What to build from cards. The inner side of the process or how playing cards are made

Content:

There are several ways to build a house of cards. The "classic" method, which you may have seen on TV or in movies, is based on a series of triangular shapes that make up the foundation of a card pyramid. However, many professionals start their designs with squares or “cells” of four cards, which form a more solid foundation for complex structures.

Steps

1 Triangular house

This is a “classic” house of cards that you might have seen in the movies: a complex, but very stable structure. You will need to stack the cards in rows of triangles that form a pyramid.

1 Fold the first triangle. This “house” is the frame of the pyramid structure. Place the two cards against each other to form an upside-down "V". The top edges of the cards should touch, and the bottom edges should be at an equal distance from the central axis. First, practice making free-standing triangles, since the design of your house requires a large number of such elements.
2 Build the foundation. Make a continuous line of triangles, each consisting of two cards. The vertices of each triangle must be located at a distance not exceeding the length of one card. The number of triangles at the base determines the possible height of your house of cards: each subsequent “floor” will have one less triangle. For example, if your base consists of three triangles, then the entire house will include three “floors”; By building a base of six triangles, you will have more space and can build up to six floors. Start with a three-story house.
- Place each new triangle against the base of the adjacent triangle. As a result, you will get three triangles (they will take six cards) that will touch.
3 Overlap the triangles. Carefully lay the card on top of the first two triangles (let's call them first and second). The map must be perfectly balanced between the vertices. Now place another card between the second and third triangles. You will end up with a "base" of three triangles, covered by two cards (eight cards in total).
4 Build the next level. If your base consists of three triangles, then the next "floor" will be made of two. Try to fold each new triangle at the same angle as the two triangles below to maintain a secure structure. Place the base of each card on the top of the bottom triangle. After completing these two triangles, place one overlapping card on the two vertices.
- Be very careful. If you've done a good job with the base, it will be strong enough to hold the new cards, but be careful not to inadvertently hit your structure. Install new cards with light and careful movements.
- Having completed the construction of the second "floor", you will receive a pyramid consisting of thirteen cards: five triangles and three overlaps.
5 Add a vertex. To complete the construction of the house of cards, you need to place another triangle on top. Slowly and carefully place the two cards at the same angle as all the other triangles. Hold them until they are positioned properly, then remove your hands when you are confident that the top can stand on its own. If the structure holds up, then you have completed the construction of the house of cards!

2 Square of four cards

This is the most sustainable way to build large and complex houses of cards. A cage of four cards can support up to 320 grams per square centimeter, forming a foundation on which incredible structures can be built. Some professionals do not recognize other methods of building houses other than this.

1 Fold the cage. First, place two cards in a slightly offset "T" shape. Hold each card with one hand, with the ends perpendicular to the table. Lean them against each other to create another almost "T". Next, lean the third card against the center of the card from the previous "T". Complete the cell with the fourth card and the letter "T" so that the four cards touch each other and there is a square square in the middle.
- This is a basic square or "cell" of four cards. This option is perhaps the most sustainable of all possible when building a house of cards. Think of this square as a pattern that will be repeated throughout your design.
2 Make a "roof" or "ceiling". Cover your four-card square with two cards. Then lay down two more cards (turning them at 90 degree angles) to complete the roof. Double overlap will give the structure additional stability.
3 Add a second floor. Carefully make a second square of four cards on top of the horizontal cards. You will get a stable two-story structure. You can add new floors until you run out of cards or until you are satisfied with the height of the tower. Cells of four cards are strong enough to build a large number of floors on them.
- Add "wings" to the house by adding more T-bars to the ground floor. Every time you add cards perpendicular to the surface of the table, do not forget to cover them with a “ceiling”. This will strengthen your structure and give it the appearance of a house.
- Use your imagination. This method gives you almost unlimited possibilities regarding the size of the house!

3 Problem solving

1 Use cheap cards. Expensive professional quality cards usually have a smooth and glossy surface, so they tend to smudge. Cheaper cards are usually rougher and less slippery, so they hold together better.
2 Choose the right surface. Choose a safe and durable surface that will not move while building the house. Try building the house on a textured surface like a pool table or untreated wood. Cards may smudge on smooth surfaces like glass. You can use a tablecloth or lining to add texture, but remember that such loose bases can move unexpectedly.
- Make sure there is no draft! It is best to build a house of cards in a room with closed windows and doors and no hoods or fans turned on. It would be a shame if a gust of draft ruins your hard work.
3 Keep calm. Your house may fall apart due to a trembling hand or a sudden cramp. Gently but securely hold each card between two fingers of your dominant hand. Install cards effortlessly.
- Try placing cards in between breaths or immediately after exhaling. Breathe deeply and do not miss the short gap between exhalation and inhalation. At this moment, your body is in its calmest state, so it will be easier for you to control your trembling hands.

Do not use glue, tape, staples, paper clips or other fastening methods. Don't bend the cards in an attempt to hook one into the other or make slits to hold them together. These are all “tricks” that will not help you in any way when building a house of cards.
Try not to breathe on the house while working. A strong exhalation will easily destroy your structure.
Be patient. Haste will only become a hindrance!
Cell: Hold one card in each hand with the long end parallel to the table. Lean them against each other to create something like a slightly offset "T". Great. Now place the third card against the middle of one of the previous cards to create another distorted "T". Complete the cell with a fourth card in a "T" shape.

Do you know how to build a house of cards from ordinary playing cards without using glue or other additional means? It is a unique art form that requires constant practice, the ability to focus and the desire for perfection.

The Guinness Book of World Records has recorded cases of houses of cards being built 30 feet or more in height. The current record belongs to Brian Berg, an architect by profession and a house-of-cards builder by passion. He holds records in the sections “Tallest House of Cards” - a copy of the Dallas Skyline (8.53 m) and “House of Cards Built from the Largest Number of Cards” - a card copy of the Venetian Hotel in Macau, consisting of 4000 decks. Amazing, isn't it?

If you, inspired by Berg’s feat, have also decided to master the art of constructing buildings from cards, then just continue reading the article and learn the basic techniques for constructing houses of cards.

All you need from consumables is a deck of cards (or several, if you decide to immediately conquer heights) and nothing else. If you like to play cards with friends, then you can find a deck in your home. Then simply follow our instructions, step by step.

Step 1: Start with a Base
Where does building a house of cards begin? Of course, from the base, which acts as the foundation of our future construction, making it stable. To do this, you need to take two cards and place them so that they look like “/\”. The distance between the far ends of the card should be about 4-5 cm. The number of such blanks in the base depends on the expected height of your house of cards. Approach the process of your creativity logically - each subsequent row will be exactly one blank less than the bottom one. Once you've finished installing the base, place a row of cards on it horizontally. Your base is ready.

Step 2: Building the floors
Once you've finished working on the base, start building the next row. We take two cards again and place them according to the pattern of the base blanks. Now you need to be extremely careful not to destroy the result of your work. Each subsequent row will be one piece less than the previous one. For example, if your base consists of four pairs of cards, the first floor will be of three, the second of two and the last, third of one. That's it, your house of cards is ready. By the way, if you are already ready for serious projects and houses, then perhaps you will be interested in a smart home; registration on the Russian website is quick and you can immediately begin to familiarize yourself with the possibilities of miracle houses.

It was pretty simple, wasn't it? And the tips that are outlined below will make the process of building a house of cards even easier.

Tips for building a house of cards
You can use standard decks of cards, but for training it is better to use a non-new deck. Game Used cards are a little easier to work with as they are not as smooth and easier to install.
Choose a place without drafts, since any blow of wind can destroy your house of cards.
A sharp exhalation can also nullify all efforts.
The table without a tablecloth on which you sit should not be smooth.
During the learning process, you can lightly wet the edges of the cards.
Last but not least, be patient!

The smallest house of cards in the world

Thus, you will agree that if you follow the instructions, the process of building a house of cards becomes easy, fast and simple. Start with small buildings and gradually move to taller ones. As you gain experience, you can move on to mastering other techniques for building card houses. Build skyscrapers, stadiums and even domes. Good luck to you!

Steps

Triangular house

This is a “classic” house of cards that you might have seen in the movies: a complex, but very stable structure. You will need to stack the cards in rows of triangles that form a pyramid.

Fold the first triangle. This “house” is the frame of the pyramid structure. Place the two cards against each other to form an upside-down "V". The top edges of the cards should touch, and the bottom edges should be at an equal distance from the central axis. First, practice making free-standing triangles, since the design of your house requires a large number of such elements.

Build the foundation. Make a continuous line of triangles, each consisting of two cards. The vertices of each triangle must be located at a distance not exceeding the length of one card. The number of triangles at the base determines the possible height of your house of cards: each subsequent “floor” will have one less triangle. For example, if your base consists of three triangles, then the entire house will include three “floors”; By building a base of six triangles, you will have more space and can build up to six floors. Start with a three-story house.

Place each new triangle against the base of the adjacent triangle. As a result, you will get three triangles (they will take six cards) that will touch.

Overlap the triangles. Carefully lay the card on top of the first two triangles (let's call them first and second). The map must be perfectly balanced between the vertices. Now place another card between the second and third triangles. You will end up with a "base" of three triangles, covered by two cards (eight cards in total).

Build the next level. If your base consists of three triangles, then the next "floor" will be made of two. Try to fold each new triangle at the same angle as the two triangles below to maintain a secure structure. Place the base of each card on the top of the bottom triangle. After completing these two triangles, place one overlapping card on the two vertices.
- Be very careful. If you've done a good job with the base, it will be strong enough to hold the new cards, but be careful not to inadvertently hit your structure. Install new cards with light and careful movements.
- Having completed the construction of the second "floor", you will receive a pyramid consisting of thirteen cards: five triangles and three overlaps.
Add a vertex. To complete the construction of the house of cards, you need to place another triangle on top. Slowly and carefully place the two cards at the same angle as all the other triangles. Hold them until they are positioned properly, then remove your hands when you are confident that the top can stand on its own. If the structure holds up, then you have completed the construction of the house of cards!

Four card square

Fold the cage. First, place two cards in a slightly offset "T" shape. Hold each card with one hand, with the ends perpendicular to the table. Lean them against each other to create another almost "T". Next, lean the third card against the center of the card from the previous "T". Complete the cell with the fourth card and the letter "T" so that the four cards touch each other and there is a square square in the middle.

This is a basic square or "cell" of four cards. This option is perhaps the most sustainable of all possible when building a house of cards. Think of this square as a pattern that will be repeated throughout your design.

Make a "roof" or "ceiling". Cover your four-card square with two cards. Then lay down two more cards (turning them at 90 degree angles) to complete the roof. Double overlap will give the structure additional stability.

Add a second floor. Carefully make a second square of four cards on top of the horizontal cards. You will get a stable two-story structure. You can add new floors until you run out of cards or until you are satisfied with the height of the tower. Cells of four cards are strong enough to build a large number of floors on them.
- Add "wings" to the house by adding more T-bars to the ground floor. Every time you add cards perpendicular to the surface of the table, do not forget to cover them with a “ceiling”. This will strengthen your structure and give it the appearance of a house.
- Use your imagination. This method gives you almost unlimited possibilities regarding the size of the house!

Problem solving

Use cheap cards. Expensive professional quality cards usually have a smooth and glossy surface, so they tend to smudge. Cheaper cards are usually rougher and less slippery, so they hold together better.
Choose the right surface. Choose a safe and durable surface that will not move while building the house. Try building the house on a textured surface like a pool table or untreated wood. Cards may smudge on smooth surfaces like glass. You can use a tablecloth or lining to add texture, but remember that such loose bases can move unexpectedly.
- Make sure there is no draft! It is best to build a house of cards in a room with closed windows and doors and no hoods or fans turned on. It would be a shame if a gust of draft ruins your hard work.
- Cell: Hold one card in each hand with the long end parallel to the table. Lean them against each other to create something like a slightly offset "T". Great. Now place the third card against the middle of one of the previous cards to create another distorted "T". Complete the cell with a fourth card in a "T" shape.

According to the encyclopedia, cards are just sheets of paper for playing. However, as world history shows, these sheets of paper brought a lot of troubles and benefits, and sometimes even changed human destinies. Cards are not only a game of chance, but also a “patience trainer” - try building a house of cards.

Instructions

So, the card is a rectangle made of thin cardboard, which has two large sides and two small ones. To build a house of cards, you need at least one deck of 36 cards. To begin with, it is better to take tattered cards with wrinkled edges. They maintain stability better. You can also cheat a little and slightly wet the edges of the cards with saliva so that they stick together slightly. Houses must be built on a flat, smooth and stable surface.

Build a classic house. Take two cards, place them on small edges at a distance of about 5 cm from each other, tilt their vertices until they touch to form the letter L. Thus, build several more supporting vertices nearby. Next, place the cards flat on their tip so that one end of the card lies on one top, and the other end on the adjacent one. On the resulting site, again build support vertices, etc.

House made of triangles. Place three cards on large edges next to each other to form an equilateral triangle. Place one or two cards flat on this structure. On the resulting area, build a triangle again. With such triangles you can expand the house in different directions, adding card after card. The house turns out to be stable and resembles a triangular honeycomb.

Standard house. This method is used by most card “architects”. Take four cards and place them on the small edges in a square so that each subsequent side of the square starts from the middle of the edge of the card. If you look from above, it looks like four Ts connected to each other. This position of the cards is considered the most stable and allows you to assemble fairly high structures.

note

Passionate fans of cards at one time were A.S. Pushkin and F.M. Dostoevsky. And today the game of poker is considered a sports game; even world championships are held.

Building a house out of cards turns out to be not so easy. One must have patience, accuracy and concentration to carefully build such a house. What can we say about Brian Berg, who builds entire skyscrapers using several hundred thousand cards at a time.

Congressman Frank Underwood helps Garrett Walker win the presidency in exchange for a promise to make him Secretary of State. When this does not happen, Frank and his wife Claire decide to take revenge on Walker and remove him from his post. The search for allies and intrigue against the current cabinet begins.

Main storylines

President Walker assigned Frank to draft the education bill with Donald Blythe. Frank manages to make the draft version of the project known to the public. This way he gets rid of his colleague, gains full control over the work, and when the finished project is signed by the president, he increases his political authority.
A young journalist for The Washington Herald, Zoe Barnes, agrees to publish information from Underwood without asking any questions. Everyone wins: Zoe's career is going up, and Underwood gets the opportunity to leak dirt on his rivals.
Claire runs a non-profit conservation organization. Due to Frank's failed appointment, she has to fire half of her employees. She realizes that the relationship between her husband and journalist Barnes goes beyond business, so she resumes meetings with her former lover Adam Galloway.
Underwood helps Peter Russo build his career and points out what decisions he should make in the House of Representatives. Everything is going great until, due to Peter's fault, 12,000 people in his hometown were fired. Rousseau plunges into life, abuses alcohol and drugs. He then decides to go to the competent authorities to repent and talk about the abuse of power.
At the end of the season, Frank meets businessman Tusk, an ally and friend of President Walker. He learns that it was because of Tusk that he did not get the position of Secretary of State. The congressman and businessman manage to agree on cooperation, and Underwood takes the post of vice president.

Frank commits his first murder: together with his assistant Doug Stemer, he gets rid of Peter Russo, framing everything as suicide. This came as a shock to the audience. Yes, we understood that Underwood was ready to go to great lengths to realize himself in politics, but we did not expect that it would come to a real crime.

Zoe Barnes begins her own investigation and realizes that Underwood is involved in this case. This becomes the main intrigue until the second season.

What happened in the second season?

It would seem that you can calm down after receiving the prestigious position of vice president. But the ambitious politician aims further and strives to take the presidency. At the same time, he acts using the usual methods: manipulation and intrigue.

Main storylines

Journalist Zoe Barnes continues to investigate the strange circumstances of Russo's death. Underwood invites her to start the relationship from scratch. They meet at a metro station, where the politician pushes her in front of a train.
Journalist Lucas Goodwin, who is in love with Barnes, continues her work and tries to get to the bottom of the truth. To do this, he finds a hacker to read Underwood's correspondence. But the FBI interferes with the investigation: Lucas is accused of cyber terrorism and imprisoned for 10 years.
Faithful assistant Doug Stamper is hiding in a neighboring state Rachel Posner, the girl who got Russo drunk before his death and is the only witness to the connection between Peter's murder and the vice president. She is forbidden to have contact with the outside world, but Doug gradually becomes attached to Rachel.
Claire has an abortion to continue her political career, and the public finds out about it. But the Underwoods decided to turn this circumstance to their advantage: Claire tells everyone about the rape and, together with the first lady, begins a campaign against violence in the army.
Raymond Tusk is teaming up with Chinese businessman Xander Feng and Indian casinos to raise large sums for the Republican Party's midterm elections. The Democrats do not have such funds, so Frank takes action. He forces Feng to confess in exchange for diplomatic immunity. It becomes known about Tusk's criminal money laundering scheme, and he is arrested. Trust ratings for the president are falling, Walker resigns.

What was most memorable about this season?

The writers began to surprise viewers from the first episode: Underwood commits a second murder, and one of the most important characters in history. Zoe's death was considered an accident. There was hope that Lucas would be able to get justice, but he too is quickly disposed of.

The political games become more sophisticated: Frank takes the presidency, and Walker does not even realize that his career has come to an end due to the fault of Underwood.

The story of the relationship between Stamper and Posner ends with an unexpected twist. Doug again transports the girl to another city. But Rachel is sure that they want to get rid of her, so during a stop in the forest she hits Stamper on the head with a brick and runs away.

What happened in season three?

This season, all of Underwood's actions are aimed at not remaining in history as a president simply resting in his chair after the impeachment of his predecessor. Therefore, he begins to actively engage in foreign policy and promote the AmWorks bill, designed to solve problems with unemployment. And while Frank is preparing for the upcoming elections, Claire is aiming for the post of UN Ambassador.

Main storylines

A new hero appears in the series - Russian President Viktor Petrov (it immediately becomes clear who inspired the creators). Underwood tries to persuade him to participate in a joint peacekeeping operation, and Petrov demands the removal of the air defense system in Eastern Europe.
To come to an agreement with Petrov, the president travels to Moscow with the first lady. There, Claire persuades the imprisoned American activist to agree to Petrov’s conditions and be released, but when Claire falls asleep, he hangs himself with her scarf in his prison cell. After this incident, Claire publicly criticizes the Russian president. An agreement has not been reached, and a conflict flares up between Frank and Claire.
Doug Stamper is found by passersby. The long process of recovery from injury begins. He falls out of political life for several months. But upon his return, he takes up unfinished business and looks for Rachel, who lives on fake documents in a small town. Doug faces a difficult choice: prove his loyalty to Underwood and get rid of her forever, or leave the girl alone.
Frank is seeking money for his AmWorks program and is campaigning against Heather Dunbar. He manages to win the primary in Iowa by a razor-thin margin, but Claire doesn't show up to support him. The conflict between the spouses flares up more and more, and eventually Claire announces her departure.

What was most memorable about this season?

Already in the first episode, the President of Russia appears (which caused a heated discussion among the Russian-speaking audience of the series) and members of the scandalous group Pussy Riot. The confrontation, who want to show the world their strength and insight, adds interest to what is happening.

The difficult story of Doug has ended: at first he decided not to touch Rachel, but then he kills the girl and buries her corpse in the desert.

But, of course, the main conflict begins to unfold not in the political arena, but in the relationship between Frank and Claire, who until this moment have always acted as a united front.

What happened in season four?

Things are only heating up between Frank and Claire, even though Underwood needs to focus on the election. He will have to meet a new political opponent, solve problems with terrorists and even come close to death.

Main storylines

Relations with Claire are strained to the limit, but unexpectedly the couple find a compromise: Frank is elected to the post of president, and Claire becomes vice president in the new cabinet. And this makes sense: Claire successfully achieves an agreement with Russia.
Frank's new opponent is Will Conway. The young governor of New York, a Republican, a former military man, a public favorite and an exemplary family man. But he has a lot in common with Underwood: he is ready to do anything to achieve his goals and career in politics.
For the first time, House of Cards addresses the issue of terrorism and extremist organizations. But for Underwood, this is another opportunity to show off to voters and avoid responsibility for past mistakes. Extremists take an American family hostage. Frank refuses to negotiate with the terrorists, then the father of the family is executed. When the video of the execution hits all television channels, Underwood declares war on the extremists.
Suddenly, journalist Lucas Goodwin reappears in the series. He is released early under the witness protection program. He takes this opportunity to show the world Underwood's true colors. But even Frank's political opponents do not take the former prisoner seriously. Then Goodwin decides to take a desperate step: he comes to Underwood’s meeting with voters and shoots him. And he dies from a shot from Mitchum's guard.

What was most memorable about this season?

The most unexpected event of the entire season was the assassination attempt on Underwood, as a result of which he received two bullet wounds. The politician barely waited for the donor liver. And then he immediately joined the election race.

There are three weeks left before the elections. Therefore, the president needs decisive measures. He declares war on terrorism and hopes to gain the approval of the population by instilling fear in them.

What's next?

In January 2016, Netflix announced a fifth season, which will be released on May 30, 2017. It is noteworthy that the teaser for the new season of House of Cards was released on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration. Apparently, in the new season we will see more references to the real political situation in the United States.