Russian Criminal Playing Cards : 9780995745544 : 08 Nov 2018 : A full card deck, inked in soot and blood by jailed Russian criminals This deck of cards has been put together using four different sets (one for each suit) made by Russian criminals in prisons during the 1980s. Prohibited by the prison authorities, they were constructed from innocuous materials procured from the everyday routine of prison life, their unique designs skillfully manipulated so that they could be read. The respect commanded by any criminal was directly related to his ability to play, and win, at cards. Being "lucky" at cards was also seen as a good omen (even if the winner cheated, as this practice is acceptable within the thieves' world). A thief could stake anything in a card game, a finger, an arm, the life of another inmate, or even his own. If he lost, the debt had to be paid immediately. The penalty for defaulting was expulsion, a forcibly applied tattoo or, in some cases, death. Mostly confiscated an