Or
13
Temperance
4
Or
14
The Devil
5
Or
15
The Tower
6
Or
16
The Star
7
Or
17
The Moon
8
Or
18
The Sun
9
Or
19
Judgment
10
Or
20
The World
Ace or 11
Or
21
Minor suits have no particular order or precedence in play.
As Two-Win is played with a tarot deck rather than a regular card deck, then card play also features reversal of cards in the same manner as using a tarot deck for divination. This does rather emphasize that the shuffling of the cards must always rotate half the deck. As contrasted with the shuffling of a regular deck, the importance of reversed cards when shuffling a tarot deck requires the complete change of orientation as well as order.
The orientation of the cards dealt to each player is up to that player. The orientation of the community cards remains as they are placed, whether upright or reversed. The orientation of upright is in the direction of the dealer and away from the players, with the head of a face card towards the dealer, to aid the players in reading the cards.
For assembling of hands in poker, upright and reversed each count as their own orientation and provide differencing where upright takes precedence. An Ace thus is different from an Ace reversed, and takes precedence. A pair of 7s upright and a pair of 7s reversed are two pair, not four of a kind. A pair of 7s upright take precedence over a pair of 7s reversed. For assembling of hands in twenty-one, reversed cards have a value of zero.
Any hand with a major takes precedence over any hand with no major. The Empress and Death will beat The Empress or Death and any 3, which will beat a pair of 3s. Also, to repeat, any hand whatsoever with a major takes precedence over any hand with no major. A hand with Death reversed and a high card of the 8 of Wands will beat a Straight Flush of minor cards.
The best to worst standard poker hands are as follows, as usual; Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card. The difference with playing with a tarot deck changes the Royal Flush by making it Ace, King, Queen, Knight, Page, and all cards upright or reversed. A Royal Flush reversed will beat any other all minor hand, but because any major takes precedence over any minor, any Royal Flush will be beaten by any hand with a major. And for any three players where the external cards are the 8 of Wands reversed--(0), The Hanged Man--(12), and the 3 of Pentacles--(3), for a total of 15, a 6 and The Fool will beat a 2 and a 4, but will lose to The Lovers or The Tower and any other major card reversed.
Playing Two-Win
Two-Win starts with a small and big blind bet from the two players to the immediate and further left of the dealer or designated dealer.
In such an instance, a minimum betting amount tends to be agreed upon for the game in general. For tournament play, any rate of increase of the minimum bet tends to get agreed upon previous to play. The big blind is that minimum amount, the small blind is half that amount, and if the big blind does not divide evenly, then the small blind is rounded down to the next viable increment. Placing of the blind bets starts the game with money in play.
All bets in Two-Win are separated into two pots at the end of each hand, the internal and external pots, with any remainder amount going to the internal pot. If play is continuing with only one pot won in the previous game, there is no blind.
Play begins with each player receiving four face down cards, with the player in the small blind position receiving the first card, and the player in the dealer position receiving the last card. Two of the player cards will become part of a five card hand of poker, and the other two of the cards will be used to play twenty-one in conjunction with three community cards. All four player cards are used equally, no one card plays in both hands. Each individual card has only one upright or reversed orientation in play, no one card plays as both an upright or reversed card during a single game.
The dealer then places five cards face down in a row, and then three more cards face down in a row perpendicular to the first five and next to the fifth card. A T shape is thus formed, with the three cards as the crossbar. The first five cards are the internal cards and are individually and in placement order called the root, the past, the future, and the shared outcome---If someone really wants to be picky, call the first card of the S.O. Shared, and the second, Outcomes. The remaining three cards become the external cards.
The internal cards provide the community cards which the players use to form a five card hand of poker with two of their four cards. The external cards provide the beginning of a game of twenty-one, where again, reversed cards have a value of zero, and if the external cards add up to more than 21, they are counted as zero. The two cards not used for the poker hand are added to the external cards to play twenty-one, trying to reach 21 without going over. The player chooses which of the four cards to use and the upright or reversed orientation in play.
Of the external cards, as each player is playing twenty-one against the house as well as well as any other players,, when the house has a natural 21, only another natural 21 can match that, as a natural 21 beats all other twenty-one card combinations, even 21 achieved with additional cards. Such an equal play of player and house is considered a tie.
The first round of betting occurs, with checks, calls, and folds.
If at least two players remain, the dealer then turns up the root card, particularly turning the card on its long axis, to maintain the card orientation.
The second round of betting occurs, with checks, calls, and folds.
If at least two players remain, the dealer then turns the past and the future, again turning the cards on the long axis.
The third round of betting occurs, with checks, calls, and folds.
If at least two players remain, the dealer then turns the shared outcome, again turning the cards on the long axis.
The fourth round of betting occurs, with checks, calls, and folds.
If at least two players remain, the dealer then turns the external cards, again turning the cards on the long axis.
The fifth round of betting occurs, with checks, calls, and folds.
Finally, if at least two players remain, the showdown takes place, with each player showing each set of cards as internal and external as well as upright or reversed.
The best poker hand wins the internal pot, and the best twenty-one hand wins the external pot. When there is a tie in the best poker hands, the highest twenty-one hand wins both pots, and when there is a tie in the highest twenty-one hands, the highest poker hand wins both pots. A tie in both hands leaves both pots on the table for a next game. When a pot does not get won, it remains on the table and is divided evenly for the next game, or if play is to end, it is divided evenly among the players, with any remainder going to the immediately previous winner. A tie in a single hand is No-Win, to win one pot in a single hand is One-Win, to win both pots in a single hand is Two-Win.
Playing Two-Win Solitaire
For Two-Win Solitaire, the single player plays against the same house layout of five and three as a several player game, for five rounds. The house and player cards are dealt from a full deck of cards, where the deck is very thoroughly shuffled before each round. The game is won by winning both parts of all five rounds. If there is a tie or loss of any part of any round, the player loses.
Play begins with five face up cards in a row, and then three more face up cards in a row perpendicular to the first five and next to the fifth card. These cards are played as they are dealt, with upright or reversed counting differently as always. A T shape is thus formed, with the three cards as the crossbar. The first five cards are the internal cards and are individually and in placement order called the root, the past and future, and the shared outcomes. The remaining three cards become the external cards.
The internal cards provide a five card hand of poker. The external cards provide the beginning of a game of twenty-one, where again, reversed cards have a value of zero, and if the external cards add up to more than 21, they are counted as zero and are considered a bust.
Of the external cards, as each player is playing twenty-one against the house, when the house has a natural 21, only another natural 21 can match that, as a natural 21 beats all other twenty-one card combinations, even 21 achieved with additional cards. Such an equal play of player and house is considered a tie.
The player deals out seven player cards.
Next, if the external cards have a value of less than 16, and have not already gone over 21, then the player deals additional cards, where they are placed face up, and the orientation is revealed as they are dealt and is how they play. This dealing continues until reaching or exceeding a value of 17. Reversed cards count as zero, and reaching a count over 21 is a bust.
The player then plays the seven player cards against the house layout of internal and external cards.
Five of the player cards will become part of a five card hand of poker. . The two cards not used for the poker hand are played against the external cards to play twenty-one, trying to reach a higher number than the external cards without going over 21. The player chooses which of the seven cards to use and the upright or reversed orientation in play. All seven player cards are used equally, no one card plays in both hands. Each individual card has only one upright or reversed orientation in play, no one card plays as both an upright or reversed card during a single game.
When the seven cards have been played, and if the player’s pair of twenty-one cards have less value than the external cards, the player may then select additional cards to try beat the external cards in twenty-one.
The best poker hand wins the internal cards, and the best twenty-one hand wins the external cards. When there is a tie in the poker hands, the highest twenty-one hand wins both sets, and when there is a tie in the twenty-one hands, the highest poker hand wins both sets. A tie in a single hand is No-Win, to win one set in a single hand is One-Win, to win both sets in a single hand is Two-Win.