Blackjack Card Values Explained for Beginners

Today, we’re going to look at Blackjack Card Values. Card values in blackjack seems like a straightforward subject, doesn’t it, , but sometimes determining the value of your hand can be a bit tricky, particularly if your hand contains an Ace.

If you want a visual guide as well, you can watch our video on what are the card values in Blackjack below:

When you finish the article, you will know how to determine the total of your (and the dealer’s) hand, and how to tell the difference between a soft and a hard hand.

Blackjack Card Value Chart

Blackjack is a game that uses a standard 52-card deck.

Each deck contains four suits (hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades), which include the following cards and their corresponding card values.

For reference, the suits have no effect on the value of your hand.  

Often, the casino will deal the game using a multi-deck shoe – the most common of which is a 6-deck shoe.

The table below indicates the value of each card:

Card	Value
Ace	1 or 11
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
10	10
Jack	10
Queen	10
King	10

The standard rules are as follows:

All cards count as the value listed above.

An Ace can have a value of 1 or 11, depending on what is the most beneficial for the player. 

Having said that, it is usually counted as an 11, and the hand is called a ‘soft’ hand, unless your hand totals more than 21, in which case the Ace would be counted as 1.

Examples are as follows:

• Ace + 5 = Soft 16
• Ace + 8 = Soft 19
• Ace + 5 + King = Hard 16
• Ace + 6 + 9 = Hard 16

All picture cards count as 10.

16 of the total number of cards in a deck have a value of 10, so 10-value cards make up almost 1/3 of the deck (30.77%).

Why is that important to know?

Because the most common card that you’re going to get when you take a hit is a 10-value card.  And that’s important to know when you’re thinking about strategy.

What Is a Blackjack Hand?

When the card values of the initial two cards that you are dealt total 21, it means you have a blackjack. 

A blackjack is any initial two cards that add up to 21 – which must be an Ace plus either a 10, Jack, Queen, or King.

Only the first two cards that total 21 are a blackjack. 

If you split a pair of Aces and get a 10-value card on one or both of them, they count as 21, not a blackjack.

And a blackjack always beats a hand of 21 that is made up of more than two cards. 

How To Calculate Your Total Hand Value

You get the total value of your hand by adding together the two (or more) card values in your hand.

Here are some examples:

• 8 + 6 = 14
• Q + 5 = 15
• J + K = 20
• Ace + 6 = (Soft) 17
• Ace + 6 + King = (Hard) 17
• 4 + 6 + 7 = 17
• Ace + 6 + 8 = (Hard) 15
• 4 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 19
• 7 + 2 + 4 + Ace = (Hard) 14
• 9 + Ace = (Soft) 20

Soft Hand vs Hard Hand Values

Any hand that contains an Ace that counts as 11 is a soft hand.

Here are some soft hands:

• Ace + 8 = Soft 19
• Ace + 5 = Soft 16
• Ace + 3 + 4 + 2 = Soft 20
• Ace + 4 + Ace = Soft 16

 
Any hand that contains an Ace that counts as 1 is a hard hand.

Here are some hard hands:

• 6 + 7 + Ace = 14
• 2 + 3 + 7 + Ace = 13
• Ace + 5 + K + 5 = 21
• Ace + 6 + 7 + 2 = 16

What happens if you are dealt a soft hand, and then hit it with a card that changes the Ace’s value from an 11 to a 1?

Like this:
Ace + 7 = Soft 18

The Ace counts as 11, and Basic Strategy says you should hit, and you get a 5

Ace + 7 + 5 = 13

Now your hand has a value of hard 13, because if you value the Ace as an 11, you bust and lose the hand.

If you would like to learn about Basic Strategy, or how to play blackjack in general, the Academy is your go-to place. 

We also have many articles about the other casino table games including craps, roulette and baccarat.  They’re all written by experts and free.

Picture Cards

Because the 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10, it means that you can split them – even a mixed pair. 

Splitting 10-value cards is a very unusual thing to do, usually reserved for card counters and folks who don’t play well, but you can do it if you want to. 

Expert’s Advice

Adding up your blackjack hand total is a simple thing to do.  The card values are written right there on the card, and any face card is worth 10.

Any hand that has an Ace in it that counts as 11 is a soft hand, and you can hit a soft hand with one card, and it cannot bust.

Any hand that has an Ace in it that counts as 1 is a hard hand.

A blackjack is a hand that totals 21 with the initial two cards and consists of an Ace and a 10-value card.

A pair of Aces that are split cannot lead to a blackjack if they are hit with a 10-value card, because a blackjack must be dealt with the first two cards.

You can split any two cards of the same value, and that includes two face cards, even if they’re not the same rank, such as a King and a Jack.

A Soft hand is a hand that contains an Ace that counts as 11.

A Hard hand is a hand that counts an Ace as 1 or does not contain an Ace at all.

Conclusion

And there you have it, the card values that make up a blackjack hand.

Be aware that a soft hand and a hard hand will require a different strategy because the soft hand cannot break, no matter what the value of the card you hit it with.

10 + 5 = 15

Ace + 4 = (soft) 15

You would hit the soft 15 against a dealer’s up card of 5 or 6 with no concern about the hand busting, whereas you certainly would not hit a hard 15 against those cards.

And as always, good luck on your next visit to the casino.