Bai ba cay la mot tro choi bai dan gian pho bien rong rai tai Viet Nam. Tro choi nay khong chi mang tinh giai tri ma con la mot phan khong the thieu trong doi song van hoa cua nguoi dan Viet. Tuy nhien, khong nhieu nguoi biet ro ve nguon goc va qua trinh hinh thanh cua bai ba cay qua cac thoi ky lich su.

Theo nhieu nha nghien cuu, bai ba cay duoc cho la xuat hien tu vung dong bang Bac Bo vao khoang cuoi the ky XIX, thoi ky ma cac tro choi bai phuong Tay bat dau du nhap vao Viet Nam thong qua con duong giao thuong va truyen ba van hoa. Ban dau, bo bai Tay duoc su dung de choi cac tro don gian nhu tu lo kho, sau do nguoi Viet sang tao va rut gon thanh tro bai ba cay de phu hop voi thoi quen sinh hoat va nhu cau giai tri nhanh chong.

Diem doc dao cua bai ba cay la cach choi rut gon tu bo bai 52 la xuong con 36 la, loai bo cac quan bai 10, J, Q va K. Moi nguoi choi duoc chia dung ba la bai, va tong diem cua ba la la yeu to quyet dinh thang thua. Luat choi don gian nay khien bai ba cay nhanh chong lan rong khap cac vung que Viet Nam, dac biet pho bien trong cac dip le hoi, dam cuoi hoac nhung buoi hop mat gia dinh.

Qua thoi gian, bai ba cay khong chi la tro choi vui nhon ma con phan anh net van hoa giao tiep, tinh than cong dong va su sang tao dan gian. Trong cac dip Tet co truyen, nguoi ta thuong tu hop ben mam com va sau do la nhung van bai ba cay de tang phan hung khoi, mong muon mot nam moi nhieu may man.

Khong chi dung lai o hinh thuc truyen thong, bai ba cay con duoc so hoa va dua len cac nen tang truc tuyen, giup nguoi choi co the trai nghiem tro choi moi luc moi noi. Tuy vay, di kem voi su tien loi cung la nhung canh bao ve viec lam dung bai ba cay trong moi truong ca cuoc khong lanh manh, anh huong den tai chinh va tam ly nguoi choi.

Du trai qua bao thang tram, bai ba cay van giu nguyen gia tri truyen thong, phan anh tinh than vui ve, than mat trong van hoa Viet. Voi be day lich su hon 100 nam, bai ba cay xung dang la mot bieu tuong trong kho tang tro choi dan gian cua dan toc. Bao ton va phat trien bai ba cay theo huong tich cuc la dieu can thiet de gin giu ban sac van hoa truyen thong cua nguoi Viet trong thoi dai hoi nhap.