# One-eyed Jacks & Suicide Kings **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-eyed-jacks-suicide-kings/135946 "2002-11-08T22:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-eyed-jacks-suicide-kings/135946/1 "2002-11-08T22:01:12Z")
Whilst teaching LilMiss poker last night, she asked about wild cards (because ANY truly good game MUST have wild cards, I guess). I stated whenever I play penny ante, the wilds are the suicide king and the one eyed jacks. Why is there a suicide king and one eyed jacks? In my compendium of useless knowledge, ie me noggin’, I vaguely remember stories about the face cards, but do not remember. Is there relevance to the King of Hearts being the suicide king (I believe it was hearts)? (And the little monkey managed to make off with three mini-Snickers, a pack of gum, and a full sized Butterfinger. The cardsharp) ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-eyed-jacks-suicide-kings/135946/2 "2002-11-08T22:41:23Z")
The suicide king is the King of Hearts, because if you look at the picture, the King appears to be stabbing his head with his sword. Kinda ooky when you look at it. I believe the one-eyed jacks are the Jack of Hearts and the Jack of Spades, because they show the Jack in profile (only one eye in profile), whereas the Club and Diamond have a full-face shot. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-eyed-jacks-suicide-kings/135946/3 "2002-11-09T06:19:18Z")
The other suicide king is the king of diamonds, who got an axe facing his own head. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-eyed-jacks-suicide-kings/135946/4 "2002-11-09T06:33:23Z")
The other suicide king is the king of diamonds, who got an axe facing his own head. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-eyed-jacks-suicide-kings/135946/5 "2002-11-09T07:03:06Z")
Suit King Queen Jack Hearts Charlemagne, emperor of Rome Judith - Either Queen Judith of Bavaria or Judith of the Bible La Hire, French warrior. Clubs Alexander the Great Argine (an anagram of “regina”) Lancelot, knight of the round table Diamonds Julius Caesar Rachel, of the Bible Roland (Hector of Troy) Spades King David, of the Bible Pallas/Minerva, Goddess of War and Wisdom Hogier the Dane this was pasted from elsewhere, hopefully you can figure out that it is in three columns king, queen, jack & rows hearts,clubs etc [http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/playing-cards/tmfaq/tmfaq.html](http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/playing-cards/tmfaq/tmfaq.html) try that cite, if this is what you were asking ---
**Author:** ![Anubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-eyed-jacks-suicide-kings/135946/6 "2002-11-09T16:43:52Z")
The kings aren’t Charlemagne, Alexander, Julius and David, the’yre just kings: [http://www.snopes.com/history/world/cardking.htm](http://www.snopes.com/history/world/cardking.htm) To the Op: I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-eyed-jacks-suicide-kings/135946/7 "2002-11-09T17:13:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anubis \* > \*\*The kings aren’t Charlemagne, Alexander, Julius and David, the’yre just kings: [http://www.snopes.com/history/world/cardking.htm](http://www.snopes.com/history/world/cardking.htm) > > To the Op: I have no idea. \*\* You’re right of course, as far as modern Englih playing cards are concerned. But, you’re wrong if the cards are of French design. When I posted my cite, it was the homepage. Look in the FAQ and it discusses the French playing cards and other relevent questions. Peace