The Values of Blackjack Cards
In the game of blackjack cards have the following values:
- Ace counts as 1 or 11 (the example is demonstrated below)
- Numbered blackjack cards (2-10) have the values as indicated.
- Face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) have the value of 10 points.
The suit of blackjack cards is of no importance in traditional Blackjack. The points are counted by adding the values of the cards each hand has. For example a hand that has a King and a 7 is counted as 17. Whereas all the other Blackjack cards have a steady value, Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11, depending on what value will help your hand. If you have an Ace and an 8, the hand is counted as 19, however if you decide to take another card and it's a 6 for example, the Ace now counts as 1 to make the hand total 15, not to bust with 25.
In Blackjack, a hand that has an Ace that can be both 1 and 11 without busting is called a Soft hand, as the player may vary the value of the Ace if he wishes to hit. Whereas a hand where Ace can only be counted as 1 is called a Hard hand.