<P> It has been shown that because of the large number of possibilities from shuffling a 52 - card deck, it is probable that no two fair card shuffles have ever yielded exactly the same order of cards . </P> <P> Although French suited cards are the most common playing cards used internationally, there are many countries or regions that continue to use their own regional cards which are preferred for many games . For example, in Central Europe, German suited cards are widely used, Italian suited cards are common in Italy and Spanish suited cards on the Iberian peninsula . In addition, tarot cards are required for games such as French Tarot, which is widely played in France, and the Tarock family of games played in countries like Austria and Hungary . </P> <P> The fanciful design and manufacturer's logo commonly displayed on the ace of spades began under the reign of James I of England, who passed a law requiring an insignia on that card as proof of payment of a tax on local manufacture of cards . Until August 4, 1960, decks of playing cards printed and sold in the United Kingdom were liable for taxable duty and the ace of spades carried an indication of the name of the printer and the fact that taxation had been paid on the cards . The packs were also sealed with a government duty wrapper . </P> <P> Though specific design elements of the court cards are rarely used in game play and many differ between designs, a few are notable . </P>

How many jack of spades in a deck