Who are the 12 real characters behind the J, Q, K cards in the Western deck?

Who is considered the prototype of the king of clubs in poker? What is JQK? This article will give you the answer.

In a standard deck of cards, there are four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. Each suit consists of thirteen cards: Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, J, Q, and K.

J, Q, and K are often called “picture cards” because they have pictures of faces on them. J is represented by a young man, Q is represented by a woman, and K is represented by a man wearing a crown. These picture cards are worth ten points each in many card games.

In some games, the Ace is also considered a face card and is worth eleven points. In other games, the Ace can be worth either one or eleven points, depending on the situation.

J, Q, and K are sometimes referred to as “JQK” or “J, Q, and K.” This can be a useful abbreviation to know when talking about specific cards in a game. But do you know who the real characters behind these three cards are?

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Jack of clubs

La Hire (1390 - 1443) is the historical figure behind the Jack of Clubs. La Hire was a retainer of King Charles VII le Victorieux and also a powerful assistant to Saint Joan of Arc.

Jack of Diamonds

The historical figure behind the Jack of Diamonds is still a matter of debate. However, many opinions say that it is Hector - the son of King Priamus. Although he knew he would fail, Hector did not run away, he still led the army and people of Troy to fight against the Greek army.

Jack of Clubs

The Jack of Spades represents the knight Lancelot - one of King Arthur's most talented warriors who fell in love with the queen.

When this affair was discovered, King Arthur executed the queen, but Lancelot rushed in to save her and became the king's enemy.

When King Arthur was overthrown by a rebel, Lancelot returned to help him, but it was too late. The king was murdered, and the queen became a nun. Overwhelmed with grief, Lancelot gave up his knighthood and lived the rest of his life as a priest.

Jack of Spades

Many believe that Albrecht von Wallenstein, a military and political leader under Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II, is the historical figure behind the Jack of Spades.

During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), Albrecht von Wallenstein commanded an army of between 30,000 and 100,000 men.

But there is also another opinion that the Jack of Spades is the image of Ogier - the attendant of King Charlemagne.

Queen of clubs

The image appearing on the Queen of Clubs card is that of Queen Judith - a character in the Old Testament. With her beauty and intelligence, she killed Holoferne, the Philistine general, to save the people of Bethulia.

Queen of Diamonds

Queen Rachel, the second wife of Jacob, the ancestor of the Jews, is the historical figure on the Queen of Diamonds card.

Queen of Clubs

Queen Argine is the historical figure behind the Queen of Clubs. The image on this card is the story of the Wars of the Roses - a civil war between the Lancaster and York families for the throne of England. The coats of arms of these two families both have the image of a rose: the red rose of the Lancaster family, while the York royal family chose a white rose. At the end of the war, they reconciled and "shaken hands" with each other, so Miss Argine holds a pink flower in her hand.

Queen of Spades

The Queen of Spades represents Queen Eleanor, wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. The Queen of Spades is the only female card in the cards holding a weapon.

King of Clubs

Charlemagne Charles the Great (742 - 814) was king of the Franks (768-814) and is the historical figure on the King of Clubs card.

During his reign, he carried out more than 50 conquests, conquering more than half of Europe. On the K pieces, only the image of Charlemagne Charles the Great does not have a mustache because the woodcarver on the tablet of his image accidentally let the chisel slip over his lips, causing his mustache to fall off.

King of Diamonds

The King of Diamonds represents Gaius Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC) - a Roman military and political leader. He was one of the most influential people in world history and played a pivotal role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

King of Clubs

The image in the King of Clubs card is Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) of the Kingdom of Macedonia. At the age of 20, he inherited the throne and became the 14th King of the Argead dynasty in the Kingdom of Macedonia. He is considered one of the most successful commanders in history, conquering almost the entire known world.

The King of Spades

King David (1040 - 970 BC), the famous king of the united kingdom of Israel, is the character on the King of Spades card.

According to the Hebrew Bible, David was a righteous king and also a music lover, good at playing the harp. He is said to be the author of many hymns in the Bible, so in the drawings of him there is an image of a harp.