The standard 52-card deck (also called the French deck) is used in most card games at OnlineCardGames.io. Understanding its structure is fundamental to playing any card game.
The Four Suits
| Suit | Symbol | Color | French Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spades | ♠ | Black | Pique |
| Hearts | ♥ | Red | Cœur |
| Diamonds | ♦ | Red | Carreau |
| Clubs | ♣ | Black | Trèfle |
Card Ranks (Low to High)
Each suit contains 13 cards ranked:
A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K
Face Cards
- Jack (J): Originally "Knave" - the lowest face card
- Queen (Q): Middle face card
- King (K): Highest face card
The Ace
The Ace can be high (above King) or low (value 1) depending on the game:
Card Values by Game
| Card | Gin Rummy | Hearts | Blackjack |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 point | 1 point (if ♥) | 1 or 11 |
| 2-10 | Face value | 1 pt each (if ♥) | Face value |
| J, Q, K | 10 points | 1 pt each (if ♥) | 10 |
| Q♠ | 10 points | 13 points | 10 |
Deck Composition
- Total cards: 52 (excluding jokers)
- Cards per suit: 13
- Red cards: 26 (hearts + diamonds)
- Black cards: 26 (spades + clubs)
- Face cards: 12 (3 per suit × 4 suits)
Jokers
Most decks include 2 jokers (often one red, one black). They're used as wild cards in some games but excluded from most traditional card games.