Card decks are amazing as an art-form, and browsing through decks is one of my favourite things to do.

Every deck you’ll ever see or hold took someone’s effort and time to design and create.

There are many great and beautiful decks out there. But there are also card decks that shouldn’t exist.

Almost any card enthusiast can name at least one deck they feel this way about. Decks that are too weird, or ones that were so incredibly specific that they just seem strangely out of place today.

Deck creators draw inspiration from many things. Sometimes it’s television. Sometimes that’s questionable.

Here are some of the weird card decks from television that shouldn’t exist (but do).

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Bridge with Buffy, anyone?

If you don’t know the Vampire Slayer, just picture the closest thing 90s kids had to the Twilight Saga – or for that matter, Nosferatu.

The series was not bad (although opinions differ), and I’d even say it was watchable at the best of times.

It’s just that the card deck seems baffling. Instead of bringing homage to the show, it goes in the drawer of stuff the family won’t touch for about ten or fifteen years. Many people probably own it, but just forgot that it’s there.

If I wanted to see vampires on a card deck, my personal choice would be closer to Lestat. VTM: Bloodlines, even. 

Angel Playing Cards

If you were a devoted enough Buffy fan, television executives eventually decided that you would probably watch a spin-off. Angel was that spin-off.

Angel was the flip-side to Buffy. She’s the vampire slayer, and he’s the vampire. Occasionally, they would toss in voodoo or zombies just to keep the plot fresh.

Do you want any of the actors frozen in time, stuck and staring at you from the table in all their 90s wonder?

Well, here you go, you weirdo.

Cheers Playing Cards

The bar where everyone knows your name, but nobody offers to pick up the bill.

Cheers was created in the era where situational comedy hit a unique boom that I’m not sure we’ll ever see again on television.

Here’s the Meet Me In Cheers promotional card deck from the show.

I’d actually say this one might be fitting for bridge. They had enough people in the bar at any one time!

Friends Playing Cards

Ah, Friends.

Even the cast members have issued statements to apologize for how outdated (and sometimes irrelevant) the plot and characters of Friends appears today.

It’s still worth the occasional viewing, though, and I binge-watch far more Friends than I would like to admit.

Want to win a trick with Ross or Rachel?

That’s what this deck is for.

Seinfeld Playing Cards

It’s only natural that this list would eventually reach the point where we talk about Seinfeld. Together with Friends and Cheers, one could say that Seinfeld did a lot for the popularity of the sitcom.

Jerry represents diamonds, Elaine is hearts, George is clubs, which leaves Kramer with spades.

Do you agree with their take on the Seinfeld deck’s suits, or would you have arranged them in a different order?

Now, which television-inspired card decks would you call the best (or worst) in existence?