The Animal Instincts Poker and Oracle (Minstrel) Playing Cards

Welcome to the world of Animal Instincts, where the beauty and magic of the animal kingdom intertwine with the timeless stories and archetypes of human experience. Animal Instincts is a lushly illustrated card deck that combines the traditional structure of poker with the magical narratives & symbolism of oracle.

Like any traditional playing cards, these stunning decks feature the familiar structure of Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Aces. But while most playing cards only have illustrations on the famous court cards, these decks spotlight a unique character portrait emblazoned upon all 56 cards.

The four kingdoms of Animal Instincts are populated by a tapestry of citizens, including heroes, villains, maidens, warriors, scoundrels, pirates, and royalty, each of whom represents an important aspect of human psychology and emotion.

Whenever you visit the world of Animal Instincts, your card games will come to life as epic stories, and your oracle inquiries will light a fire of imagination and intuition in your heart. Whether you choose to journey into the realms of Oracle or poker, every shuffle will continually unfold as an enchanting tale of discovery and adventure.

Illustrations by Darrin White and Kodi White

Darrin and Kodi are renowned tattoo artists and illustrators who imbue their tattoos with precision, meaning, and care. Together they have created a world of colorful and charismatic characters whose adventures, victories, and failures help us understand ourselves and others more deeply. Animal Instincts is a symphony of collaboration, imagination, and craftsmanship.

Explore 4 Unique Animal Kingdoms

Each of the four suits features a different type of animal: the sharp-witted birds as Spades, the enigmatic cats as Hearts, the resilient crabs as Clubs, and the transformative toads as Diamonds. These four kingdoms reveal a tapestry of characters, including heroes, villains, maidens, warriors, scoundrels, pirates, and royalty.

A broad range of exciting and essential characters populate all 56 cards to represent a spectrum of human motivations, insights, and challenges. The vibrant illustrations breathe life into kings, queens, minstrels, pirates, soldiers, jugglers, and maidens. Every character embodies a distinct personality and message as a metaphor for the hopes, dreams, and struggles that we all experience in life.