Surely you have heard the names of poker cards, whether you like this game or not, because they are very popular and easy to recognize, thanks to the icons that ornament them. But have you ever wondered what the meaning of poker cards is and what value each one has in this game?
If you are interested in knowing the answer to this question and finding out more about poker cards, then keep reading this article, as we will tell you everything you need to know about poker cards.
These cards are actually part of an English deck made up of a deck of 52 cards or playing cards. The deck of poker cards is divided into 4 suits, two red and two black. Each suit of poker cards is composed of 13 cards.
are you ready to get to know them and impress your colleagues with your knowledge at their next poker game? let’s get started!
Cards in the poker deck
The Ace
Let’s start with the Ace, which is the poker card equivalent to the number 1. Depending on the suit to which it belongs, it can be an Ace of Spades, Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Clubs or Ace of Hearts.
The Ace is the highest card in poker, but it can also be used as a low card for straights (A-2-3-4-5).
The word “ace” comes from Old French (as well as Latin) and means “unit“, which refers to the value of an ancient Roman coin of the same name.
Source: Vexels
The Jack
The poker card with the letter J is the equivalent of the number 11. The Jack, also called jack or Jack in English, is a playing card of the French and English deck, which represents an aristocrat or European courtier of the XVI and XVII centuries.
The rank of the Jack is between the 10th card and the Queen. As the lowest ranking card, the Jack represents a minimum standard in poker and other card games. If all four jacks manage to make a play, they would be called jack poker or jacks poker.
want to know what each Jack means in poker cards? Let’s see:
Jack of clubs: it represents“Lancelot”, one of the knights of the Round Table.
Jack of spades: in the Nordic countries it is related to “Ogier”, a popular character in Denmark.
Jack of hearts: inspired by “Lahire”, Joan of Arc’s companion.
Jack of diamonds: represents “Hector”, hero of the Trojan War.
Source: Poker Masters
The Queen
The poker card with the letter Q is known as the Queen, and is the equivalent of the number 12. You’ve probably heard of, for example, the Queen of Hearts!
The Queen was born as a card of the English deck. Among some precursors of this well-known poker card are the Knight (from the Spanish and Italian decks), or the Ober (from the German deck).
The rank of the queen in poker cards is between the jack and the king, which we will discuss below.
But first, do you want to know who each Queen represents in poker cards? We will tell you:
Queen of spades: known as Black Lady, because it is the most important card in that game. It is also known as Black Mary.
Queen of hearts: this card is inspired by Judith, a biblical character, although it is also related to Helen of Troy.
Queen of diamonds: in the United States it is known as Sweet Caroline, although it is also believed that it may be inspired by another biblical character, Rachel.
Queen of Clubs: known as Flower Queen, since it is believed that the lady of clubs is holding a black rose. In the French deck, she is known as Argine, an anagram of Regina, a French martyr of the Catholic Church.
Source: Freepik
The King
The king (King), is the poker card with the letter K, equivalent to the number 13. The rank of the king in poker cards is above the queen, and below the ace (only in some games).
In addition to knowing the names of poker cards, would you be interested in knowing who the four kings are that inspire these cards? we tell you!
King of swords: this figure is inspired by King David, as he is considered to be the most just king. Also, it has to do with the swords of justice and devotion to God.
King of hearts: this poker card represents Charlemagne, since it is said that he was one of the kings in history with the noblest heart, besides possessing great intelligence.
King of clubs: inspired by Alexander the Great, this card represents one of the most important kings in history.
King of diamonds: finally, this card represents Julius Caesar, due to the greed and avarice related to this king.
Source: Selecciones Magazine
The Jester or joker
The joker, or joker, is a special poker card that includes no denomination and does not belong to any of the suits. It is two jokers that can be included, or not, in a poker game and serve as a substitute for any other card.
Sometimes, the poker joker is compared to The Fool, a card that is part of the major arcana in the Tarot cards. Depending on the place and lexicon, it is also known as harlequin, joker or trash.
This card is believed to have been invented by an American-born card player, who decided that an extra helping hand was needed in a card game. It was originally called “The Best Bower” and later “The Jolly Joker”.
Thus, these jokers became more widely accepted in English decks, and thus in poker cards, around 1880.
Source: Deposit photos
Cards from 2 to 10
The name of the numbered poker cards, ranging from 2 to 10, is configured according to their number and the suit to which they belong. For example: two of spades or seven of diamonds.
Source: Agendadeisa
Now that you know what poker cards are, are you ready to go out and look for opponents? According to the Central Poker website, this game “is based mainly on strategy and skill, with an additional degree of chance”.
So winning a poker game does not depend on your luck, but on your knowledge of the game in general, such as knowing the names of the poker cards and their values, and your level of strategy.
Exercises to concentrate better
We live in a time when the digital era, with its countless distractions, makes it difficult for us to focus; to combat distraction there are a series of recommendations and very simple exercises.
Meaning of poker cards
So far, you have been able to know the names of the poker cards and the suits in which the English deck is divided, but, perhaps, you are still wondering what is the meaning of the poker cards. That is why, below, we will tell you a little about what each card symbol represents.
As we have seen, the names of the figures on the Jack, Queen, King and Jester poker cards come from royalty. That is why this set of cards is known as court cards, since each one represents the court character that corresponds to its name (servant, king, queen and jester).
On the other hand, according to Koehler Paper’s 85th Anniversary note, the suits of poker cards symbolize the four social classes :
The club represents the peasantry.
The spade symbolizes the tip of a spear and represents the nobility.
The heart represents the clergy, as it symbolizes goodness.
The diamond represents a red cobblestone, referring to the bourgeoisie, as cobblestones were often used as weapons in rebellions.
Source: Pexels
Value of poker cards
Probably, now that you know more about poker cards, you can get an idea of what is the value of each of the cards in a game. However, it is also quite likely that your deduction is wrong.
As there is a numbered and lettered denomination, which includes monarchical characters whose hierarchy can be intuited, and a classification by suits of different colors, many confuse what is the true order of the poker cards, thinking that their value is, from lowest to highest, from Ace to King. The Ace is the card with the lowest value, but this is not so.
According to the rules of poker, the order of poker cards, from highest to lowest, is as follows: Ace, King (K), Queen (Q), Jack (J), ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three and two.
Almost the same, but with an important difference: the card with the highest value in poker is the Ace. the suits are all of equal value in any poker game, since neither their color nor their shape affects their value in the game.
If you want to master poker and improve your skills in other games of strategy and mental agility, we recommend that you check out our online course on strategic thinking, which will help you polish your methods and become an unbeatable player.
Poker card games
Besides poker, there are other games that can be played with an English deck of cards. Some of them, like poker, are games of mental agility, such as the classic Solitaire.
In addition, other games that can be played with poker cards are the following:
Bridge
Blackjack
Gin Rummy
Tute
Brisca
Chinchón
Pocha
Cinquillo
Remigio
Broom
Source: Pexels
that’s it! Now you are an expert in poker cards and you not only know their value and the role they play in poker, but you also know the meaning behind the symbols that adorn the English playing cards.
We hope you liked this article and that it encourages you to find out more about poker and even start playing. And, if you want to learn how to exercise your brain to develop your mental agility, we invite you to take a look at our section of soft skills courses, which will not only be useful to improve your gaming skills, but also to improve your mental agility.not only be useful to improve your skills in games like poker, but will also make you shine as a leader and boost your decision-making ability.
see you soon!