In playing card terms, a wild card is a card that can be assigned any value its holder desires. A wild card can be a pre-assigned card, such as any 2 (deuce) or the jack of spades, for example, or a special card, usually one of the jokers. (See also Wild card (poker).) Some typical Anglo-American playing cards. ... A joker is the common name for the representation of a medieval court jester or harlequin. ... Poker games may contain one or more cards designated as wild. ...

In North American professional sports leagues, the term "wild card" refers to a team that qualifies for that sporting league's (association, etc.) playoffs that is one of several high-achieving teams that did not obtain the best win-loss record in their specific subdivision (usually called a conference or division) of that sport's league. The number of wild card teams varies depending on the rules of the particular sport's league. In most cases, the rules of the league call for the wild card team to be intentionally placed at an inherent disadvantage before the start of the playoff tournament, either by having to survive an extra round and/or being made to play the majority of their potential postseason games on the road.

In Major League Baseball, for example, the wild card team must surrender the home field advantage in the Division Series (ALDS and NLDS) and the League Championship Series (ALCS and NLCS). Regardless, however, of how the League Champion team reaches the World Series, the home field advantage for the World Series has been determined beforehand (prior to 2003, on an alternating schedule; in 2003 and 2004 the home field advantage was determined by the winner of the All-Star Game). A controversy resulted in 1997 when the Florida Marlins, who won the National League pennant after qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card, had home-field advantage over the AL champion Cleveland Indians, who had won their division, in that year's World Series, which the Marlins won in seven games, winning the seventh and deciding game at home (this same scenario was repeated in 2004 when the wild-card Boston Red Sox had home-field advantage over the St. Louis Cardinals, a first-place team, and defeated the Cardinals in four games). Both of the teams that reached the 2002 World Series were wild card teams: The Anaheim Angels from the AL and the San Francisco Giants from the NL. The Angels won the series in seven games. Indeed, wild-card teams won three consecutive World Series from 2002 through 2004, as the 2003 champion, the Florida Marlins, was also a wild card. MLB logo Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ... In team sports, a team representing a city or a region is to be that areas home team. ... The Division Series is the official name for the first round of playoffs conducted in the sport of baseball. ... In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determine which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. ... In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determine which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. ... The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of playoffs in Major League Baseball. ... In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series (ALCS) determines who wins the American League pennant and advances to baseballs championship, the World Series. ... In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series (NLCS) determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to baseballs championship, the World Series. ... In baseball, the World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball in North America, played in October after the end of the regular season between the pennant winner of the American League and the pennant winner of the National League. ... An All-Star Game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their respective sports league. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Florida Marlins National League AAA Albuquerque Isotopes AA Carolina Mudcats A Jupiter Hammerheads Greensboro Grasshoppers Jamestown Jammers R Gulf Coast Marlins The Florida Marlins are a Major League Baseball team based in Miami, Florida, USA. They are in the Eastern Division of the National League. ... Cleveland Indians American League AAA Buffalo Bisons AA Akron Aeros A Kinston Indians Lake County Captains Mahoning Valley Scrappers R Burlington Indians The Cleveland Indians are a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Boston Red Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Boston, Massachusetts. ... The St. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Pacific Coast League franchise see: Los Angeles Angels (PCL). ... The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Florida Marlins National League AAA Albuquerque Isotopes AA Carolina Mudcats A Jupiter Hammerheads Greensboro Grasshoppers Jamestown Jammers R Gulf Coast Marlins The Florida Marlins are a Major League Baseball team based in Miami, Florida, USA. They are in the Eastern Division of the National League. ...

The other three major team sports in the United States and Canada - football (NFL), basketball (NBA) and hockey (NHL) - also include wild-card teams in their playoff structures. In the NFL, each of the two conferences send two wild-card teams along with four division champions to its postseason, while in both the NBA and NHL five such teams join three division winners in both of the conferences into which the latter two leagues are divided. However, the term "wild card" itself is seldom actually used in NBA or NHL circles; instead, each playoff team is most commonly denoted by its seeding position within the conference - 1 through 8, as applicable. United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... NFL logo The National Football League (NFL) is the largest and most popular professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities. ... Basketball Basketball is a ball sport in which two teams of five players each try to score points by throwing a ball through a hoop. ... NBA logo, depicting former star Jerry West The National Basketball Association, more popularly known as simply the NBA, is the worlds premier mens professional basketball league. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional sports organization composed of ice hockey teams in the United States and Canada, where it is also known by its French name, Ligue Nationale de Hockey. ...

In professional tennis tournaments, a wild card refers to a tournament entry awarded to a player at the discretion of the organizers. All ATP and WTA tournaments have a few spots set aside for wild cards for players who otherwise would not have made the main draw with their professional ranking. They are usually awarded to players from the home country, promising young players or players that are likely to draw a large crowd. Tennis balls This article is about the sport, tennis. ... Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the nucleotide known in biochemistry as the molecular currency of intracellular energy transfer; that is, ATP is able to store and transport chemical energy within cells. ... WTA stands for Womens Tennis Association, and is also known as the WTA Tour, and is to womens tennis what the ATP is to mens tennis. ...

See also

• wildcard character, used in regular expressions
• wildcard DNS entry