Congressman Frank Underwood helps Garrett Walker win the presidential election in exchange for a promise to make him Secretary of State. When this does not happen, Frank and his wife Claire decide to take revenge on Walker and remove him from his post. The search for allies and intrigues against the current cabinet begins.
Main storylines
- Frank was commissioned by President Walker to draft an education bill with Donald Blythe. Frank turns the case so that the draft version of the project becomes known to the public. So he gets rid of his colleague, gets full control over the work, and when the president signs the finished project, he increases his political authority.
- Zoe Barnes, a young journalist for The Washington Herald, agrees to publish information from Underwood without asking any questions. Everyone wins: Zoya's career goes up, and Underwood gets the opportunity to leak dirt on his rivals.
- Claire runs a non-profit conservation organization. Because of the failed appointment of Frank, she has to fire half the staff. She guesses that the relationship between her husband and journalist Barnes goes beyond business, so she resumes meetings with former lover Adam Galloway.
- Underwood helps Peter Russo build a career and points out what decisions he should make in the House of Representatives. Everything is going great, until 12,000 people in his hometown were fired due to Peter's fault. Russo plunges into, abuses alcohol and drugs. Then he decides to go to the competent authorities to repent and tell about the abuse of power.
- At the end of the season, Frank meets businessman Tusk, an associate and friend of President Walker. He learns that it was precisely because of Tusk that he did not get the chair of the Secretary of State. The congressman and businessman manage to agree on cooperation, and Underwood takes the post of vice president.
Frank commits the first murder: together with assistant Doug Stemer, he gets rid of Peter Russo, arranging everything as a suicide. It came as a shock to the audience. Yes, we understood that Underwood was ready to go to great lengths to realize himself in politics, but we did not expect that it would come to a real crime.
Zoe Barnes begins her own investigation and realizes that Underwood is involved in this case. This becomes the main intrigue until the second season.
What happened in the second season?
It would seem that one can calm down after receiving the prestigious position of vice president. But the ambitious politician aims further and seeks to take the presidency. At the same time, he acts by the usual methods: manipulations and intrigues.
Main storylines
- Journalist Zoe Barnes continues to investigate the strange circumstances of Russo's death. Underwood invites her to start a relationship with a clean slate. They meet at the subway station, where the politician pushes her under the train.
- Journalist Lucas Goodwin, who is in love with Barnes, continues her work and tries to get to the bottom of the truth. To do this, he finds a hacker to read Underwood's correspondence. But the FBI interferes with the investigation: Lucas is accused of cyberterrorism and imprisoned for 10 years.
- Loyal assistant Doug Stamper hides in a neighboring state Rachel Posner - the girl who got Russo drunk before her death and is the only witness to the connection between Peter's murder and the vice president. She is forbidden to maintain contact with the outside world, but gradually Doug becomes attached to Rachel.
- Claire has an abortion in order to continue her political career, the public learns about it. But the Underwood couple decided to play this circumstance in their favor: Claire tells everyone about the rape and, together with the first lady, begins a campaign against violence in the army.
- Raymond Task is partnering with Chinese businessman Xander Feng and Indian casinos to raise a massive amount for the Republican midterm elections. The Democrats don't have that kind of money, so Frank takes action. He forces Feng to confess in exchange for diplomatic immunity. Tusk's criminal money laundering scheme becomes known and he is arrested. The confidence ratings for the president are falling, Walker resigns.
What is special about this season?
The scriptwriters began to surprise the audience from the first episode: Underwood commits the second murder, and one of the most important characters in history. Zoe's death was considered an accident. It was hoped that Lucas would be able to get justice, but he is also disposed of rather quickly.
Political games become more sophisticated: Frank takes the presidency, and Walker does not even realize that his career has come to an end through the fault of Underwood.
The story of Stamper and Posner's relationship ends with an unexpected twist. Doug transports the girl to another city again. But Rachel is sure that they want to get rid of her, so during a stop in the forest, she hits Stamper on the head with a brick and runs away.
What happened in the third season?
This season, all of Underwood's actions are aimed at not remaining in history as a president just resting in his chair after the impeachment of his predecessor. Therefore, he begins to actively engage in foreign policy and promote the AmWorks bill, designed to solve unemployment problems. In the meantime, Frank is preparing for the upcoming elections, Claire is aiming for the post of UN ambassador.
Main storylines
- A new hero appears in the series - Russian President Viktor Petrov (it immediately becomes clear who inspired the creators). Underwood tries to persuade him to participate in a joint peacekeeping operation, and Petrov demands to remove the air defense system in Eastern Europe.
- To come to an agreement with Petrov, the president travels to Moscow with the first lady. There, Claire persuades the imprisoned American activist to agree to Petrov's terms and go free, but when Claire falls asleep, he hangs himself on her scarf in the prison cell. After this incident, Claire publicly criticizes the Russian president. An agreement is not reached, and a conflict flares up between Frank and Claire.
- Doug Stamper is found by passers-by. A long process of recovery after an injury begins. For several months he drops out of political life. But upon his return, he takes on unfinished business and is looking for Rachel, who lives on fake documents in a small town. Doug faces a difficult choice: prove his loyalty to Underwood and get rid of her forever, or leave the girl alone.
- Frank is seeking money for his AmWorks program and is campaigning against Heather Dunbar. He manages to win the Iowa primary by a narrow margin, but Claire doesn't fly in to support him. The conflict between the spouses flares up more and more, as a result, Claire announces her departure.
What is special about this season?
Already in the first episode, the president of Russia appears (which caused a heated discussion among the Russian-speaking audience of the series) and members of the scandalous group Pussy Riot. Confrontation, who want to show the world their strength and insight, adds interest to what is happening.
The difficult story of Doug ended: at first he decided not to touch Rachel, but then he kills the girl and buries her corpse in the desert.
But, of course, the main conflict begins to unfold not in the political arena, but in the relationship between Frank and Claire, who up to this point have always acted as a united front.
What happened in the fourth season?
Between Frank and Claire only flares up, although Underwood needs to focus on the election. He will have to meet with a new political opponent, solve problems with terrorists and even be on the verge of death.
Main storylines
- Relations with Claire are tense to the limit, but suddenly the couple find a compromise: Frank is elected president, and Claire became vice president in the new cabinet. And it makes sense: Claire is successfully negotiating an agreement with Russia.
- Frank's new opponent is Will Conway. The young governor of New York, a Republican, a former military man, a favorite of the public and an exemplary family man. But he has a lot in common with Underwood: in order to achieve his goals and a career in politics, he is ready to do anything.
- For the first time in "House of Cards" they touch upon the problem of terrorism and extremist organizations. But for Underwood, this is another opportunity to show off to voters and shirk responsibility for past mistakes. Extremists take an American family hostage. Frank refuses to negotiate with the terrorists, then the father of the family is executed. When the video of the execution hits all TV channels, Underwood declares war on the extremists.
- Suddenly, journalist Lucas Goodwin reappears in the series. He is released early under the Witness Protection Program. He takes this opportunity to show the world the true face of Underwood. But even Frank's political opponents do not take the former prisoner seriously. Then Goodwin decides to take a desperate step: he comes to Underwood's meeting with voters and shoots him. And dies from the shot of the guard Mitcham.
What is special about this season?
The most unexpected event of the entire season was the attempt on the life of Underwood, as a result of which he received two bullet wounds. The politician barely waited for the donor liver. And then immediately joined the election race.
There are three weeks left before the elections. Therefore, the President needs decisive action. He declares war on terrorism and hopes to gain the approval of the population by instilling fear in him.
What's next?
In January 2016, Netflix announced the fifth season, which will be released on May 30, 2017. It is noteworthy that the teaser for the new season of "House of Cards" was released on the day of the inauguration of Donald Trump. Apparently, in the new season we will see more references to the real political situation in the United States.
Content:
There are several ways to build a house of cards. The "classic" way, which you may have seen on TV or in the movies, is based on a series of triangular shapes that make up the foundation of a pyramid of cards. However, many professionals start their designs with squares or "cells" of four cards, which form a more solid foundation for complex structures.
Steps
1 triangular house
This is the "classic" house of cards that you might have seen in the movies: a complex but very stable construction. You will need to stack the cards in rows of triangles that form a pyramid.
- 1 Fold the first triangle. Such a "house" is the framework of the pyramid structure. Place the two cards against each other to form an inverted "V". The top edges of the cards should be touching, and the bottom edges should be at an equal distance from the central axis. First, practice making free-standing triangles, as your home design requires a large number of such elements.
- 2
Build a foundation. Make a continuous line of triangles, each consisting of two cards. The vertices of each triangle must be at a distance not exceeding the length of one card. The number of triangles at the base determines the possible height of your house of cards: each subsequent "floor" will have one less triangle. For example, if your base consists of three triangles, then the whole house will include three "floors"; by building a base of six triangles, you will have more space and be able to erect up to six floors. Start with a three-story house.
- Push each new triangle into the base of the adjacent triangle. The result will be three triangles (they will take six cards) that will touch.
- 3 Overlap the triangles. Carefully place the card on top of the first two triangles (let's call them the first and second). The map must be perfectly balanced between the vertices. Now lay another card between the second and third triangles. You will have a "base" of three triangles, covered by two cards (eight cards in total).
- 4
Build the next level. If your base is three triangles, then the next "floor" will be two. Try to fold each new triangle at the same angle as the two triangles below to maintain structural integrity. Place the base of each card on top of the bottom triangle. With these two triangles complete, place one overlapping card on the two vertices.
- Be very careful. If you've done a good job with the base, it will be strong enough to hold new cards, but be careful not to inadvertently hit your structure. Install new cards with light and careful movements.
- Having completed the construction of the second "floor", you will receive a pyramid consisting of thirteen cards: five triangles and three overlaps.
- 5 Add a top. To complete the construction of the house of cards, you need to place another triangle on top. Slowly and carefully place two cards at the same angle as all the other triangles. Hold them until they are properly positioned and then remove your hands when you are sure the top can stand on its own. If the design holds, then you have completed the construction of the house of cards!
2 Four-card cage
This is the most sustainable way to build large and complex house of cards. A four-card cage can support up to 320 grams per square centimeter, forming a foundation on which to build incredible structures. Some professionals do not recognize other ways of building houses, except for this.
- 1
Fold up the cage. First, place two cards in a slightly offset "T" shape. Hold each card in one hand with the ends perpendicular to the table. Lean them against each other to make another almost "T". Next, lean the third card against the central part of the card from the previous "T". Finish the cell with the fourth card and the letter "T" so that the four cards rest against each other, and there is a square cell in the middle.
- This is the basic cell or "cell" of four cards. This option is perhaps the most stable of all possible when building a house of cards. Think of this cage as a pattern that will be repeated in your design.
- 2 Make a "roof" or "ceiling". Overlap your four-card square with two cards. Then lay down two more cards (turning them 90 degrees) to complete the roof. Double overlap will give the structure additional stability.
- 3
Add a second floor. Carefully make a second square of four cards on top of the horizontal cards. You will get a stable two-story structure. You can add new floors until you run out of cards or until the height of the tower suits you. Cells of four cards are strong enough to build a large number of floors on them.
- Add "wings" to the house by adding a few more T-pairs to the ground floor. Every time you add cards perpendicular to the table surface, don't forget to cover them with a "ceiling". This will strengthen your structure and give it the look of a house.
- Turn on your imagination. This method gives you almost unlimited possibilities regarding the size of the house!
3 Troubleshooting
- 1 Use cheap cards. Expensive professional quality cards usually have a smooth and glossy finish and are therefore prone to chipping. Cheaper cards are usually rougher and not as slippery, so they stick together better.
- 2
Choose the right surface. Choose a safe and stable surface that won't move when you build the house. Try building your house on a raised surface like a pool table or raw wood. On smooth surfaces such as glass, the cards may come apart. A tablecloth or lining can be used to add relief, but be aware that such loose bases can move unexpectedly.
- Make sure there is no draft! It is best to build a house of cards in a room with closed windows and doors without switched on hoods and fans. It will be a shame if a gust of draft destroys your painstaking work.
- 3
Keep calm. Your house may fall apart due to a trembling hand or a sudden cramp. Gently but securely hold each card between two fingers of your dominant hand. Install maps effortlessly.
- Try to put the cards in the pauses between breaths or immediately after exhalation. Breathe deeply and be aware of the short gap between exhalation and inhalation. At this point, your body is in the most calm state, so it will be easier for you to control the shaking in your hands.
- Do not use glue, tape, staples, paper clips, or other means of attachment. Do not bend the cards in an attempt to hook one onto the other, and do not make cuts to hold them together. These are all "tricks" that will not help you in any way when building a house of cards.
- Try not to breathe on the house while you work. A strong exhalation will easily destroy your structure.
- Be patient. Haste will only get in the way!
- Cell: Hold one card in each hand with the long end parallel to the table. Lean them against each other to make something like a slightly offset letter "T". Great. Now lean the third card against the middle of one of the previous cards to get another distorted "T". Complete the cell with a fourth card in the shape of a "T".
There are several ways to build a house of cards. The "classic" way, which you may have seen on TV or in the movies, is based on a series of triangular shapes that make up the foundation of a pyramid of cards. However, many professionals start their designs with squares or "cells" of four cards, which form a more solid foundation for complex structures.
Steps
triangular house
This is the "classic" house of cards that you might have seen in the movies: a complex but very stable construction. You will need to stack the cards in rows of triangles that form a pyramid.
- Push each new triangle into the base of the adjacent triangle. The result will be three triangles (they will take six cards) that will touch.
-
Overlap the triangles. Carefully place the card on top of the first two triangles (let's call them the first and second). The map must be perfectly balanced between the vertices. Now lay another card between the second and third triangles. You will have a "base" of three triangles, covered by two cards (eight cards in total).
Build the next level. If your base is three triangles, then the next "floor" will be two. Try to fold each new triangle at the same angle as the two triangles below to maintain structural integrity. Place the base of each card on top of the bottom triangle. With these two triangles complete, place one overlapping card on the two vertices.
- Be very careful. If you've done a good job with the base, it will be strong enough to hold new cards, but be careful not to inadvertently hit your structure. Install new cards with light and careful movements.
- Having completed the construction of the second "floor", you will receive a pyramid consisting of thirteen cards: five triangles and three overlaps.
-
Add a top. To complete the construction of the house of cards, you need to place another triangle on top. Slowly and carefully place two cards at the same angle as all the other triangles. Hold them until they are properly positioned and then remove your hands when you are sure the top can stand on its own. If the design holds, then you have completed the construction of the house of cards!
-
Choose the right surface. Choose a safe and stable surface that won't move when you build the house. Try building your house on a raised surface like a pool table or raw wood. On smooth surfaces such as glass, the cards may come apart. A tablecloth or lining can be used to add relief, but be aware that such loose bases can move unexpectedly.
- Make sure there is no draft! It is best to build a house of cards in a room with closed windows and doors without switched on hoods and fans. It will be a shame if a gust of draft destroys your painstaking work.
- Cell: Hold one card in each hand with the long end parallel to the table. Lean them against each other to make something like a slightly offset letter "T". Great. Now lean the third card against the middle of one of the previous cards to get another distorted "T". Complete the cell with a fourth card in the shape of a "T".
Fold the first triangle. Such a "house" is the framework of the pyramid structure. Place two cards against each other to form an inverted "V". The top edges of the cards should be touching, and the bottom edges should be at an equal distance from the central axis. First, practice making free-standing triangles, as your home design requires a large number of such elements.
Build a foundation. Make a continuous line of triangles, each consisting of two cards. The vertices of each triangle must be at a distance not exceeding the length of one card. The number of triangles at the base determines the possible height of your house of cards: each subsequent "floor" will have one less triangle. For example, if your base consists of three triangles, then the whole house will include three "floors"; by building a base of six triangles, you will have more space and be able to erect up to six floors. Start with a three-story house.
Do you know how to build a house of cards from ordinary playing cards without the use of glue or other additional tools? This is a kind of art form that requires constant practice, the ability to focus and the pursuit of excellence.
The Guinness Book of World Records has recorded cases of building houses of cards 30 feet or more high. The current record is held by Brian Berg, an architect by profession and a house of cards builder by passion. He holds records in the sections "The highest house of cards" - a copy of the Dallas skyline (8.53 m) and "House of cards built from the largest number of cards" - a card copy of the Venetian Hotel in Macau, consisting of 4000 decks. Amazing, isn't it? 
If you, inspired by Berg's feat, also decided to master the art of building buildings from cards, then just continue reading the article and learn the basic techniques for building houses of cards.
All you need from consumables is a deck of cards (or several if you decide to immediately conquer the heights) and nothing more. If you are a fan of playing cards with friends, then there is a deck in your home. Then just follow our instructions, step by step.
Step 1: Start with a base
Where does the construction of a house of cards begin? Of course, from the base, which acts as the foundation of our future building, makes it stable. To do this, you need to take two cards and put them in such a way that they look like "/\". The distance between the far ends of the card should be about 4-5 cm. The number of such blanks in the base depends on the expected height of your card house. Approach the process of your creativity logically - each subsequent row will be less than the bottom one by exactly one blank. Once you have finished setting up the base, place a row of cards horizontally on it. Your base is ready.
Step 2: Building the floors
As soon as you finish working on creating the base, start building the next row. Again, we take two cards and set them according to the pattern of the base blanks. Now you need to be extremely careful not to destroy the result of your work. Each subsequent row will be one blank less than the previous one. For example, if your base is four pairs of cards, the first floor will be of three, the second of two, and the last, third of one. Everything, your house of cards is ready. By the way, if you are already ripe for serious projects and houses, then you may be interested in a smart home. Registration on the Russian website is quick and you can immediately begin to familiarize yourself with the possibilities of miracle houses.
It was pretty simple, wasn't it? And the tips below will make the process of building a house of cards even easier.
House of Cards Tips
You can use standard decks of cards, but it's better to use a non-new deck for learning. Used in-game cards are somewhat easier to work with as they are not as slick and easier to install.
Choose a place without drafts, as any breath of wind can destroy your house of cards.
A sharp exhalation can also nullify all efforts.
The table without a tablecloth on which you sit should not be smooth.
In the process of learning, you can slightly moisten the edges of the cards.
Last but not least, be patient!
The smallest house of cards in the world
Thus, you will agree that if you follow the instructions, the process of building a house of cards becomes easy, fast and simple. Start with small buildings and gradually move to higher ones. As experience is gained, it will be possible to move on to mastering other techniques for building houses of cards. Build skyscrapers, stadiums and even domes. Good luck to you!
According to the encyclopedia, cards are just sheets of paper to play with. However, as world history shows, these sheets of paper brought a lot of troubles and benefits, and sometimes even changed human destinies. Cards are not only a game of chance, but also a "patience simulator" - try to build a house of cards.
Instruction
So, the card is a rectangle made of thin cardboard, which has two large sides and two small ones. To build a house of cards, you need at least one deck of 36 cards. To begin with, it is better to take shabby cards with wrinkled edges. They are more stable. You can also cheat a little and slightly wet the edges of the cards with saliva so that they stick together a little. Houses should be built on a flat, smooth and stable surface.
Build a classic house. Take two cards, put them on small edges at a distance of about 5 cm from each other, tilt their vertices until they touch, so that you get the letter L. In this way, build a few more supporting vertices side by side. Next, lay the cards flat on their tip so that one end of the card lies on one vertex, and the other end on the adjacent one. On the resulting site, again build reference vertices, etc.
Triangle house. Place three cards on the large edges next to each other to form an equilateral triangle. Lay one or two cards flat on this structure. On the resulting site, again build a triangle. With such triangles, you can expand the house in different directions, attaching card after card. The house turns out to be stable and resembles a triangular honeycomb.
Standard house. This method is used by most card "architects". Take four cards and place them on the small edges in a square so that each subsequent side of the square starts from the middle of the edge of the card. If you look from above, then you get, as it were, four Ts connected to each other. This position of the cards is considered the most stable and allows you to collect fairly high structures.
note
Passionate fans of cards in their time were A.S. Pushkin and F.M. Dostoevsky. A game of poker today is considered a sport game, even world championships are held.
Building a house of cards is not so easy. One must have patience, accuracy and concentration in order to carefully build such a house. What can we say about Brian Berg, who builds entire skyscrapers using several hundred thousand cards at a time.
