Blackjack Card Values
Three rules cover every card: number cards count their number, court cards count ten, and the Ace counts eleven unless that would bust you, in which case it counts one. The Ace rule is what makes soft and hard hands, and those two words decide most of your play.
Play Blackjack NowThe values
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | Face value |
| Jack, Queen, King | 10 |
| Ace | 11, or 1 if 11 would take the hand over 21 |
| Suits | No value; a heart and a spade are the same card |
Soft and hard hands
A hand is soft while an Ace in it is counting as 11. Soft hands are safe to hit: if the next card would bust you, the Ace quietly becomes a 1 and you carry on. The moment an Ace has to count as 1 (or the hand has no Ace), the hand is hard, and every hit risks a bust. CardCouch labels every hand on the table, so you see “Soft 17” or “Hard 16” rather than having to work it out.
The distinction drives the strategy chart: you hit soft 17 and stand on hard 17, double soft 18 against a weak dealer card but stand on it against a strong one. The basic strategy page has separate tables for the two.
Worked examples
| Cards | Total | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 10 + 6 | Hard 16 | No Ace, so nothing can change. Any card of 6 or more busts. |
| Ace + 6 | Soft 17 | The Ace counts 11. A 10 on top makes hard 17, not a bust. |
| Ace + 6 + 9 | Hard 16 | 11 + 6 + 9 = 26, so the Ace drops to 1: 1 + 6 + 9 = 16. |
| Ace + Ace | Soft 12 | One Ace at 11, the other at 1. Split them: each starts a new hand at 11. |
| King + Queen | Hard 20 | Two ten-value cards. Never split them; 20 wins most hands. |
| Ace + King (first two cards) | Blackjack | A natural, paid 3 to 2 unless the dealer also has one. |
| 7 + 7 + 7 | Hard 21 | A 21, not a Blackjack: it pays 1 to 1 and pushes against a dealer 21. |
| Ace + 4 + 3 | Soft 18 | 11 + 4 + 3 = 18 with the Ace still at 11, so you can still hit safely. |
21, Blackjack and bust
- Blackjack (a natural): an Ace and a ten-value card as your first two cards. Pays 3 to 2. Not possible after a split.
- 21: any other hand totalling 21. Pays 1 to 1 like any winning hand and pushes against a dealer 21.
- Bust: a total over 21. The hand loses at once, whatever the dealer does afterwards.
Why tens matter so much
Sixteen of the fifty-two cards in a deck count ten (four each of 10, Jack, Queen and King), so almost a third of the cards you cannot see are tens. That is why you assume the dealer's hole card is a ten when deciding what to do, why a dealer showing 7 or higher is dangerous (a ten makes 17 or better), and why a dealer showing 4, 5 or 6 is weak (a ten makes 14 to 16, forced to draw again and likely to bust). The whole basic-strategy chart follows from that one fact.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an Ace worth in Blackjack?
11 or 1, whichever is better for the hand. An Ace counts 11 until that would take the total over 21, then it counts 1. Two Aces count 12 (11 + 1), never 22.
How much are face cards worth?
Jacks, Queens and Kings each count 10, the same as a 10. Suits and colours make no difference at all.
What is a soft hand?
Any hand in which an Ace is counting as 11. Ace-7 is soft 18. A soft hand cannot bust on the next card: if the card would push it over 21, the Ace switches to 1 and the hand becomes hard.
Is a 21 always a Blackjack?
No. Blackjack is specifically an Ace plus a ten-value card as your first two cards, and it pays 3 to 2. A 21 made with three or more cards, or with two cards after a split, is an ordinary 21 that pays 1 to 1 and pushes against a dealer 21.
Do the dealer's cards count the same way?
Yes. The dealer's Ace also counts 11 or 1, which is why the dealer's soft 17 (Ace-6) matters: on CardCouch the dealer stands on it; in some casinos the dealer must hit it.