Curse of Scotland play. Curse of Scotland The Curse of Scotland is a nickname used for the Nine of Diamonds playing card. The expression has been used at least since the early 18th century, and many putative explanations have been given for the origin of this nickname for the card. In a book printed in London in 1708, "The British Apollo, or, Curious amusements for the ingenious", a question is posed: Q. "Why is the" Nine of Diamonds "called" the curse of Scotland? A. Diamonds as the Ornamental Jewels of a Regnal Crown, imply no more in the above-nam'd Proverb than a mark
Joker (playing card) Joker (playing card) The Joker is a playing card found in most modern card decks, as an addition to the standard four suits (clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades). The Joker originated in the United States during the Civil War and was created as a trump card for the game of Euchre. It has since been adopted into many other card games, where it may function as a wild card. The card is unique within the French pack in that it lacks an industry-wide standard appearance. In the game of Euchre, the highest trump card is the Jack of the trump