There is exactly one card of any given rank in any given suit in a single deck. Ranking indicates which cards within a suit are better, higher, or more valuable than others, whereas there is no order between the suits unless specified in the rules of a specific card game. Except for face cards, the number of pips on each card determines its rank.

The suit may also or be indicated by the color printed on the card. The symbols indicate which suit the card belongs to. Each of the cards bears one of several pips or symbols. One side of the card is visible to the players and the other side of the card is not visible. Playing cards is a game of incomplete information.