Poker Tattoo Designs
We begin our series of articles with kick ass tattoo ideas for those who want to make their first tattoo or add a new one to their already existing ink collection with one of the most unique styles of tattooing: Trash Polka tattoos, a fairly new style that stands apart from the crowd, a style that you either love or hate, there is no between.
All in poker tattoo, 30 Gambling theme tattoos. Tattoomagz is our sole passion in beautiful tattoo designs and ink works, built and developed as an online compilation gallery serving thousands of the coolest tattoo designs and jaw-dropping custom ink-works. Many tattoo lovers enjoy the magnetism of a poker deck on fire. Furthermore, the Ace of Spades has some occult oomph to back it up. Many numerologists associate this particular card with the power of death. As a result, it is often joined by macabre imagery such as skulls and crows.
First of all, what is a Trash Polka Tattoo? A painterly and dynamic tattoo style created by Simone Plaff and Volko Merschky at Buena Vista Tattoo Club in Germany, a collaborative effort that can be described as a crazy combination of realism, surrealism, script and abstract lines. Mixing both bold and fine black lines, grey shadings and dramatic touches of bright colors, mostly red, it looks more like a collage of various elements which, by all appearances, are not directly linked, and meaningless.
Trash Polka Tattoo style resembles art collages that combine naturalistic and photo-realistic images with graphic elements that generate a chaotic, discordant look to the piece. The art of color contrasts is used, combining photo-realistic portraits in a detailed presentation with simple graphical elements, such as some large black areas, strokes, or shown abstract forms, generating beautiful visual effects. The style is bold and the pieces are done in red and black ink, having a “just finished”, fresh look.
This combination provides an unique, impressive visual appearance, but also raises some questions about how fast the trash polka tattoos will fade. Considering that this is a new style, no one can tell yet if it will stand the test of time. Another important aspect to be taken into account is that a big “body canvas” is needed in order to look as good as it should.
Although true Trash Polka Tattoos can only be executed by the artists who created it, anything else being an imitation, the work of Simone and Volko can serve as inspiration for all those who want a unique and appealing realistic tattoo. However, to stay within the guidelines of the style, only red and black inks should be used. The original artists preferred to come up with their own imagery, but you may find an artist that is willing to work with images you want to use.
No matter on which side of “love it” or “hate it” you are, in a world were originality is becoming harder and harder to come by, the work and the creativity of the artists behind this new tattoo style must be appreciated.
Check out this beautiful tattoo gallery to see a few examples of this rare and beautiful tattoo style.
tattoo artist © SucioXReal Tatuajes
tattoo artist © Alexei Mikhailov
tattoo artist © Максим Земляков
tattoo artist © AdamKremerTattoo
tattoo artist © Erik Šoška
tattoo artist © ＤＡＳＨＡ ＣＨＥh o m o v a
tattoo artist © Bonni
tattoo artist © Danilo Perez Leon
tattoo artist © Weide Ancsa
tattoo artist © Yoel Arévalo P
tattoo artist © Ivan Trapiani
tattoo artist © Igor Amorim
Poker Chip Tattoo Designs
tattoo artist © @vostok_tattoo
tattoo artist © @tattooist_ziho
tattoo artist © EWER SUMATI
tattoo artist © Nikita Erakhtin
tattoo artist © MARIA BOG
tattoo artist © Mistyk Body Art
tattoo artist © SucioXReal Tatuajes
tattoo artist © Laura Morte
tattoo artist © Bruno Perdiz
tattoo artist © Robert Hornback
tattoo artist © Denis Freezing
tattoo artist © ＤＡＳＨＡ ＣＨＥh o m o v a
tattoo artist © Thomas Carli Jarlier
tattoo artist © ▲ N T H ▽ N Y
tattoo artist © Stefano Galati
tattoo artist © Laura Morte
tattoo artist © Lukasz Trawczynski
tattoo artist © Frank Rudy
tattoo artist © Paul Talbot
tattoo artist © Oscar Conejeros
tattoo artist © Lukasz Trawczynski
For more ink inspiration, also see:
• 50 Eye-Catching Lion Tattoos That’ll Make You Want To Get Inked
• Celebrate the Beauty of Nature with these Inspirational Sunflower Tattoos
• 35 of the Best Architecture Tattoos or How To Have Your World on a Sleeve
• Feed Your Ink Addiction With 50 Of The Most Beautiful Rose Tattoo Designs For Men And Women
• Watercolor Tattoos Will Turn Your Body into a Living Canvas
When it comes to creating designs for Poker tattoos, there’s no shortage of ideas and options. They can be done in an immense assortment of styles, and the personal meaning behind them can represent a passion for gambling, but also several other things.
Card tattoos are a popular tattoo choice among Poker pros, and thanks to the diversity, they’re usually always unique as well. If you’re tempted to ink yourself with a Poker themed tattoo, let’s run through some popular designs and the meaning behind them.
But before we do that, here’s a swift reminder that a deck of playing cards has 52 cards and 2 Jokers. There are four sets of cards, and each set has an:
- Ace
- King
- Queen
- Jack
- 10
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
And each set will be one of four suits. Diamonds, Hearts, Spades, and Clubs.
There are a lot of symbolisms hiding in the deck of cards. For example, the 52 cards represent the number of weeks in a year. Each suit represents Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring, and the 13 cards in each suit represents the Lunar cycle.
There are other hidden meanings, as well. The King of Hearts is seen stabbing himself in the head, also known as the suicide King. And the different weapons held by the face cards have deep meanings. There’s a long and varied history surrounding playing cards, and each geographic area had its own designs and reasons for them.
Poker Hands
When we’re talking about Poker hands there are several hands that are significantly more respected than the others.
Royal Flush – A royal flush is the strongest poker hand you can have, and it consists of 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace card all of the same suit. It symbolizes strength, wealth, and victory, which is why it’s a popular choice.
Straight Flush – Having five cards in a series and matching suits is a mighty hand that can only be beaten by a royal flush. The matching sequence of numbers and matching suits signifies great luck and charm.
Four Aces – Another popular hand. An Ace is the highest playing card, and having four is also viewed as a sign of luck and power.
Poker Card Tattoo Designs
Full House – A hand with three cards of the same value, and another matching pair is a popular image to ink. The name of the hand symbolizes control and authority.
Single Cards
The Ace of spades – symbolizes success, prestige, winning, and leadership. It is the top card in most games and the top card in Poker. This card was often seen worn on helmets during the Vietnam War because, for some, it was a symbol of luck. But for others, it was known as the death card.
The Queen of Hearts – is a favorite choice for women, as it can represent love. It’s also connected with Alice in Wonderland. Thanks to the portrayal of the Queen of hearts in this story, the card is also seen as symbolizing determination, courage, and the will to survive.
The Joker – is often played as a wild card, and is linked to not only luck but also deceit and misfortune. This is in part because of Batman’s popular nemesis, the Joker, who is an evil villain. But in Poker, a Joker card symbolizes incredible fortune and is often carried as a good luck charm.
Combing Symbols
Many great tattoos combine more than one symbol to create a personal image that has a deep connection with its wearer. Some of the potent symbols which can be connected include:
- Cherries
- Hearts
- Horseshoes
- Stars
- Money
- Eight Ball
- Poker Chips
- Skulls
- Dice
- Crowns
- Roses
- Flames
Combining a royal flush with skulls and fire symbolizes strength, power, and victory. The Queen of Hearts with a Joker card symbolizes love and luck with a bit of wildness as well. There are no right and wrong options, and it’s ok to take your time to create something unique.
Remember to research your choices and don’t rush, you won’t want to regret your decision. Take all the time in the world until you feel you’ve created an image that perfectly symbolizes what you want it to.