While the jack always carries a standard 10 points, its exact value has the biggest impact in certain blackjack situations: Hard Totals Why the Jack‘s Worth of 10 Points Matters This established the jack as one of the key 'face cards' and fixed its value at 10 in games like blackjack, where card rankings and points matter. So the jack, king, and queen were all assigned the maximum value below the ace: 10 points. Since the king and queen were viewed as the top cards, the jack needed an equivalent high value. It ranked below the king and queen in a standard deck of playing cards.Īs card games evolved and numeric values were needed for gameplay mechanics, the knave (jack) was grouped together with the royal face cards. Historically, the jack card was called the 'knave' – meaning a male servant or later, a deceitful man. You may be wondering why the jack, as a face card, was set at 10 points in blackjack and many other card games. The Origins: How the Jack Became Worth 10 Here‘s a quick table summarizing the standard point values: Card The jack‘s value is fixed at 10 points, just like the king and queen. So only the ace has a variable value in blackjack. Numbered cards – Cards 2 through 10 are worth their numbered face value. It gives you flexibility but also comes with risk.įace cards (King, Queen, Jack) – Each of these royal face cards are worth 10 points. A Summary of Blackjack Card Valuesīefore diving into the details on the jack, let‘s review the basic card values in blackjack:Īce – This unique card can be worth either 1 or 11 points. Let‘s look at why the jack was designated with this value, when it matters most in the game, how it impacts strategy, and examples of using its point value to your advantage as a blackjack player.

So you can always count on the jack having a worth of 10 points in the game. This standard valuation is used in every variation of blackjack, whether you‘re playing in a brick-and-mortar casino or online. Along with the king and queen, the jack is one of the 'face cards' that is assigned a value of 10 points. The short answer is that the jack is always worth 10 points in blackjack.

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