Playing cards in song and story

The Charm School by Nelson DeMille.

Thank you! Been a long time and I’m glad someone recognized it.

In Evil Dead, one of the characters becomes possessed and recites the cards in the hand of another character (actually a pretty freaky scene, since it starts out as a fun guessing game and quickly morphs):

Love that scene.

Ohh, what about the star trek TNG episode where they’re playing poker and then start doing a repeating time thing. There was a three that Data imprinted on his memory to recall that Riker’s solution was the one that would work to break them out of it. Can’t recall the suit of the card off hand. Actually, I think all 4 three’s would count since in one of the hands of stud they were playing he dealt them all.

Russell, who remembers some things but not all details. :slight_smile:

I was trying to remember the hand in Cool Hand Luke, but I can’t.

Makes sence though cause it wasn’t really a hand, just a bluff, and you’re not supposed to remember it.

…from Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Willie, by His Bobness, Mr. Dylan:

Wherever you’re a"gamblin’ now, nobody knows.
When you played your cards with Willie, you never really know
Whether he was bluffin’ or whether he was true
He won a fortune from a man who folded in his chair
The man, he left a diamond flush, Willie didn’t even have a pair
And it’s ride, Willie, ride
Roll, Willie, roll
Wherever you’re a"gamblin’ now, nobody knows.

It was late one evenin’ during the poker game
A man lost all his money, he said Willie was to blame
He shot poor Willie through the head, which was a tragic fate
When Willie’s cards fell on the floor, they were aces backed with eights
And it’s ride, Willie, ride
Roll, Willie, roll
Wherever you’re a"gamblin’ now, nobody knows.

I’m not sure if this one counts, Jack of Diamonds by Waylon Jennings:

Sgt Schwartz

Loser by Robert Hunter and Garcia…

If I had a gun for every ace that I had drawn
I could arm a town the size of Abilene
Don’t you push me baby, 'cause I’m moaning low
And you know I’m only in it for the gold…

…Everybody’s bragging and drinking that wine
I can tell the Queen of Diamonds by the way she shines
Come to daddy on an inside straight
Well I got no chance of losing this time
Well I got no chance of losing this time

tsfr

In several Westerns, there’s a scene where the sharpshooter shoots out the pips on a card tossed in the air… We could probably get a few cards from those, if anyone can remember the specifics. I think this might have been done in Annie Get your Gun, and I think it might have been the Two of Clubs, but take both of those with a huge grain of salt.

Oooh, I have a good one for Jack of Diamonds

Cat-Eye Willie Claims His Lover:

"Bonnie Brown lay down the jack of diamonds.
Young Cody took the king of clubs in trade.
The queen of hearts was dealt to Simple Simon,
But Cat-Eye drew the ace of spades . . .

‘Oh build my tomb down in some meadow lonely
And mark it with the traitor diamond knave,
For I have served one master true and only,
And I shall sleep beside him in the grave.’"

The moral of the story: Strip poker should only go so far.

In the short-lived TV series Sword of Justice, the hero would send messages using cards.

At the beginning of each episode, he would send the villain a Three of Clubs, on which was written, “The Club is the Sign of Vengeance. It knows no man as friend.”

At the end of each episode, he would send the villain a Three of Spades, on which was written, “The Spade is the Sword of Justice. Its rapier marks the end.” (The villain would find and read the card just as the police were coming to arrest him.)

In between, the hero would send anonymous tips to the police, written on the Three of Hearts.