<P> 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 in that it lacks an industry - wide standard appearance . </P> <P> In the game of Euchre, the highest trump card is the Jack of the trump suit, called the right bower (from the German Bauer); the second - highest trump, the left bower, is the Jack of the suit of the same color as trumps . Around 1860, American Euchre players may have devised a higher trump, the "Best Bower", out of a blank card . </P>

What's the joker for in a deck of cards