Hard Hand in Blackjack? 8 Simple Strategies to Deal With Them – BestUSCasinos.org

The first thing most casino gambling beginners learn is how real money blackjack can be played perfectly using basic strategy* charts. First developed way back in the 1950s, blackjacks basic strategy is based on the cold, ineffable logic of mathematical probability.

In essence, given your own total relative to the dealers up card, every possible scenario offers up one play that is more profitable over the long run than any alternative. Most students struggle to memorize the soft hands which include an Ace, or the paired hands which can be split, but I always had trouble with the basic hard totals.

Eventually, though, I found a way to break the hard hand components of basic strategy down into eight easily remembered tricks. They worked wonders for my game, so Im happy to share them with readers hoping to brush up on their blackjack skills.

*These basic strategy tips apply to standard Las Vegas blackjack tables where the following house rules are in place:

6 to 5 payouts on blackjack; dealer must hit on soft 17; 8-deck shoe; doubling down after splitting is allowed; re-splitting aces is allowed; surrendering is not allowed

Beginning with the bottom of the blackjack hand totem pole, lets look at the lowliest* of hard starting totals 5, 6, 7, and 8.

*You can start with a 2 (A-A), 3 (A-3), or 4 (2-2 & A-3), but these arent hard hands

When you see a couple of baby cards in the hole, you dont have to do a thing but tap the table for a hit. These low hard totals basically get a free shot at improving, because no card can come which will cause them to go bust.

In most cases, youre looking for an Ace to arrive in these spots. When it does, your hard starting hand suddenly evolves into a soft total which provides more playability and even opportunities to double down against the right dealer up card.

Face cards and 10s are also a welcome sight here, turning 7 into 17 and 8 into 18.

But no matter what you draw after hitting a hard low hand, youll simply proceed by using basic strategy based on your new total.

On the other end of the hand strength spectrum, hard totals of 17 and higher are automatic stands according to the basic strategy chart.

At this point, youve already been graced by the gambling gods with a winnable starting hand so why tempt fate and try to improve further by risking an unnecessary hit? Even in the most marginal of these spots, such as hard 17 against the dealers 10, hitting just isnt worth it when you know only 2s, 3s, and 4s can save you.

At that rate, with only 12 potential improvements in each 52-card deck, youll go bust more than 75 percent of the time.

When youve been handed a gift horse in the form of a high-hard starting total, its never a good idea to look it in the mouth. Take what the deck gave you and hope the odds hold up by delivering the dealer a loss.

One of the prettiest sights in the game, aside from a natural blackjack, is a hard 11 to start the hand.

With any of the hard 11 combos 2-9, 3-8, 4-7, 5-6 in the hole, youve earned a lucrative opportunity to punish the dealer by doubling down. It doesnt matter what the dealer is showing either, even a 10 or Ace up still makes doubling on hard 11 the best play.

The reasoning here is quite simple when you remember just how many 10-value cards are in each 52-deck crammed in the shoe. Between the 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings, the ratio of 10-value cards in a deck stands at 16/52. In other words, youll have slightly more than a 30 percent chance of drawing a 10 to complete an unbeatable 21.

And thanks to the extra bet you must pay for the privilege of doubling down, that 30 percent probability is worth twice the potential profit.

Some inexperienced players decline to double on hard 11 against a dealers 10, mistakenly believing that the removal of a precious 10 tilts the odds against them. This is erroneous, however, so please feel free to double whenever a hard 11 hits the felt.

If you cant start with a hard 11, a hard 10 is the next best thing

With these combos 2-8, 3-7, 4-6, and 5-5* you enjoy a prime double down spot against almost all dealer-up cards.

*5-5 is technically a paired hand, but basic strategy advises playing it exactly the same as any other hard 10

Unless the dealer is showing a 10 or Ace, doubling on a hard 10 is always the right move to make.

You dont want to double on a hard 10 against a 10 because, if you do manage to hit another 10 for 20, youre still looking at a push should the dealer flip over a 10 for themselves. And against a dealer Ace, you know that one of the four Aces (in every 52-card deck) you need to make 21 has already been claimed.

Other than those two bugaboos though, doubling on hard 10 is a great way to squeeze an additional bet into your chip stack.

The only other hard total which can be doubled down on prudently is the 9 (2-7, 3-6, 4-5).

With that said, you should only double on hard 9 when the dealer has a 3, 4, 5, or 6 up. Ive found this rule is easier to remember when you think about the math needed to add up to 9. Basically, 3 + 6 = 9, and so does 4 + 5 so these are the only four dealer cards that call for a double on hard 9.

This limit is in place for a few reasons, but first and foremost, you dont want to risk an extra bet doubling against strong dealer cards of 7 or higher. Assuming they turn over a 10 on those cards, theyll simply hit and mint a winner when you fail to hit a high card.

Conversely, with a hard 9 against high cards, you can safely take a hit in hopes of improving to 19 or 20, but youre not doomed if you dont. When a small card arrives after a hit here, you can simply hit again (or follow basic strategy for that specific total), which gives you more room to try and chase down the dealers high total.

Diving into the nitty-gritty of basic strategy, hard totals of 13, 14, 15, and 16 follow a very straightforward rule to decide between standing and hitting.

Essentially, a 6 as the dealers up card provides the threshold between those two decisions. When facing a 6 or lower, standing on hard 13-16 is the proper play because it allows the dealer to go bust hitting their own weak total. Assuming they flip over a 10-value card on their 2-6, the dealer will be highly likely to go bust on their next mandatory hit.

Flipping the script, you should hit on hard 13-16 when the dealer has a 7 or higher up.

In this situation, either at a casino table or on a live dealer online game, when the dealer turns over a 10, theyll stand and automatically beat you if you stood on 13-16. Thus, taking a chance and trying to spike a small or medium card to improve your low starting total is the least bad option.

Last but not least, the most vexing of blackjack hands is a hard 12 for several reasons.

If you choose to hit, youll have a high likelihood of going bust on any 10-value card. Stand, however, and youre bringing a knife to a gunfight with a very low 12 total.

When you hold a hard 12, standing is only the right play against the dealers 4, 5, or 6. Once again, these middling-up cards make 14, 15, and 16 distinct possibilities for the dealer, and those are quick tickets to bust town when theyre forced to hit.

With hard 12 against any other dealer card, hitting and hoping for the best is the best way to dig out of the hole the deck has dug for you.

If youre attempting to learn blackjacks basic strategy, the sight of those color-coded charts divided into hard, soft, and paired hands can be daunting, to say the least. It was for me anyway, what with 340 distinct player total vs. dealer-up card scenarios in play.

For that reason, Ive always taught ambitious blackjack students to use the age-old divide and conquer approach. First, break down the chart into hard, soft, and paired hands. Next, break each of those components down into logical rules as shown above. Before you know it, youll be instantly recalling the correct play the moment your cards hit the baize.

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Hard Hand in Blackjack? 8 Simple Strategies to Deal With Them - BestUSCasinos.org