Card Values in Blackjack: What Each Card Means

The game of blackjack also goes by the name “21.” And that is because your primary goal is to beat the dealer by getting the closest hand to 21. In the games, each card has a numerical value, which, when added together, gives your total hand for the round.

There are a couple of rules you’ll have to understand, beginning with the card values. We will go through these card values and show you what it means to score a hand.

The Card Values in Blackjack

One thing you’d love about blackjack is how straightforward the scoring system is. You simply have to consider the following card values:

• Number cards: Dealers rate these cards based on their face values (2 to 10).
• Face cards: These cards will get you 10 points. And they include the jacks, queens, and kings.
• Ace: You’ll get 1 or 11 points with the ace. But what makes it even better is that you can pick any value depending on which one works best for your play.

Of all the cards, aces are the most crucial. You can use its flexibility to gain a significant advantage over your opponents. Even Mike Caro had this to say about them: “Aces are larger than life and greater than mountains.”

How Hands are Scored: Types of Hands

Every dealer will rate your hands based on the total points from your cards. But note that when it comes to the ace, you can pick which value to use in your hand.

The hands are part of the basic rules of blackjack you should know, and they are as follows:

Hard Hands

This score includes any card combinations that do not have an ace. Or it could be a card combination where the ace points must be equal to 1 to prevent your score from going above 21.

Hard hands have strategic implications. According to our expert, Jerry Olusola, this score is rigid and risky. The reason is that the ace will not provide a safety net, as it will only have one point.

And if you must be among the few, according to George Shaw’s famous quote, “In gambling the many must lose in order that the few may win,” then you must avoid this card combination.

Soft Hand

For this score type, you first need a combination that includes an ace. But note that the dealer will regard your ace as an 11 for this score. If you do that and still stay below 21, then you have a soft hand.

Blackjack 

A blackjack in this game simply means 21. And you can get that by combining any two cards.

One simple card combination would be an ace and a 10 card (or a 10-value option). For the latter, the dealer won’t mind if you have a ten, a queen, a jack, or a king.

Blackjack Scoring Outcomes

Based on the game’s rules, the typical outcomes can be a blackjack, a push (tie), a bust, or a win. Getting a win is the easiest, as all you need is to have more than the dealer but without exceeding 21. Now, if you hit 21, that would be considered a blackjack, and you could add the perfect win.

A push or a tie simply means that your total and the dealer’s are the same. And the card combinations do not matter, provided the totals are equal.

So, what happens if you exceed 21? Well, that would be considered a bust, and you will lose the game.

Conclusion

One of our top tips for this game is that you play at a licensed and reputable casino. You can consider the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Curacao Gaming Board, as these are well-known regulatory bodies.

We recommend playing the free version, which is typically available as the demo mode. With that, you can learn the rules and sharpen your skills before using real money.