Many of us have played cards but have not taken the time to understand what each card represents.
If you’re new to cards, you may not know how many of each are in a deck of cards and how many each.
Which leads to the question, how many kings are there in a deck of cards?
A standard deck of cards includes 52 total cards. There are four types of suits in that deck: Diamonds, Spades, Hearts, and Clubs.
There is one king in each suit, which means that there are four kings in a deck of cards.
If it’s still a little confusing, don’t worry. Below, we will describe why there are four kings and what they represent in card games.
Table of Contents
What Is a “King” Card?
A King card is the highest-ranking face card in a standard, French, 52-card deck. However, decks made by other countries may not have the King card as the highest ranking.
For example, Italy and Spain cards outrank a knight, while the Ace card may be considered the highest-ranking in others.
What Number Do Kings Represent?
A King card will represent the number 13, as it is the highest numbered card in the deck. Of course, the number 13 won’t be displayed on the card, instead, it will be represented by a K symbol.
This is very similar to Jacks and Queens, as they represent 11 and 12 but are represented by J and Q.
Are The Kings Based on Something?
A standard French card’s kings are representative of The Four Kings, who are known to be the greatest rulers of the past.
Below is a quick summary of who each king card represents:
King of Spades – represents King David from Israel in the Old Testament
King of Clubs – represents Alexander the Great, who was the King of Macedonia
King of Hearts – represents Charlemagne, King of France, the first Holy Roman Emperor
King of Diamonds – represents Roman Caesar Augustus or, Julius Caesar
What About Other Countries’ Decks?
Each country has its own version of playing cards, which means that the kings represented on them are not always the same.
The most used version of playing cards is the French version. However, there are also many other versions, including:
Russian playing cards
Italian playing cards
Spanish playing cards
German playing cards
How Many Cards Are in a Deck of Cards?
There is a total of 52 cards in a standard French-made card deck. Inside the deck, there are four suits represented by Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts, and Spades.
There are also three face cards, including Jacks, Queens, and Kings.
There are also two colors that represent two different suits. The black cards are represented by Clubs and Spades.
On the other hand, the red cards are represented by Hearts and Diamonds.
Can You Play Using More Cards?
Yes, some families will use multiple packs of cards to accommodate larger player pools. Sometimes, you may see more than four kings in one “deck” of cards.
The reason for seeing more than four is because multiple decks have been combined to represent one larger “deck” of cards.
With most games, you will only need a single deck of cards. However, some games include goldfish, Gin Rummy, Nerts, Pounce, or Racing Demon.
So, don’t be alarmed if you see more than four kings in one deck.
How Many Kings Are in a Deck?
There are four kings in a standard card deck, and they are each represented by a different suit.
For example, the four suits are Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts, and Spades. Inside each of these suits, there is one king card.
So, in total, there are fourkings inside a 52-card deck.
This is because each suit has one value on each card, ranging from Ace to King. A King is the highest value card, and each suit will only have one king.
Since there are four suits in a deck of cards, there will be four total kings who are the king of spades, the king of clubs, the king of hearts, and the king of diamonds.
Aside from that, there are two colors in a deck, which means two kings will be black and two will be red.
The two black suits will include a Spade’s king and Clubs king, while the red suits will include a Hearts king and a Diamond king.
What is the Probability of Drawing a King Card?
You have a one in thirteen chance to draw a king card in a deck of 52 cards. There are a total of 52 cards in a deck, and four of those cards are going to be a king.
If you were to draw one card at a time, drawing one king would be a 1/52 chance.
However, since there are four kings in a deck, your chances are up. Instead of having a 1/52 chance, you will have a 4/52 chance.
If we take this number and reduce the fraction, it will be 1/13.
Frequently Asked Questions: Kings in Decks of Cards
Is King 13 a card?
Aside from the numbered cards 1-10, there are also three pictured court cards. The three are jack, queen, and king.
The jack, queen, and king correspond to numbers 11, 12, and 13 but are marked J, Q, and K.
How Many Red Kings Are There?
A standard deck of cards has four Kings in total. Two of the four kings in a deck are Red Kings.
The two red kings include the King of Diamonds and the King of Hearts.
Who Are the Four Kings in Cards?
Cards were made by the French in the late 16th century and were made to represent different kings.
There are four suits: spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs. The four kings are David, Alexander, Charlemagne, and Augustus.
How Many Kings Are in Spades?
The deck includes four kings, each represented by a different suit. There are four suits, including hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs.
There is only one king in the spades suit.
Which King Is Holding an Axe?
The most popular deck of cards has one of the kings holding an ax. The suit of cards holding an ax is the King of Diamonds.
Conclusion
When it comes to a standard deck of cards, there will always be four kings. However, many of us tend to lose cards and purchase more decks.
Then, we shuffle all the cards together. The problem with this is that it can be hard for newcomers to understand what a regular deck will have in terms of King cards.
Hopefully, our explanation has cleared it up for you. When you play with a correct standard deck, there are only four king cards.
If you see more than four king cards, then it’s likely not a single set of cards, and instead, more cards have been added.
