Ua ʻae ʻia ka pāʻani kāleka invented ma Kina i ka wā o ka mōʻī Tang (c. 618-906). Ua manaʻo ʻia ʻo ke Kamāliʻiwahine Tongchang e pāʻani i ka pāʻani lau, he ʻano pepa paha ia o ka pāʻani dice, e kūʻē i ka pāʻani kāleka o kēia lā. I ka makahiki 821-824, e hele ana ka mō'ī aliʻi ʻo Muzong 'āwili i nā kāleka a pāʻani iā lākou ... I ka wā o ka Song Dynasty (960–1279), ua like ka hana ʻana o ka pāʻani kāleka me ka hiki ʻana mai o nā ʻāpana pepa, kahi i pani ai i nā ʻōwili lōʻihi i hoʻohana mua ʻia e hāʻawi ana i nā kāleka pāʻani ma ke kaiāulu.
ʻEhā mau kāʻei kālā Kina, e like me nā kāleka hou.
Loaʻa i kēlā me kēia kala kona ideogram a me kāna helu. Manaʻo ka poʻe noiʻi he nui i nā pāʻani kahiko o Kina, ʻo ke kālā pepa i hoʻohana ʻia i ka pāʻani a me ke kālepa ʻana i ke kuleana o nā kāleka.
Ma kahi o ke kenekulia ʻumikūmāhā, hiki mai ka maʻamau o ka pāʻani kāleka i ʻEulopa, malia paha mai ʻAigupita a i ʻole ka Middle East ... I ka pau ʻana o ke kenekulia 14, ua laha ka maʻamau o ka pāʻani kāleka ma ʻEulopa. I ka wā mua, he pipiʻi loa nā kāleka leka i ka hana ʻia a hoʻonani ʻia e ka lima. Mai ka makahiki 1418, ua hoʻomaka nā mea hana kāleka ma Nuremberg a me Augustburg e hana i nā papa paʻi mua.
Ua hele mai paha nā kāleka leka mua i ko mākou ʻāina mai Kelemania - ua ʻike ʻia lākou i ko mākou mau kūlanakauhale i ke kenekulia 15, a ua hoʻomaka koke ka hana ʻana.
Mai ke kenekulia 18, ua hoʻomaka mālie nā kāleka ʻano Palani (spades, puʻuwai, daimana, hui) a me ka nomenclature i lawe ʻia mai laila mai, ʻoiai ua nalowale nā kāleka "kuʻuna" i ko lākou kaulana i ke kenekulia 19. I kēia manawa, hoʻokani ʻia kēia hāpana (32 decks) ma skata ma Silesia.
Ua hoʻokumu ʻia nā kāleka Polani kahiko ma ke ʻano Kelemania - ʻo ia hoʻi, ua hoʻohana ʻia nā hōʻailona like: ka waina, ka ʻulaʻula, ka acorn a me ka bele. He ʻano ʻano nō hoʻi nā helu: