cards, extreme patience and a mental age of about four years old. The war game here involves Vietnam and the "Bicycle Secret Weapon."

Some sort of bike armed with a rocket launcher? No, in fact the Bicycle warfare was much more psychological than that. The secret weapon came in the form of a deck of cards made up entirely of the ace of spades. The superstitious villagers regarded the ace of spades as a symbol of death and suffering - and this presumably was meant to shake their concentration - both at the card table and the battlefield.

A more common use for the ace of spades is in card games - most homes around the world have a deck and chances are good that that deck is Bicycle. Poker, solitaire, black jack, euchre, rummy, hearts and even building card houses would not be possible without at least one deck of playing cards.

So, what makes Bicycle different from the other brands? They are made with an "exclusive" air-cushioned finish, which gives them a distinct feeling in the palm and a slick swish to the shuffle. A unique snap helps them last longer than ordinary matte finish - although some have been known to scuff them up on purpose to make them less slippery.

But it is the distinctive bicycle motif that best identifies the Bicycle brand. The ornately drawn designs feature a variety of bicycle scenes - some so elaborate that you may not instantly recognize the ever-present bicycle in each scene. For instance, riderback cards feature a cherub riding a bicycle; however, the front view makes it appear as though he's simply impaled on a spear. Others sport modern themes such as mountain bikes and comical scenes such as a king on a bicycle (presumably the steed is resting).

Although the Bicycle line does include books on mastering the cards and specific decks for games such as canasta and pinochle, it has never moved beyond the playing card, preferring to hold 'em than embrace other games.

Still its owner, US Playing Cards is proving that it can dominate the table. This year, Hoyle, Bicycle's primary competition, was bought up by USPC and now the two former enemies are partners in the same game.

Sarah McNeill lives and works in New York City.