(1) A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. (2) Often the front (face) and back of each card has a finish to make handling easier. (3) They are most commonly used for playing card games, and are also used in magic tricks, cardistry, card throwing, and building card houses. (4) Playing cards are typically palm-sized for convenient handling, and usually are sold together in a set as a deck of cards or pack of cards. (5) Playing cards are available in a wide variety of styles, as decks may be custom-produced for casinos and magicians or made as promotional items.