The Joker Was Invented for a Single Card Game
A joker is a person who jokes, and an extra playing card. The card was added to American packs in the 1860s for euchre.
A joker is someone who makes jokes, and the extra card in a pack. The card has a precise origin: American players of euchre in the 1860s needed a highest trump, and the card they added was called the *best bower*, from German *Bauer*, a farmer or jack. The name drifted to *juker* and then *joker*, apparently influenced by the game's own name. Most packs now contain two, and many games ignore them entirely.
- One who jokes. *He's a real joker.*
- An extra card. *Play the joker.*
- A wildcard. *Jokers are wild.*
- Euchre — the game it was made for. *A game of euchre.*
- Joker in the pack — an unpredictable element. *The joker in the pack.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | joker | A joker. |
| Plural | jokers | Two jokers. |
| Verb | joke | Don't joke. |
| Noun | joke | A bad joke. |
| German | Bauer | A jack, a farmer. |
- Remove the jokers before dealing.Cards.
- He was always the joker of the group.Person.
- It was invented for euchre.History.
Cards added late to the pack
- Joker — added in America in the 1860s for euchre
- Two jokers became standard, often one coloured and one black
- Ace of spades carries the maker's mark, from a British tax stamp
- Court cards were standardised much earlier in France
- Many games simply discard the jokers before play
From *joke*, Latin *iocus*, a jest. The card sense is American, from the 1860s, probably from *juker*, from German *Bauer*.
Why was the joker invented?
American euchre players needed a card outranking all trumps, and the extra card they added became the joker.
Why does the ace of spades carry the maker's name?
It descends from a British tax stamp, which was printed on that card to show duty had been paid.