Blackjack Hit Or Stand
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games. Knowing when to hit or stand in the game can reduce the house edge by half, which makes it one of the best casino odds games. This is also true for knowing when to split or double down in the game.
Genre: Card & Casino. If you like Blackjack, you'll love Microsoft Bubble! Beat the dealer! Make your bet, and you're dealt two cards. If you think you can get closer to 21 without going over, have the dealer give you another. Options to Hit, Stand. Hit or Stand is a free online blackjack game and trainer that teaches you blackjack strategy while you play. The goal of the game is to make a high percentage of correct moves, not to earn money. The best decision here would be to hit again, as the majority of dealers stand on soft 17, so you are likely to lose if you stand. You can hit until you get 21 or get busted, and the best solution depends on the.
What does Hit & Stand mean in Blackjack?
The goal in blackjack is to get a hand as close to 21 as possible without going over. Hence it is also referred to as blackjack 21 or just 21.
The most frequent decision that players need to make when playing online blackjack is whether to hit or stand. To ‘stand’ simply means that you are satisfied with the cards that you have been dealt, and do not want any additional draw cards. Whereas, hitting means that you want to draw another card, or more, in order to try and improve your hand.
At anonline casino, players can action this by clicking either the ‘hit’ or ‘stand’ button on their screens. Meanwhile, players at a brick-and-mortar casino can use different hand signals to let the dealer know if they want to hit or stand. Once the signaling is done, that means your hand is complete for that round. Players can hit on any hand that totals 21 or less. In an event that your hand exceeds 21, then you have “busted” and that way you automatically lose your bet.
Other options include the ‘split’ which is simply splitting two cards of the same value into two hands, and ‘double down’ which is doubling down the amount of your bet, an extra card plus stand.
When to Hit
If your hand has a total of 8, it only makes sense that you hit on any card that the dealer holds. This is because the chances of you making a good hand are high, with so many 9 and 10-value cards in the deck. It is also wise to hit if the dealer has a relatively higher-value card on their hand such as a 7, 8 or 9 because they are likely to make 21, and the main aim of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand.
While it’s not advised, some players choose to hit when they have a hand total of 12 or 13 and the dealer has a lower card. That hand is very unlikely to win but it just might, depending on what card you will draw next.
Quick Tips:
· Hit if you have an 11 and the dealer has an Ace.
· Hit if you have a 10 and the dealer’s face-up card is also 10 or an Ace.
· Hit if you have a 9 and the dealer shows a 2 or 7 through Ace.
· Always hit on 5, 6, 7 and 8.
When to Stand
If your hand totals 17, 19 or 20 then you should stand, no matter what. This is because you are at a pretty good chance to ‘bust’ if your next card will make your hand go over 21. Some totals such as 10-10 or 9-9 can be split into two new good hands.
What’s also important is that you know the difference between ‘soft’ and ’hard’ hands in blackjack. Hands that contain an Ace, which counts as 1 or 11, are called soft hands, while hands made up of the other cards are called hard hands. Your decision to stand will also be based on which group your hand total falls into.
For instance, you should stand if the dealer’s face-up card is a 6 or below and you have a hard 16 (say consisting of a 7 and 9). Hit if the dealer shows a 2, or double down on cards 3 to 6 if you have an Ace, 2, 3, 4 or 5.
You can make a strong hand with soft cards if you draw a high-value card.
Quick Tips:
· Always stand if you have 17-21.
· Stand if you have 13-16 and the dealer shows a 2 through 6.
· Stand if you have a 12 and the dealer has a 4, 5 or 6.
The Blackjack Strategy Chart
The blackjack strategy chart is there to help you know what to do in every situation when playing the game. The table works in a simple format showing both the dealer and player’s possible hands. You can use the table to scan for the dealer’s card and through the corresponding column to your combination to see what to do. The strategy chart is based on a probability theory, which does not guarantee you a win, but at least points you towards a better direction to improve your odds.
You can also make use of other blackjack strategies to win, and calculators to help you check probabilities. However, remember that certain strategies to play blackjack such as card counting are frowned upon and can have you banned at a casino. This technique also does not work online as cards are shuffled on every round using an automated shoe.
Basic Blackjack Rules
Blackjack rules are very simple to follow. However, there might be slight differences depending on the variation you choose to play.
It is also important to note that some blackjack variations such as Atlantic City and European blackjack may have different side bets or progressive jackpots which can alter with the hit and stand betting system. If so, you will have an option to ‘surrender’, should you want to give up your hand early. This special option returns 50 percent of your bet.
FAQs about Blackjack Charts
Below are some frequently asked questions and answers about blackjack.
When should you not hit in blackjack?
You should not hit in blackjack if your hand totals 17 or above because you will be at a risk to exceed 21, meaning you will ‘bust’ and your winnings will be forfeited.
Should I hit or stand on 16?
Stand if the dealer shows a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.
Do you hit on 12?
No, stand if the dealer has a 4, 5 or 6.
Should I hit on 13?
No, stand if the dealer shows a 2 through 6.
Do you hit 13 against a 2?
No, stand if the dealer’s face-up card is a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.
Do you always double down on 11?
A good strategy is to double down if the dealer is showing a lower card than a 10.
Conclusion
Knowing when to hit or stand is key if you want to playblackjack successfully. The strategy chart makes it even easier to decide for every hand in this fast-paced table game, and although it doesn’t guarantee you a win, it does help improve your chances of winning. Sometimes, the choice is pretty obvious and you just need to follow your instinct. So, why not learn how to hit or stand in blackjack at our live casino online? You can try this simple strategy on our demo games or play for real money to win big today!
My mom taught me how to play blackjack when I was a little kid. The strategy she taught me addressed when you should hit or stand in blackjack in simple terms.
She taught me to stand if I had a total of 16 or higher, and to hit if I had a total of 15 or lower.
If you know anything about blackjack basic strategy at all, you’ll know that her strategic advice was off-base, to say the least.
In this post, I’ll answer the question, “When should you hit or stand in blackjack?” in some degree of detail. Keep reading below to learn a few blackjack tips.
What Does It Mean to Hit or Stand?
The two basic moves in blackjack are to hit or to stand, although you have some other options. You might think everyone knows that, but you’d be surprised. A friend of mine took a date to the casino not too long ago, and she asked him what she should do next.
When he told her to “stand,” she didn’t necessarily understand what that meant for the game. So, no, not everyone knows what it means to hit or to stand.
For those folks, here’s a quick explanation of blackjack and the moves you can make during the game.
- You get two cards, and so does the dealer. The dealer has one card face-up and one card face-down.
- The cards are worth points based on their ranking. The numeric cards are worth their number. So, the seven of spades is worth 7 points. The face cards (the jacks, queens, and kings) are each worth 10 points. An ace is worth 1 or 11 points, whichever works out better for the hand.
- Your total score is the point value of the cards added together.
The higher total wins the bet, but there’s a catch. If you get a total of 22 or higher, you bust, which is an automatic loss.
When you play your hand, your basic moves are simple. You can “hit,” which means to get another card. Or you can “stand,” which means to forego any other cards and let the dealer play their hand.
The Implications of Going Bust
Since the blackjack player goes first, it’s important to avoid busting your hand if you can. Once you bust, you lose your bet, even though the dealer hasn’t played her hand yet.
The higher your total, the higher the probability that the next card will bust your hand.
If you have a total of 10, for example, it’s impossible to bust. The highest value card you can get is 11, which would give you a total of 21—the best possible point total you could have.
If you have a total of 11, it’s still impossible to bust. The only card worth 11 can also count as 1, so you’d never stand on a total of 10 or 11.
With a total of 12, you now start having a possibility of going bust… Which cards will bust a total of 12? Any card that’s nine or lower will improve your total, but any card worth 10 is going to bust you.
How many cards are worth nine or less? You have the following cards which could help your hand, and there are four of each of them:
- Aces
- 2s
- 3s
- 4s
- 5s
- 6s
- 7s
- 8s
- 9s
That’s 36 cards that will help you. There are also 16 cards worth 10 points in the deck—the 10s, jacks, queens, and kings. Those will bust you.
16/52 is the same thing as 4/13, which is slightly less than 1/3. If a card is going to help you almost 2/3 of the time, it’s probably a good idea to take that card.
Some More Examples of Totals and Possible Bust Cards
Suppose you have a higher total, though. Let’s say you have a total of 16, for example.
How many cards will help you in this situation?
- Aces
- 2s
- 3s
- 4s
- 5s
Hit Or Stand Blackjack Game
That’s 20 cards out of 52 which will help you, which leaves 32 cards which will bust your hand.
A lot of people always stand on 16, even though mathematically, that’s not always the correct move.
If blackjack were as simple as calculating the probability of going bust, everyone would know which moves to make and when. You also need to account for the dealer’s face-up card.
The correct strategy with a total of 16 is to stand if the dealer is showing a card of six or lower, but you should hit if the dealer has a seven or higher showing. For this purpose, an ace is also considered a high card.
Yes, you’ll bust most of the time, but the dealer has a strong enough hand that you must be willing to risk this to get the best odds of winning. In fact, with every possible total, you must consider both your total and the dealer’s total when deciding whether to hit or stand.
Soft Hands vs. Hard Hands
Hit Or Stand Blackjack Free
Something else to consider when deciding whether to hit or stand is whether you have a hard total or a soft total. What’s the difference?
Remember how I explained that an ace counts as either 1 or 11 points? If you have a hand with an ace in it where you can count it as either without going bust, you have a soft hand.
If you must count the ace as 1 point to avoid busting, it’s a hard hand. You’ll hit more often with soft hands because you’ll have a lower probability of going bust.
Here’s an ExampleYou have an ace and a two. That’s a soft total of 13. If you get a 10 or a nine, you can just count the ace as a one instead of an 11, and you now have a total of 13 or 12, respectively.
You Do Have Other Options
Hitting and standing aren’t the only options you have. You can also make the following moves in blackjack.
You can split. If you get two cards of the same ranking, like two aces or a couple of eights, you can split your hand. This means you put up an additional bet and start two hands instead of one. These two hands play out independently.
You can double. Doubling down is the same thing as hitting, but with two differences:
- You must double the size of your bet.
- You can’t take any more cards after the first one.
You can surrender. If you hate your chances, you can surrender, which means you only lose half your bet. But you also have no chance of winning.
More About Basic Strategy in Blackjack
If you want to know the move in every situation with the best potential outcome in the long run, you’ll want to memorize basic strategy. Basic strategy was generated by running millions of hands through a simulator and determining which moves had the best expectation.
Most people learn basic strategy using a chart or a table. A table usually has the dealer’s possible up-cards listed across the top. The player’s possible totals are listed along the left-hand side.
You cross-index what you have with what the dealer has, and the table tells you what to do. The tricky thing about basic strategy is that the correct moves vary a little bit based on the conditions of the game you’re playing.
For example, basic strategy for a single deck game might be different in some situations from an eight-deck game. You can find multiple basic strategy generators on the internet, but for most recreational players, I recommend just learning a single basic strategy and sticking with it.
The difference in expected value from one game to another doesn’t usually change much regarding the handful of basic strategy differences based on game conditions.
And if you’re not counting cards, you’re playing a game with a house edge. No matter how big or small that edge is, you’ll eventually lose all your money in the long run.
What difference does it make if you lose it slightly faster?
Conclusion
When should you hit or stand in blackjack? When basic strategy tells you to!
That’s the only correct answer to that question. I’ve tried to offer some examples of how that math works, but it’s more complicated than just looking at the probability of busting.
You also need to account for the dealer’s possible outcomes.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.