Photo: Pixabay

When not to hit on blackjack?

If you are playing a single-deck game, don't hit 8 against a dealer's 5 and 6 (you should double down), don't hit 9 against dealer's 2 (you should double down), and don't hit 11 against a dealer's ace (you should double down).

888casino.com - All You Need to know While Playing Blackjack - 888 Casino

What does a 10 1 odds mean?

10-1 Betting Odds means that out of 11 possible outcomes, the 10/1 odds are that there will be 10 of one kind of outcome and 1 of another kind of...

Last updated Apr 10, 2019

Can you live off of sports betting?

Sure, some people make money betting on random games. But it easier to make money when you specialize in one or a few sports and leagues. The...

Last updated Sep 20, 2022

Make Your Bookie Cry And Pull The Hair By Generating $23,187

Promotion

The most frequent decision that you will have to make when you play blackjack in either a land-based or online casino is whether to hit or stand. That’s why it’s important that you know the correct basic strategy rules for this decision.

BASICS

Standing in blackjack means you are satisfied with the total of your hand and do not want any additional draw cards. Hitting means you want to draw another card (or cards) to try to improve the total of your hand. In a land-based casino, there are hand signals that you must use to signify to the dealer whether you want to stand or hit. You can stand or hit on any hand that totals 21 or less. In the process of taking a hit, if your hand exceeds a total of 21, you’ve busted and you automatically lose your bet. Once you signal the dealer that you want to stand , that completes your hand for that round. A soft hand in blackjack contains an ace counted as 11. An example is A-7, which is a soft 18. A hard hand is any hand that either doesn’t contain an ace, or if it does, the ace counts 1. For example, a 10-8 and 7-A-10 are hard 18s.

HARD HAND STANDING AND HITTING STRATEGY

Whether you like it or not, about 4 out of every 10 hands you are going to get will be the worst hands in blackjack, namely 12 through 17. Virtually all of these hands are overall losers, meaning you will lose more such hands than you win. (The one exception is in an S17 game with two or more decks, where a 17 vs. a dealer’s 6 upcard is a slight winner.) The best you can do in a losing situation is to make the play that minimizes your losses in the long run. You’ll do that if you follow the basic playing strategy rules for hard hands. What follows is a generic strategy for when to hit and stand when you are dealt a hard hand. (It assumes a multi-deck game with S17, DAS, and surrender is not allowed.)

5–8 … always hit

9 … hit if dealer shows a 2, or 7 though ace

10 … hit if dealer shows a 10 or ace

11 … hit if dealer shows an ace

12 … stand if dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6; hit on 2, 3, or 7 through ace 13–16 … stand if dealer shows 2 through 6; hit on 7 though ace

17–21 … always stand

What happens if I make too much money while collecting Social Security?

If you are younger than full retirement age and earn more than the yearly earnings limit, we may reduce your benefit amount. If you are under full...

Last updated Oct 5, 2021

Who stole billions in crypto?

James Zhong, the 32-year-old behind the theft, pleaded guilty Friday to a single count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years....

Last updated Oct 24, 2018

Promotion

There are some minor adjustments to the above playing strategy depending on the rules and number of decks. Here are the adjustments you need to make (assuming surrender is not offered.). If you are playing a multi-deck game with H17, don’t hit 11 against a dealer ace (you should double down instead) If you are playing a double-deck game, don’t hit 9 against dealer’s 2 (you should double down), and don’t hit 11 against a dealer’s ace (you should double down). If you are playing a single-deck game, don’t hit 8 against a dealer’s 5 and 6 (you should double down), don’t hit 9 against dealer’s 2 (you should double down), and don’t hit 11 against a dealer’s ace (you should double down). Note: In chapter 2 of my Ultimate Guide to Blackjack you’ll find the complete hitting and standing strategy tables and charts for soft and hard hands.

COMPOSITION-DEPENDENT BASIC STRATEGY

Up until now, the above strategy for hitting and standing considered just the total of the cards in your hand, without any consideration of the individual cards that comprise the total. You can gain extra precision (i.e., slightly lower house edge) if you consider the composition of the cards in your hand (known as composition-dependent basic strategy). Here’s one example of how the composition of the cards in your hand can alter the strategy. Most players know that the correct strategy for a 10-6 against a dealer’s 10 upcard is to hit (assuming surrender is not offered). However, if your 16 consists of three or more cards (e.g., 4-5-7), you are slightly better off standing on your 16 rather than hitting. In Chapter 5.1 in my Ultimate Guide to Blackjack are more details on other composition-dependent basic strategy plays.

I’LL PLAY BY THE DEALER’S RULES

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say something about players who “mimic” the dealer’s rules when they play blackjack; namely, they always hit on 16 or less, always stand on 17 or more, and never double down or split (because the dealer doesn’t). This is a terrible strategy that results in roughly a 5% house edge against you (that’s about 10-times greater than the house edge using the basic playing strategy discussed in this article). Fuhgeddaboudit!

SUMMARY

For many of the hands you will be dealt when you play blackjack, more so the hard hands discussed in this article, you are, unfortunately, the underdog no matter what playing strategy you invoke. Nevertheless your best strategy is to:

888casino.com - All You Need to know While Playing Blackjack - 888 Casino

How much does the average gambler lose in a lifetime?

The survey found that callers lost an average of $115,000 over their lifetime. The average current debt due to gambling is $17,000.

Last updated Nov 17, 2020

What does under 2.5 mean?

Under 2.5 Goals is a popular football bet that literally means you are betting on there being less than 2.5 goals in a football match. That means...

Last updated Apr 26, 2018

Promotion

Can I make a living playing poker?

That's one of the most common questions that aspiring poker players ask themselves and their poker friends. What's the real answer? Yes, you...

Last updated Jun 11, 2020

Promotion

What to do if the FBI knocks on your door?

How to Protect Your Rights When the FBI Arrives Find Out Who Is at the Door. You have the right to confirm the identities of the officers by asking...

Last updated Apr 10, 2022