Guide · The deck
The poker deck: how many cards it has and what they are called
Everything to know about the cards before you play: how many there are, the suits, the order, and how the cards are written in poker.
3 min read · Updated on
In short
A poker deck has 52 cards: 4 suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs) with 13 cards each, from 2 to ace. There are no jokers. The highest card is the ace and the lowest is the 2.
- cards, no jokers
- 52
- cards, no jokers
- suits of 13 cards
- 4
- suits of 13 cards
- ranks, from 2 to ace
- 13
- ranks, from 2 to ace
- face cards: J, Q and K in each suit
- 12
- face cards: J, Q and K in each suit
The 4 suits
♠ Spades
Black.
♥ Hearts
Red.
♦ Diamonds
Red.
♣ Clubs
Black.
Card order
From highest to lowest:
A
Ace
The highest card. It can also play low in the A-2-3-4-5 straight.
K · Q · J
King, queen and jack
The face cards. Sometimes called "broadway" cards when you include the ace and the 10.
T
The 10
In poker apps and books the 10 is written T (for "ten") so every card is a single character.
What the cards are called at the table
| Card | Name | Common nickname | Written as |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Ace | Bullet, ace | A |
| K | King | Cowboy | K |
| Q | Queen | Lady | Q |
| J | Jack | Hook | J |
| 10 | Ten | T | |
| 2 | Two | Deuce, duck | 2 |
What about other decks?
Standard poker uses one 52-card deck. Some home games and casinos use variations, but they change the odds, so agree on the rules before you start. Playing at home? See how many chips to give each player and what each color is worth.
Short-deck (6+) hold'em and jokers
Short-deck hold'em removes the 2s through 5s, leaving 36 cards. With fewer cards per suit, a flush is harder to make, so in most short-deck rules a flush beats a full house and three of a kind beats a straight. The ace plays low in the A-6-7-8-9 straight.
Regular Texas Hold'em never uses jokers. Home games that add a wild card change every probability, so check whether the usual poker hand rankings still apply.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a deck of poker cards?
52 cards: 4 suits of 13 cards each. Jokers are not used.
What is the highest card in poker?
The ace. It is followed by the king, queen, jack and 10. The lowest card is the 2.
Which suit is highest in poker?
None. In Texas Hold'em all suits are equal. Only a few home games use a suit order to break ties, and you have to agree on it beforehand.
Do you play poker with jokers?
No. Standard poker has no jokers. There are home variants with a wild card, but they change all the probabilities.
How many face cards are in a deck?
12: the jack, queen and king of each of the 4 suits. The ace does not count as a face card.
How much is each card worth in poker?
Cards have no price, they have a rank: from the 2 (lowest) to the ace (highest). No suit is worth more than another. What has value are the combinations: see poker hands ranked.
You know the deck. Now learn what to do with it.
Play real hands against the app's opponents and learn which cards to play and which to fold. Free, and no real money.