Picture Cards Review

What are the Picture Cards ?

Twelve picture cards (up to 14 including the jokers) are contained in any standard fifty-two pack of cards. For each suit, the picture cards are the Kings, Queens, and Jacks. Another name for these cards are Court cards or Royal cards, the reason being that they are representatives of the members of the Royal Court. Most times, the picture cards display designs that are intricate, including a portrait of a character as well as the card’s value depicted by a letter.

Picture Cards Explained

In the majority of games, the most sought after cards are the picture cards, the reason being that they possess the highest value. In a standard pack there are a total of twelve Kings, Queens and Jacks of all the suits. Sometimes, the Ace is included as a picture card, although they are more often included with the number cards.

In case the Ace is included, this is because the Ace’s value can sometimes be greater than that of the King, with an Ace being among the Royal Flush hand, ranking above the rest. Also at times, Jokers are classed as a picture card due to the fact that they take on the character of the Jester, also a member of the Royal Court.

In relation to the hands in Poker, unless there is a reversal to the rules of low-ball, the picture cards all outrank the number cards of values between two and tens. The picture cards are beaten by an Ace, but then, each picture card has a value of ten. In Stud Poker, one of the most suitable opening cards to own is a pair of picture cards, with the opportunity of improving the hand at the ‘flop’ or ‘draw’, as well as a solid winning chance for the pair itself.