House of cards

Lore & Background

A house of cards, also called a card tower or card castle, is a structure built by stacking playing cards atop one another, often arranged in a pyramid shape. These constructions rely solely on balance and friction to remain upright; ideally, no adhesives or external fasteners are used, and the cards themselves are neither damaged nor altered. The larger the structure, the greater the number of balanced cards that could fail, potentially compromising the whole building.

However, professional card stacker and architect Bryan Berg argues that adding more cards actually strengthens the tower, as the weight pressing down on the base increases friction, allowing occasional cards to shift without causing a total collapse. He also notes that proper stacking lets cards function as shear walls, providing considerable stability. The term "house of cards" has been used since 1645 as an expression for a structure or argument built on a shaky foundation, one that will collapse if a necessary element is removed.

Structures built by layering in this way, such as Stonehenge, are referred to as "house of cards architecture," a practice dating back to the Cyclopean and Megalithic ages. The phrase’s origin is debated, with some tracing it to 18th-century England and others believing it has an American base. Subsequent records were submitted by Rosie Farner (twenty stories, April 1902) and F. M. Hollams (twenty-five stories, February 1903), both of England.

Reader's Guide

The structures created using this method rely on nothing more than balance and friction in order to stay upright. Ideally, adhesives or other external connecting methods are not used, and no damage or alterations are made to the cards themselves.

The larger the structure, the higher the number of balanced cards that could fail and compromise the integrity of the card building. Professional card stacker and trained architect Bryan Berg claims, however, that the more cards placed on a tower the stronger it becomes because the weight of the cards pushing down on the base (increasing friction) allows occasional cards to stumble without the entire structure collapsing. He also claims that proper stacking technique allows cards to function as shear walls, giving considerable stability to the structure.

Did You Know?

• Bryan Berg currently holds the world record for tallest house of cards, a 25 ft "skyscraper" completed at the State Fair of Texas on October 14, 2007.
• Berg also holds the record for the largest house of cards, a category Guinness invented for the event, for a replica of Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World.