Jack (playing card) Jack (playing card) A jack or knave is a playing card which, in traditional French and English decks, pictures a man in the traditional or historic aristocratic dress generally associated with Europe of the 16th or 17th century. The usual rank of a jack, within its suit, plays as if it was an 11 (that is, between the 10 and the queen). As the lowest face (or "court") card, the jack often represents a minimum standard — for example, many poker games require a minimum hand of a pair of jacks ("jacks or better") in order to continue play. The
Ober (playing card) Ober (playing card) The Ober, in Austrian also called the Manderl, is a court card in the German and Swiss styles of playing cards, which corresponds in the hierarchy to the Queen in French decks. The figure depicted on an Ober is usually a nobleman or officer. It is distinguished from the lowest court card Unter by the figure's suit sign located in the upper range of the card. In the Württemberg pattern the Ober appears on horseback, as they inspired by Cego decks whose face cards included a Knight or Cavalier as well as the Jack, Queen and King.