what are face cards in a deck

Face cards are a term used to describe a card in a deck of playing cards that depicts a person as opposed to the pip cards. The face cards are kings, queens, and jacks. In a standard 52-card deck, there are 12 face cards, with each suit having three of them. The face cards were initially introduced in Germany in the 1440s, and queens were added later in the 16th century in France. The figures depicted on face cards vary between eras and regions, with some featuring Joan of Arc or the goddess of love and beauty, Venus.