I travel light. 

After years of being a guitarist, I appreciate that bridge (and a few hundred other card games) require much lighter equipment than the average “jam session.” 

This means that I’m almost always carrying a card deck, whether it’s a short walk or a long wait. Card decks are cheap, readily available and one of the most versatile things you can carry on you. 

Here are Z good reasons to always have a deck within reach.

1. Shuffling Practice

Shuffling is a fine art, and there are a few different ways to do it ranging from the simple overhand shuffle to the blackjack shuffle (and yes, even more elaborate ones). Learn how to cut a deck into twos and threes by instinct and feel, and keep practicing your shuffle until you can do it while you walk and with the wind blowing!

2. Developing Muscle Memory

Some skills should be practiced until they are committed to memory – and then a little further until they become muscle memory. It’s why some street food chefs work at the speed of light, or why musicians will soar through pieces they’ve practiced well.

At first, hands tend to feel self-conscious and slow when picking up a new skill. Eventually, this gives way to being able to do it without being able to think about it twice. That’s muscle memory.

Simple card tricks are a great way to improve muscle memory and overall dexterity anywhere you go.

3. Making Decisions 

If you aren’t sure which path to take when it comes to a difficult life decision, draw a card from the deck. It might not foretell your future, but you’ll either realize your disappointment or excitement when you turn the card over – and this tells you everything about which option you are subconsciously hoping for.

If you’re disappointed at the cards answering yes, you know that your preferred option is the opposite. 

4. Testing Your Recall

How many cards out of a deck in a row can you remember? How about if you packed them into a grid in front of you, tried to memorize them faces up and then flipped them back over to guess? What if you did this at four in the morning and again at five in the afternoon? Card decks are useful for testing your recall (and boosting your memory) with simple recall like these.

5. Cards and Connections

Card decks create connections. Sometimes these encounters are brief, and other times (like the case of many bridge partnerships) these connections will last for years or decades. If you have a deck of cards, it’s a way to connect with people – whether you’re a master of cardistry or whether you invite them for a game of poker, baccarat or bridge. 

6. Card Throwing, Anyone? 

Card throwing makes for a very useful skill in tight spots, including muggings. Even if you can’t throw a card hard enough to slice, I’ve found that you can throw a playing card more than fast enough to distract and run – which can be the safer, preferred option.

7. Quick-Fixes

Cheaper card decks have their uses too. 

Wobbling bridge table? Place a few cards under the shorter leg. Terrified of spiders? Use a playing card to remove it safely. Spilled salt? Use the edge of a playing card. A playing card placed on top of your drink can even help to keep wayward bugs out of it. Walking and afraid of getting lost? Instead of breadcrumbs, stick a pip under a rock to mark the spot. 

Sure, these are some unexpected uses, but that’s the whole point.