According to the dictionary, a rule is an authoritative, a direction for conduct, or a governing power or its possession or use. When talking about card games rules, the question, which has to be asked is, who determines the rules? Here you can read who invented card games rules and how they were maintained during the years.

The history of card games proves that most of them where either invented by or developed out of a common game. Players have to accept the card games rules in order to participate in a game. The rules can be determined and maintained by the group who plays the game or by the specific venue that hosts the game, a house, a casino or a club.

When a game starts spreading around, the rules have to be kept. For example, when whist arrived to England in the 18th century, the members in the famous Portland Club had to follow a set of rules for participating in the game. Other clubs members decided to follow the Portland Club rules, instead of inventing their own sets of rules. Eventually, Portland Club rules became accepted all over England.

The correct set of card games rules are sometimes called in Hoyle, after the name of the author the book A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist. This book was published in 1742 an soon became the bible of card games players. After Hoyle death, many authors of card games rules books used his name, which became a synonymous to following the rules.

Card games rules have to be followed if you participate in an official game, for example in a poker tournament. If you play in a land based casino or in online casino, you must follow the house rules, which can vary from one place to another. When you are playing at home with your friends, you can invent as many card games rules as you want.