Blackjack Card Values

The aim of blackjack is simple – you’ll be trying to get a hand as close as possible to 21 without going over. To win, the cards in your hand must add up to a number closer to 21 than the dealer’s hand. There are plenty of blackjack card game strategies you can apply to give yourself a better chance of winning, which is why many gamblers prefer it over other types of games, like pokies.

Understanding blackjack isn’t too tricky, but the first thing you must be aware of is the blackjack card values. In general, most cards hold their face value, but there are a few exceptions, and in those exceptional cases, you’ll need to know the best strategy to leverage your cards.

In this guide, we’ll detail blackjack card values, tell you the difference between hard and soft hands, and explain natural blackjack and why it’s the best possible card combination. 

Card Value Breakdown

Each card in blackjack contributes its own specific value to your hand. In general, this value is fixed every time the card appears in a hand, but there’s one exception to that—the ace. 

Here’s a simple breakdown of the card values in blackjack:

 

Card	Value
2 – 10	Face value (2 – 10)
Jack, Queen, King	10
Ace	1 or 11

 

As we mentioned, the ace’s value can change based on the other cards in your hand. The value of the ace will either be 1 or 11, depending on which one results in a better hand for you as a player. 

This flexibility makes it a powerful card. We’ll discuss the power of the ace in more detail later in this guide.

Calculating Hand Values

Calculating blackjack hands is as easy as adding up the numbers on the cards. Let’s look at a few hand value examples. 

Hand 1: If you have a seven and a 10 in your hand, you’ll have a total of 17, based on your first two cards. You can use this number to inform your basic blackjack strategy, which decides whether you want to hit (take another card to try to improve your hand) or stand (stick with the hand you have). 

In this specific example, you would usually stand, as you have a high chance of going bust (getting a hand over 21) if you take another card. 

Hand 2: If your first two cards are a three and a five, you’ll have eight. In this case, it’s more likely that you’ll hit because no card value can take you over 21, so adding to your hand is an excellent way to improve it.

Hand 3: In another example, you might have an ace and an eight in your hand. Theoretically, your hand value could be nine, but in practice, the ace will count as an 11, so the total here will be 19. 

This is a solid hand, and you have an excellent chance of winning, so in that case, you would stand. If you chose to hit, any card value of over two would make you go bust. 

The blackjack ace value can change depending on the other cards in the hand to give you a better chance of winning. For that reason, it’s one of the most important strategic card values in the game, as it can help you get closer to a win or prevent you from busting. 

The ace provides flexible hand values known as “soft” hands. In this scenario, the ace will take the value of one or 11. One example is if you have a soft 17 (ace and a six). Players would usually be advised against hitting on a 17, as it’s easy to go bust, but here, you can hit without that fear because if you get a high-value card, the ace can count as one instead of 11. 

An ace also has implications for doubling down. For example, you might want to double down on a soft 13 to 18, as you’ll have multiple chances to improve your hand. 

Understanding Soft vs. Hard Hands

It’s easy to understand the difference between hard and soft hands in blackjack—a soft hand contains an ace, while a hard hand doesn’t. The ace provides flexibility, as the card’s value can be one or 11. 

Hard hands either don’t contain an ace or one that counts as one to prevent the hand from going bust. An example would be a hand with an ace and a three, with the next card being a seven – this would be a hard hand totalling 20. 

Strategy for Soft Hands

Soft hands present a unique advantage, as they offer flexibility that other hands don’t. To make the most of soft hands, you’ll need to follow some basic blackjack tips.

To maximise your winning potential, your blackjack soft hands strategy should involve doubling down when the dealer shows a weak upcard. When the dealer shows a strong upcard (seven to ace), you can hit, to try to improve your hand without the risk of going bust. When your soft hand is strong enough (19 or 20), you can stand to prevent the unnecessary risk of going bust, especially if the dealer shows a weak upcard. 

You can also employ a couple of riskier strategies for playing soft hands. One example is that you might want to hit on a soft 16—this is a good idea because you can’t go bust, as the value of the ace can change to one. 

The Significance of ‘Soft 17’

As we’ve explained, a soft hand contains an ace, meaning the value can differ depending on the other cards drawn. 

The soft 17 rule states that if the dealer has a hand totalling 17 with an ace, they need to hit. One significant impact this rule can have is that it generally increases the house edge by about 0.2%, which means the player has a reduced chance of winning. 

This is because hitting on a soft 17 gives the dealer more chances to improve their hand and potentially win against the player. Because the value of the ace changes to whatever is more beneficial for the hand, the dealer has no chance of going bust when hitting on a soft 17. 

Not all blackjack tables have the soft 17 rule, but if you’re playing at one that does, you should know that it might change your strategy. For example, you might want to double down more aggressively when the dealer shows a weak upcard or be more conservative when the dealer has a strong upcard (including an ace). 

The presence of the soft 17 rule is exciting because it makes the game more strategic. The dealer would generally choose to stand on a soft 17, but seeing they can’t do this adds a little more tension to the game and might keep it playing for a bit longer. The soft 17 rule might also appeal to more advanced players, as it adds a layer of strategic complexity and allows you to try different strategies. 

Blackjack: Natural 21

At the start of this guide, we said that the aim of blackjack is to try to make a hand as close as possible to 21 without going over 21. Now that you understand the card values a little better, you might have realised that one unbeatable combination will always constitute a win (or at least a push): an ace and a picture card.

This hand is called natural blackjack, and it’s the best possible outcome you could hope for. A natural blackjack is defined as a two-card hand that adds up to exactly 21, and there are only four ways you can get this: an ace and a ten, an ace and a jack, an ace and a queen, or an ace and a king. In most cases, when you have this hand, you can be guaranteed that you’ve won or at least recoup your stake.

There’s one scenario where you might still tie with the dealer, and that’s if they also have natural blackjack. But don’t worry; even if this happens, you’ll still get your original stake returned so that you won’t lose any money.

Applying Basic Strategy

The basic blackjack strategy gives players an indication of the actions they should take based on the values of the cards in their hands. You must make card game decisions based on an essential strategy to give yourself the best possible chance of a win. Strategic blackjack actions allow you to maximise your winning potential by helping to reduce the house edge to as low as 0.5%.

The four main actions you can take are hitting, standing, double down, and splitting. You’ll need to apply a strategy based on the values of the cards in your hand and the dealer’s upcard. 

For example, you’ll usually hit on a low-value hand (under 12 in total), but if you have a hand of 13 to 16, you’ll need to consider the dealer’s upcard before you decide whether or not to hit—if the dealer has a strong upcard, hitting is advised. When you have a hand totalling 17 or more, you should always stand, especially if the dealer has a weak upcard, like a two or a six. 

Bottom Line

Mastering blackjack is possible with a lot of practice and a good understanding of all its facets. The most important thing to get your head around right at the start is the different card values, especially the flexible nature of the ace. Remember, the value of the cards will influence your entire strategy, so you must know precisely what you’re looking at. 

Once you’ve mastered card values, you might want to move on to other blackjack tips, like the best available bets and basic strategy. Our blog section has lots of Betsquare gaming guides.