Gambling terms, explained straight

Casino & Table Games

Blackjack rules card values

Blackjack card values assign each rank a point total: 2–10 count as their face value, face cards (J, Q, K) count as 10, and aces count as 1 or 11 to avoid busting.

Number cards (2–9)
Count as their face value1
10, J, Q, K
Each counts as 102
Ace
Counts as 11 unless that would bust the hand, then counts as 11

Key points

  • A two-card hand of an ace and a 10-point card is called a blackjack or natural and is the strongest hand.1
  • If the hand total exceeds 21, the player busts and loses immediately.1

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • Blackjack strategy card — a reference chart showing recommended player decisions by hand and dealer upcard, not the card-ranking values themselves3
Casino games Blackjack rules dealer Explains the dealer's play rules in blackjack. Casino games Blackjack Overview of the casino card game blackjack. Casino games Blackjack rules ace Details on how the ace is scored in blackjack. Casino games King value in blackjack Explains that a king counts as 10 points. Casino games Blackjack cut card Describes the cut card used in blackjack dealing. Casino games Value of queen in blackjack Explains that a queen counts as 10 points.

Sources

  1. Blackjack en.wikipedia.org Provides the standard card values and bust rule for blackjack.
  2. Blackjack wizardofodds.com Confirms the point values for face cards and ace flexibility.
  3. Blackjack - Basic Strategy (General) wizardofodds.com Distinguishes card values from strategy cards.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.