Word for a playing card that isn't a Joker?

Solution 1:

How about suit cards?

The jokers are distinguished by not having a suit. And this phrase has been used for exactly this purpose (Google fifty-two suit cards).

Solution 2:

A deck of cards consists of fifty-two playing cards plus two jokers. Jokers, whether there be one or two, are not counted among the playing cards. Jokers only appeared in decks on or around 1860 when a version of euchre became popular in America that involved a third bower, which is why there are only two jokers and not four. Even the name joker is a permutation of euchre. The joker is not standard fare in card games, not even in euchre.

Short Answer: The word for a playing card that isn't a joker is "playing card." Jokers aren't playing cards.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_card

Solution 3:

..and fifty-two non-jokers :). Hehe, and why not say 'and fifty-two regular cards'.

Or: A deck of playing cards usually consists of fifty-two cards and often two extra joker cards.

Or: A deck of playing cards usually consists of fifty-four cards.

And then split it out in the rest of the story.

Solution 4:

A natural hand is a hand without any wild cards. So perhaps you can say non-wild cards are "natural cards".