How many cards are in the Joker?

The rules below are for four individual players. The changes required for other player arrangements are presented later.

The Pack

The standard 52-card pack is used. Two jokers are added, the "Big Joker" and "Little Joker"  or  the "Full-Color Joker" and the "One-Color Joker."

Rank of Suits

The Spade suit is always trump.

Rank of Cards

Joker, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Object of the Game

To win at least the number of tricks bid.

When the two jokers are used, they are the highest-ranking trump cards. The spade suit is comprised of 15 cards: the Big Joker (Full-Color Joker) outranks the Little Joker (One-Color Joker), which outranks the ace of spades. For the two- and four-player games, the deuces of clubs and diamonds should be removed; for the five-player game, all four deuces should be removed; and for the three-player game, no cards are removed, as 18 cards are dealt to each person and there are 18 tricks.

The Deal

The first dealer is chosen by a draw for high card, and thereafter the turn to deal proceeds clockwise. The entire deck is dealt one at a time; face down, beginning on the dealer's left. The players then pick up their cards and arrange them by suits.

The Bidding

Each player decides how many tricks they will be able to take. The player to the dealer's left starts the bidding and, in turn, each player states how many tricks they expect to win. There is only one round of bidding, and the minimum bid is One. Every player must make a bid; no player may pass. No suit is named in the bid, for as the name of the game implies, spades are always trump.

The Play

The game is scored by hands, and the winner must make a certain number of points that is decided before the game begins. Five hundred points is common, but 200 points is suitable for a short game. The player on the dealer's left makes the opening lead, and players must follow suit, if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, they may play a trump or discard. The trick is won by the player who plays the highest trump or if no trump was played, the player who played the highest card in the suit led. The player who wins the trick leads next. Play continues until none of the players have any cards left. Each hand is worth 13 tricks. Spades cannot be led unless played previously or player to lead has nothing but Spades in his hand.

How to Keep Score

For making the contract (the number of tricks bid), the player scores 10 points for each trick bid, plus 1 point for each overtrick.

For example, if the player's bid is Seven and they make seven tricks, the score would be 70. If the bid was Five and the player won eight tricks, the score would be 53 points: 50 points for the bid, and 3 points for the three overtricks. (In some games, overtricks are called "bags" and a deduction of 100 points is made each time a player accumulates 10 bags. Thus, the object is always to fulfill the bid exactly.)

If the player "breaks contract," that is, if they take fewer than the number of tricks bid, the score is 0. For example, if a player bids Four and wins only three tricks, no points are awarded. One of the players is the scorer and writes the bids down, so that during the play and for the scoring afterward, this information will be available to all the players. When a hand is over, the scores should be recorded next to the bids, and a running score should be kept so that players can readily see each other's total points. If there is a tie, then all players participate in one more round of play.

How many cards are in a deck with jokers">How many cards are in a deck with Jokers?


How many cards are in a deck with Jokers?  This post will examine that as well as some other interesting history and purpose for the Joker card in a standard deck of cards.

Contents hide

Why Does the Joker Card Exist?

History of the Joker Card

Modern Day Uses of the Joker Card

How Many Cards are in a Deck with Jokers?

Are Jokers Included in a 52 Card Deck?

How Many Jokers are in a Deck of 52 Cards?

Why Are There Only 2 Jokers in a Deck of Cards?

How Many Cards are in a Deck Without Jokers?

Types of Cards in a Deck

Why Are There 52 Cards in a Deck?

Final Thoughts on How Many Cards are in a Deck with Jokers

Related Posts:

Why Does the Joker Card Exist?

History of the Joker Card

The Joker card came into play in the United States in the 1860s, during the Civil War.  It was created for a game called Euchre in which a trump card was needed.  The Joker was then used as that trump card in Euchre.

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American players invented new rules for Euchre which included an extra even higher trump card.  So, manufacturers started including multiple Joker cards.  This new highest trump card was called the Best Bower.  Eventually, the Best Bower became known as the Joker or Jolly Joker.

Card manufacturers designed different Jokers for their packs, sometimes with very artistic designs to represent them.  Usually, these designs are even trademarked.  This is still seen in modern times with the Jokers being artistic cards.

See also  How Many Diamond Face Cards are in a Deck of Cards?

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Modern Day Uses of the Joker Card

2 Jokers cards in a deck of playing cardsThere are 2 Joker cards in every deck of cards

Many games now use the Joker as a special card or wild card.  The Joker will have a certain action that is performed when it is played.

Also, the Joker can be used as a replacement card if a card is lost or damaged from a pack.

You can learn more about the Joker playing card here.

How Many Cards are in a Deck with Jokers?

There are 54 cards in a deck with Jokers.

This is because there are four suits in a deck, which are Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds.

And each suit has 13 cards in it.  These cards are the Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Jack, Queen, King.

The four suits with 13 cards each gives us 52 cards.  There are two Joker cards in a deck with Jokers, which gives us 54 cards total.

How many cards are in a deck with Jokers?

Are Jokers Included in a 52 Card Deck?

No, in a 52 card deck there are no Jokers.  When the Jokers are added to a 52 card deck, there will then be 54 playing cards.

How Many Jokers are in a Deck of 52 Cards?

In a deck of 52 cards, there are 2 Joker cards.  Usually, they will both have a slightly different design as well, depending on the card manufacturer.

For example, Bicycle cards have the same image of a King riding a tricycle for their Joker cards, but one is in color and the other is in black and white, so they can be distinguished.  Also, one is called the “Guarantee Joker”.  This is because it has the word Guarantee printed in the middle.

See also  How Many Face Cards are in a Deck of 52 Cards?

Why Are There Only 2 Jokers in a Deck of Cards?

There are only 2 Jokers in a deck of cards because the Joker card came from the original game called Euchre played in the 1800s.  Originally, there was a need for a trump card, which was introduced as the Joker.  Players then create a rule with a second higher trump card, called the Best Bower, which became known as the Joker.

Card manufacturers started placing a second Joker in the packs because of this new rule needing a second trump card.

How Many Cards are in a Deck Without Jokers?

Without the Jokers, there are 52 cards in a deck of cards.  This is because there are 4 suits, and each suit has 13 cards each.

See How Many Cards are in a Deck of Cards Without Jokers?

Types of Cards in a Deck

There are four suits in a deck.  Heart, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades.

And, there are 13 cards in each suit.  There are the Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Jack, Queen, King.

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(You can learn more about how a deck of cards works at A Deck of Playing Cards Explained & How it Works)

The Ace through Ten are called the number cards.  The Jack, Queen and King are called “Face cards” or “Court cards.”   This is because they are the only cards that have faces on them since they are pictures of people.  Also, they are called Court cards because they are all royalty and appear in the Court.

Out of the four suits, there are red cards, consisting of the Hearts and Diamonds and black cards, consisting of the Spades and Clubs.

See also  How Many Diamonds are in a Deck of 52 Cards? (Standard Deck)

See Types of Cards in a Deck of 52 Cards for more.

Why Are There 52 Cards in a Deck?

See How Many Cards in a Deck of Cards? Why this Number of Cards? for a reason behind the number of cards in a deck of 52 cards.

Final Thoughts on How Many Cards are in a Deck with Jokers

We have learned the origin of the Joker playing card and also that there are 54 cards in a deck with Jokers.

Is the Joker part of the 52 cards?

The Joker arrived in Europe in the 1880s along with the game of Poker. It was gradually incorporated into French-suited packs with 52 cards.

How many cards do you pick up with a Joker?

With a Joker, you can do one of two things. You may use it as a wild card in selected tricks, or you may use it to steal 2 cards from one opponent's hand. If you steal 2 cards, you must discard 1 card from your hand. Your opponent then draws 2 new cards from the stockpile.

How much is a Joker in cards?

Each suit has eleven cards: 3 through 10, Jack, Queen and King. CARD VALUES: Each number card is worth its face value, the Jacks are 11 points, Queens are 12, Kings are 13, Jokers are 50, and the current wild card is 20 points.