How Do You Value Cards in Blackjack?

In blackjack, cards are valued according to their numerical rank. All face cards (jack, queen, king) count as 10, aces count as 1 or 11 depending on the player’s choice, and all other cards count as their face value.

The goal of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, and to have a higher total than the dealer.

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There are a few different ways to value cards in blackjack. The most common is to assign a point value to each card, with the ace being worth 1 point and all other cards worth their face value.

This system is used by most casinos.

Another way to value cards is to assign a negative value to the ace (-1), a positive value to the 2-6 cards (+1), and a neutral value to the 7-9 cards (0). This system is used by some professional blackjack players because it can give the player an edge over the casino.

PRO TIP:When playing blackjack, remember the rank of the cards is important. Aces are the highest ranking cards, followed by face cards (king, queen and jack), then 10-2. The suit of the card doesn’t matter – all that matters is the rank. Keep track of which cards have been played so you can make better decisions about which hand to play.

The final way to value cards is to assign a positive or negative value to each card based on its numerical rank. For example, in this system an ace would be worth +1, a 2 would be worth -1, a 3 would be worth +2, and so on.

This system is not used by casinos because it is too easy for players to exploit.

No matter which system you use to value cards, the goal is always the same: to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, and to have a higher total than the dealer.