Ace of Clubs♣ rules the week of September 24-30 in common years and September 23-29 in leap years. (.Member of the Mystical Family of Seven: Ace of Clubs ♣, Two of Hearts ♥, Seven of Diamonds ♦, Eight of Clubs ♣, Nine of Hearts ♥, Jack of Hearts ♥, and King of Spades♠) Ace of Clubs♣ Karma Cards: Semi-Fixed Card. with the Two. Sep 11, 2017 Vector image 'Card pack, deck, ace label,Spades,Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs vector icon' can be used for personal and commercial purposes according to the conditions of the purchased Royalty-free license. The illustration is available for download in high resolution quality up. Hang your posters in dorms, bedrooms, offices, studios, or anywhere blank walls aren't welcome; Printed on 185gsm semi gloss poster paper.
The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card[1]) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries. The actual value of the card varies from game to game.[2][3]
Design[edit]
The ornate design of the ace of spades, common in packs today, stems from the 17th century, when James I and later Queen Anne imposed laws requiring the ace of spades to bear an insignia of the printing house. Stamp duty, an idea imported to England by Charles I, was extended to playing cards in 1711 by Queen Anne and lasted until 1960.[4][5]
Over the years a number of methods were used to show that duty had been paid. From 1712 onwards, one of the cards in the pack, usually the ace of spades, was marked with a hand stamp. In 1765 hand stamping was replaced by the printing of official ace of spades by the Stamp Office, incorporating the royal coat of arms. In 1828 the Duty Ace of Spades (known as 'Old Frizzle') was printed to indicate a reduced duty of a shilling had been paid.[6]
The system was changed again in 1862 when official threepenny duty wrappers were introduced and although the makers were free to use whatever design they wanted, most chose to keep the ornate ace of spades that is popular today.[6] The ace of spades is thus used to show the card manufacturer's information.
The exact design of the ace card was so important, it eventually became the subject of design patents and trademarking. For example, on December 5, 1882, George G. White was granted US design patent US0D0013473[7] for his design. His ace design was adorned with male and female figures leaning onto the spade from either side.
War[edit]
The ace of spades has been employed, on numerous occasions, in the theater of war. In the Second World War, the soldiers of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the American101st Airborne Division were marked with the spades symbol painted on the sides of their helmet. In this capacity, it was used to represent good luck, due to its fortunate connotations in card playing. All four card suits were used for easy of identification of regiments within the airborne division following the confusion of a large scale combat airborne operation. Battalions within the regiments were denoted with tic marks or dots, marked from top clockwise: headquarters at the twelve o'clock position, 1st Battalion at the three o'clock, etc.
Some twenty years later, a folk legend about the ace of spades being used by American Soldiers during the Vietnam War was popularized. Supposedly, US troops believed that Vietnamese traditions held the symbolism of the spade to mean death and ill-fortune and in a bid to frighten and demoralize Viet Cong soldiers, it was common practice to mockingly leave an ace of spades on the bodies of killed Vietnamese and even to litter the forested grounds and fields with the card.[citation needed] This custom was said to be so effective that the United States Playing Card Company was asked by Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment to supply crates of that single card in bulk. The plain white tuck cases were marked 'Bicycle Secret Weapon', and the cards were deliberately scattered in villages and in the jungle during raids.[8][9] The ace of spades, while not a symbol of superstitious fear to the Viet Cong forces, did help the morale of American soldiers. It was not unheard of for US Soldiers and Marines to stick this card in their helmet band as a sort of anti-peace sign.[citation needed]
More recently, in 2003 a deck of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards was issued to US Soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom, each card had the picture of a wanted Iraqi official on it. Saddam Hussein got the nickname 'Ace of Spades' as that card bore his image.
Idioms[edit]
Various idioms involving the ace of spades include, 'black as the ace of spades,' which may refer either to color, race, (lack of) morality, or (lack of) cleanliness in a person.[10][a]
There is the French expression fagoté comme l'as de pique—that is, '(badly) dressed like the ace of spades.'[11]
In Unicode[edit]
- U+1F0A1🂡PLAYING CARD ACE OF SPADES is part of the playing cards in Unicode
See[edit]
- Richard Harding, hanged in London for forgery of the duty stamp on the ace of spades and knowingly selling playing cards with the same in 1805.
Notes[edit]
- ^For an example of the card referring to race, see Aaron McGruder, Public Enemy #2: An All-New Boondocks Collection (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2005), front cover.
References[edit]
- ^'Spadille' in Merriam-WebsterArchived 2015-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^Death Cards - Psychological OperationsArchived 2014-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^'The Tarot Death Card'. Archived from the original on 2007-12-26. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^Knuckle, White, A Brief History of Playing Cards, retrieved November 22, 2013
- ^Hughes, E (2004). The English Stamp Duties, 1664-1764. 56, no.222 (April 1941). English Historical Review. p. 245.
- ^ abSchott, Ben (2004). 'Card Tax & The Ace of Spades'. Schott's Sporting, Gaming & Idling Miscellany. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 62. ISBN0-7475-6924-X.
- ^'Patent Images'. patimg2.uspto.gov.
- ^Ace of Spades or Secret Weapon Death Playing Cards at Newt's Playing CardsArchived December 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^'Our History'. Bicycle Playing Cards. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^Gandhi, Lakshmi, 'Is It Racist To 'Call a Spade a Spade'?', Codeswitch, National Public Radio, September 23, 2013 (retrieved June 14, 2014).
- ^'As', Cassell's New French Dictionary (5th ed., 1951).
External links[edit]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aces of Spades. |
The Ace is a powerful tool for any successful hand because of its unique flexibility to count as either one or 11 points, at the player’s discretion. All learned blackjack players know we need to use this card wisely, and not let it go to waste.
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1 or 11 – How to Use an Ace
Required to form a natural two-card blackjack in all variants of the game (and thus a higher pay-out), the Ace is the pillar of the game of 21. A natural blackjack will always trump the dealer’s hand, or possibly force a push (otherwise known as a tie) if the dealer also draws to blackjack. And the Ace’s flexibility to be valued at either one or 11 points can be used according to which value is most advantageous for us, and this should not be taken for granted.
A hand with an Ace is known as a “soft hand” based on the fact that if we hit, we cannot bust. For example, if we hold an Ace/Four (five or 15 points in total) as our first two card dealt, it is impossible to bust by drawing another card, because if we drew a card valued at 10 points, we would simply give the Ace a value of one, for a hand total of 15. If we drew another Ace from the Ace/Four hand, such a hand could total either six or 16.
Drawing an Ace and a high-valued card such as a Seven, Eight or Nine give the player a strong starting hand, and needs to be played based on what the dealer is showing. It is important to play to the Ace’s strengths, but also be aware of the potential danger we face when the dealer shows an Ace; it’s equally as deadly a weapon when used against us.
If we draw two Aces, our first course of action is to always split them. While the Ace is a powerful card on its own, if we are dealt a pair of Aces on our first draw and opt to keep them together, their combined total value is either two or 12 points. While drawing another card would not bust our hand, starting with a soft-12 is a much poorer hand with much weaker odds of winning, than beginning afresh with two new hands which both have the potential to draw to blackjack.
While we are required to place another bet equal to our original wager when we split our cards, it is well worth the money, as we stand in a much stronger position than before. And should we win, the payout will be greater. Keeping the Aces together wastes the inherent value of the Ace card by itself. Always split them to have the best possible chances of bettering your hand.
The Catch With Split Aces
Because the decision to split a pair of Aces is universally agreed upon, because of the favourable odds such a move hands the player, casinos employ certain rules to counter its effectiveness.
Black Jack Ace
- If we split our Aces and draw a 10-valued card to achieve blackjack with either hand, many land-based casinos enforce the rule that such a hand is not considered a natural blackjack, and therefore, we are not be entitled to the usual 3 to 2 payout; instead we only receive a 1 to 1 payout. We have more freedom playing online simply because of the vast range of different games with different rules, but there are still quite a few variants which enforce this rule, so be mindful of it before you let rip at not scoring a bigger return from your hard-earned 21.
- Another rule which can counter the effectiveness of split Aces states we are only allowed to be dealt one additional card to each Ace, with no allowance for hitting (just like if we were to double down). This significantly hurts our chances if we are dealt two lower cards, such as a Deuce and a Four, two our Aces, giving us totals of 13 and 15 respectively, and leaving us with no other option but to stand. Again, with the flexibility of online gaming, try to play games of 21 which do not own such a rule.
- One other rule which is far less enforced but still exists, is the simple rule which dictates players are not permitted to split Aces, full stop. There are subtypes of blackjack where this regulation is imposed. Steer clear of such games.
How to Maximise Our Aces
Using an Ace to its full potential is a key part of basic strategy. Whenever we are dealt an Ace, it is important to take note of the dealer’s up-card before we proceed (as it is with any other card). To understand what moves we should make with any hand containing an Ace, familiarise yourself with basic blackjack strategy here.
Exploiting an ‘Ace rich deck’ is a tactic used by many gamblers. A single standard deck has 52 cards, and there is one Ace for every thirteen cards. Should we be playing a single deck game, we should take note if no Aces appear in the first deal of 13 cards, or if even luckier, the second or even third deal of 13 cards. If such a scenario arises, we tend to call the deck an Ace rich deck, as none of the four Aces have yet been dealt.
If no Ace card shows in the first 13 cards dealt in a single-deck game, we should double our starting bet, and raise it again by around $5-$10 for every subsequent 13 cards dealt without an Ace. While this rare situation gives us only a slight boost in our odds, it should be taken advantage of whenever possible so as to potentially net us more bang for our buck.
She is a Beauty
Ace Of Clovers Black Jack For Sale
We here at blackjack.com.au like to personify the Ace. Whenever we see that first letter of the alphabet appear on a card, we get excited, and more often than not, we reap the rewards of being dealt an Ace. So it’s only fair we pay tribute to her beauty. Her value is unique, akin to no other card, and in the game of blackjack, if we are ever so lucky to be dealt a pair of Aces, split them apart so they don’t get jealous of one another. Naturally, there is an increased risk when splitting, as we need to double our bet to create two hands, but she’s worth every penny.
Origins of the Ace
The term Ace first began in dice games rather than card games, and was used to refer to the side of the dice with only one dot. Ironically, in the earliest forms of card games and card gambling, the Ace was considered useless. It had the lowest value of all cards and was the worst one to draw. This is a far cry from its high value today.
Ace Of Clovers Black Jack Plant
When the French game of Vingt-et-Un (meaning twenty-one), came to America via French colonists, it helped to change the way Aces were perceived and used in blackjack, by shifting the previous perception of royal cards as being the best cards, especially following the beheading of King Louis XVI.
French gamblers, who felt it was politically incorrect for the royal cards to continue being considered high-value, replaced their crowns with personified representations of the ideals of democracy, liberty and honesty, while raising the Ace – considered now to be the personification of the common man – to the highest value. It has retained its status until this very day.