How many kings are there in 52 cards?
As an avid card game enthusiast, one of the most common questions I see is "how many kings are there in a standard 52-card deck?" And the answer is: there are four kings! Specifically, there is one King of Spades, one King of Hearts, one King of Diamonds, and one King of Clubs.
Let‘s dive deeper into the fascinating world of playing cards, and discover everything about the four regal kings and their role across card games, history, probability, and popular culture…
Composition of a 52-Card Deck
A standard French-suited playing card deck contains 52 cards in total. They are divided into four suits – spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. Each of the four suits contains 13 cards:
| Card Type | Number per suit |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| Number cards (2-10) | 9 |
| Face cards (J, Q, K) | 3 |
| Total per suit | 13 |
So with 13 cards per suit over 4 suits, a full deck contains 4 * 13 = 52 cards total.
Now within those 13 cards of each suit, there is 1 king card. That king belongs specifically to that suit – the King of Spades is different from the King of Hearts, for example.
So with 4 suits and 1 king per suit, a 52-card deck contains exactly 4 kings.
Probability of Drawing a King
With 4 kings among 52 total cards, let‘s calculate the math behind the probability of randomly drawing a king from a full deck:
Number of Kings (4) / Total Number of Cards (52)
= 4/52
= 1/13 ≈ 7.69%So your chance of pulling a king from a fair, shuffled deck is about 1 in 13 – roughly a 7.69% probability on any single draw.
Of course, the probability changes as cards are removed from the deck over the course of gameplay. For example, in blackjack, the chance of receiving a king increases as more low value cards like 2-6 are gradually dealt from the shoe. Per The Wizard of Odds‘ blackjack probability odds charts, your chances of seeing a king jump up over 10% once half or more of the shoe has been depleted.
The Different Kings
While the functions of the four kings are usually the same within card game rules, occasional differences give each king a distinct flair of personality in their original art or modern redesigns:
King of Spades – The king known as the "Suicide King" for his depiction seemingly about to stab himself through the head. This unusual image dates back centuries and has inspired many fan theories about its meaning. The King of Spades is often viewed as the most powerful or dominant king.
King of Hearts – Also called the "Luckiest King", the King of Hearts is typically depicted with a large smile compared to his stern-faced peers. Some say this symbolizes his pleasure in affairs of the heart!
King of Diamonds – The axe wielded by the King of Diamonds led to his "Man with the Axe" moniker. He rules over the suit associated with money and riches.
King of Clubs – The final king has no exciting nicknames or unusual artwork. As king of the lowest-ranking suit, he seems content to lead his leafy green clubs in obscurity!
Beyond standing out visually, kings can take on special significance within game rules and scoring:
- In blackjack and Texas hold ‘em poker, landing a king improves your odds and result. Kings rank just below aces as top-tier face cards.
- Euchre uses the King of Trumps as a powerful extra card calling for its own unique gameplay rules.
- Many tarot decks feature rich symbolic art and lore behind their four kings across the suits of wands, cups, swords and pentacles.
So while most games treat all kings equally, they find ways to stand out too!
Kings in Popular Culture
The king‘s prominence as one of just three face cards has made them a popular culture icon, appearing many songs, films and more:
- Elvis Presley serenaded a special "Marie‘s the Name of His Latest Flame". Her fiery kiss was so hot it made him "give up my precious game of Kings and Aces hearts."
- Jim Carrey requested "gimme four kings" in Cable Guy movie scene mocking poker‘s reliance on luck over skill.
- "Three Kings" starring George Clooney tells a story of gold heists in Iraq at end of the Gulf War.
- Fallout New Vegas "King‘s Gambit" quest tasks player recovering stolen playing card collection.
- Lebron James‘ excellence earned him "King James" nickname.
Plenty of businesses also incorporate kings – Burger King, King County, Kings Island theme park, TV drama Kingdom on MMA.
Clearly the king‘s noble image makes them ideal mascots!
Final Thoughts
While you only have a 1 in 13 chance of randomly drawing a king from a shuffled deck, their mighty royalty makes them seem to appear far more often to turn the tides of any card game!
So whether you‘re a poker or pinnacale player, card magician, tarot reader or collector, I hope this deep dive on the odds, history and pop culture behind kings enriched your fandom and gameplay.
Let me know any other card statistics or factoids you‘d like explored in my next blog post!
