Blackjack Card Values: What Every Hand Is Worth
Blackjack is easy to learn once you know how the cards are counted. Number cards keep their face value, tens and picture cards are worth 10, and an ace can count as either 1 or 11. The aim is to build a hand closer to 21 than the dealer without going over.
Blackjack card values
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| 2–10 | Face value |
| Jack, Queen, King | 10 |
| Ace | 1 or 11 |
How aces work
An ace is flexible. A hand of Ace + 6 can be counted as 17 or 7. Because the ace can still count as 11 without busting, this is called a soft 17. If taking another card would make 11 too high, the ace automatically drops to 1.
What is a natural blackjack?
A natural blackjack is an ace plus any 10-value card as your first two cards. That means Ace + 10, Jack, Queen or King. A two-card blackjack normally beats a regular 21 made with three or more cards, subject to the rules of the game.
Soft hands and hard hands
A soft hand contains an ace currently counted as 11. A hard hand either has no ace or has an ace that must count as 1. This distinction matters because soft hands can often take another card with less risk of busting.
Common examples
- 10 + 7 = hard 17
- Ace + 7 = soft 18
- Ace + Ace = 12
- King + 5 = hard 15
- Ace + 5 + 5 = soft 21
What happens if you go over 21?
If your total exceeds 21, the hand busts and loses immediately. This is why basic strategy changes depending on your total and the dealer's visible card.
Next step
Once card values feel automatic, read our blackjack rules guide and use the basic strategy chart while playing the free practice game.
For entertainment and practice only. No real-money gambling is offered on 21blackjack.