[Tex/LaTex] simple way to typeset playing cards

symbols

I'm writing some probability lectures and would like to typeset some playing cards.

I'm aware of the poker and pst-poker packages, but can't get them to work. Is there a less sophisticated way to typeset playing cards?

Best Answer

EDITED to flip-the-pip in the lower right of the card (hat tip Aofl), and to add a club (flower) suit example:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabstackengine,xcolor,rotating}
\newcommand\blackcard[2]{%
  \begingroup\fboxsep=0pt\relax
  \fbox{\tabbedCenterstack{%
  \scriptsize$#2$ && \\&\makebox[10pt]{#1}&\\&
  &\rotatebox[origin=c]{180}{\scriptsize$#2$}}}%
  \endgroup}
\newcommand\redcard[2]{%
  \begingroup\fboxsep=0pt\relax
  \fbox{\color{red}\tabbedCenterstack{%
  \scriptsize$#2$ && \\&\makebox[10pt]{#1}&\\&&\rotatebox[origin=c]{180}{\scriptsize$#2$}}}%
  \endgroup}
\begin{document}
\blackcard{Q}{\spadesuit}
\redcard{10}{\heartsuit}
\blackcard{8}{\clubsuit}
\redcard{A}{\diamondsuit}
\end{document}

enter image description here

I thank corporal for stepping in, in my absence, to help with some of the OP's follow-up questions (HOOAH!). Here, I employ his suggestions, though making some small changes, to account for different glyph widths among the packages.

The Joker I provide gratis.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabstackengine,xcolor,txfonts,fancybox,arev,graphicx}
\cornersize{.1}
\newcommand\blackcard[2]{%
  \begingroup\fboxsep=0pt\relax
  \Ovalbox{\tabbedCenterstack{%
  \makebox[0pt][l]{\scriptsize$#2$} && \\
    &\makebox[22pt]{#1}&\\
    &&\makebox[0pt][r]{\rotatebox[origin=c]{180}{\scriptsize$#2$}}}}%
  \endgroup}
\newcommand\redcard[2]{%
  \begingroup\fboxsep=0pt\relax
  \Ovalbox{\color{red}\tabbedCenterstack{%
  \makebox[0pt][l]{\scriptsize$#2$} && \\
    &\makebox[22pt]{#1}&\\
    &&\makebox[0pt][r]{\rotatebox[origin=c]{180}{\scriptsize$#2$}}}}%
  \endgroup}
\newcommand\jokerface{\raisebox{-2pt}{\kern-1pt\stackengine{0pt}{%
  \stackinset{c}{1pt}{c}{-.4pt}{\stackunder[.7pt]{$\cdot\kern2pt\cdot\kern0.3pt$}%
  {--}}{$\bigcirc$}}{\,$\steaming$}{O}{c}{F}{F}{S}}}
\newcommand\joker{\vcenter{\hbox{\scalebox{.4}{ \tiny JOKER }}}}
\begin{document}
\blackcard{Q}{\spadesuit}
\redcard{10}{\varheartsuit}
\redcard{A}{\vardiamondsuit}
\blackcard{\jokerface}{\joker}
\end{document}

enter image description here