A card sharp is a person who uses skill and/or deception to win at card games. "Sharp" and "shark" spellings have varied over time and by region.
The Cardsharps (ca. 1594) by Caravaggio
Le Tricheur à l'as de carreau [fr] (1635) by Georges de La Tour
Card-sharpers by Candlelight (1845) by Feliks Pęczarski, National Museum in Warsaw
A card game is any game that uses playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, whether the cards are of a traditional design or specifically created for the game (proprietary). Countless card games exist, including families of related games. A small number of card games played with traditional decks have formally standardized rules with international tournaments being held, but most are folk games whose rules may vary by region, culture, location or from circle to circle.
The Card Players, 17th-century painting by Theodoor Rombouts
Preferans, a trick-taking card game version popular in Croatia
The Card Players, 1895 by Paul Cézanne
Historically, card games such as whist and contract bridge were opportunities for quiet socializing, as shown in this 1930s magic lantern slide photo taken in Seattle, Washington.