Symbolic meaning of the ace of spades ?

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Dutch:

Is the ace of spades a bad omen, or an indicator of anything negative?

Figure, if anybody, poker players would know of some superstitions about it. All I can think of is the phrase, "Black as the ace of spades." Am wondering if that actually refers to bad luck of some kind, or if it's just used because the ace of spades is an all-black card.

On the other hand, is the ace of spades thought of as the best card one could have? If memory serves me correctly, it's thought of as the best card in blackjack.
So, what does the ace of spades mean? Superstitions, symbolism, pop culture or literary references anything that could shed light on this question would be appreciated.

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Wayne D Cowey:

In England decks of cards were taxed. To enforce the tax only the authorized government printers could prints the Ace of Spades. The spade symbol was made very ornate, like highly decorative. The card company then had to purchase the ace of spade cards from the authorized printers. The presence of the ace was proof that the tax had been paid. The symbol was made ornate to make counterfeiting more difficult.

Wayne

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Rich:

You should read "Big Deal" by Anthony Holden. He goes into some detail on it. Apparently some Asian cultures regard it as a bad omen, which is why the US troops were given decks of As to leave on the Viet Cong they killed.
Rich
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Bad Bob:

[nq:1]Is the ace of spades a bad omen, or an indicator of anything negative? Figure, if anybody, poker players would ... mean? Superstitions, symbolism, pop culture or literary references anything that could shed light on this question would be appreciated.[/nq]
I'm not sure but when you read the future or use a regular deck of cards in the place of a Tarot deck, the Ace of Spades replaces the deaths head card.. Grim reaper or what have you.
Bad Bob the Albino
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aaron:

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Rob 7ManUtd:

they have saddam as the Ace of Spades.
also when playing blackjack always split your Usays and Qudays.

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M.F.:

GOD,THe supreme being...k is man q is woman jack is the devil..
[nq:1]Is the ace of spades a bad omen, or an indicator of anything negative? Figure, if anybody, poker players would ... mean? Superstitions, symbolism, pop culture or literary references anything that could shed light on this question would be appreciated.[/nq]
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Dutch:

LMFAO
This whole "death card" thing is really creepy. I knew about them being used in Vietnam, but had no idea it was the Ace of Spades.

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Dutch:

Thanks for this. I don't think I would have ever learned about that, if you hadn't responded.
This is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for.

If anybody else has information about the Ace of Spades, please respond.

I also wouldn't mind knowing about other cards, but that might draw the thread too far off topic. Maybe a new thread should be started?

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Dutch:

Have made a note to find that book.
I do have some interest in Asian superstitions. For example, the number 24 means "die easily" in China. This led me to believe that the creators of that TV series are geniuses.

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Symbolic meaning of the ace of spades ?

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