What does hard 16 mean in blackjack?

A hard 16 is a blackjack hand that contains either no Aces, or if an Ace is present, it counts as one. Some examples of hard 16 are: 10-6. 7-9.

Do you hit a hard 16 in blackjack?

If you hit the 16, you will win 25.23 percent of the time, bust out 69.31 percent of the time and push 5.46 percent of the time for a net loss of 44.08 percent of the time. By standing on the “hard 16” you will win 29.01 percent of the time and lose 70.99 percent of the time for a loss of 41.98 percent of the time.

Is a hard 16 better than a 10 in blackjack?

Consider these numbers: When playing with a six-deck shoe, standing with a hard 16 against a 9, 10 or ace will lose about 77 percent of the time. Under the same conditions, hitting on a hard 16 against a 9, 10 or ace will lose about 74 percent of the time.

What to do on a hard 16 in blackjack?

In single-deck blackjack, surrender is recommended when you have hard 16 versus the dealer's ace or 10. Provided that the dealer hits soft 17, it is also recommended to surrender hard 15 against an ace. You should forfeit paired 7s against the dealer's 10 in single-deck S17 blackjack.

When should you hit hard 16?

On all your two-card hard 16s, you gain by hitting whenever the dealer has 7 or higher, but the gain is biggest when the dealer has a 7 up. There are some hands of three or more cards where it's a better play to stand on 16 vs. 10, but that gets us into composition-dependent strategies — a topic for another time.

Blackjack Strategy: How to Play a Hard 16

Should you hit a 16 against a 7?

The fact is that no matter what you do with a hard 16 against a dealer's 7, you're going to lose more often than you win. If you hit, you're going to bust a little more than 61 percent of the time. If you stand, you're going to lose those 74 percent of hands when the dealer goes on to make a standing hand.

Should I hit 16 vs 7?

When a dealer has a seven, eight or nine card it is impossible for them to make a blackjack, so your chances increase. However, they can still get a better hand of 17 or more so you will again need a strong hand to compete. When holding nine or less or 12-16 it's best to hit, but stand on a total of 17 or more.

Should you always hit 12 in blackjack?

Blackjack: When to hit

Ultimately, the game's main aim 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'll draw next.

Do you always double down on 11?

If the dealer is showing a lower card than a 10, it is good strategy to double down. If the casino rules dictate the dealer must hit soft 17, you should always double down on 11 no matter what the dealers up card.

Should I stay on 14 in blackjack?

17 and up always stands. 16 stands against dealer 2 through 6, otherwise hit. 15 stands against dealer 2 through 6, otherwise hit. 14 stands against dealer 2 through 6, otherwise hit.

Should you always split 10s in blackjack?

When it comes to splitting 10s in the game of blackjack, the bottom line should be: Average players should never split and should always stand on 20. Card counters will sometimes split in ten-rich decks. Smart tournament players will sometimes split when they need to bet more chips, especially if it's the last hand.

Should you stay at 17 blackjack?

If it's good enough for the dealer, it's the same for players … hitting soft 17 is always better than standing. Therefore, one of the golden rules of smart play is this: No matter what blackjack game you are playing, never stand on soft 17.

What are the odds of busting on 16?

Hit on 16 = 62% chance of busting. Hit on 15 = 58% chance of busting. Hit on 14 = 56% chance of busting. Hit on 13 = 39% chance of busting.

Should I hit or stand at 16?

If you hit on your 16, you'll win 25.23% of the time, push 5.46% of the time, and you will lose 69.31% of the time. That's a net loss of 44.08% when you hit your 16. If you stand on your 16, you'll win 29.01% of the time, push 0%, and lose 70.99% of the time.

What is the 17 rule in blackjack?

When the dealer has served every player, the dealers face-down card is turned up. If the total is 17 or more, it must stand. If the total is 16 or under, they must take a card. The dealer must continue to take cards until the total is 17 or more, at which point the dealer must stand.

Do you double 11 against 10?

When you double down, you risk losing double your original bet, but with 11 vs. 10, you win double your bet more often, giving you a higher average profit.

Is blackjack a skill or luck?

Purely based on statistics, some casino gamblers get lucky and win money. Blackjack, however, can be beaten based on skill—no luck involved. Are there other casino games that can be beaten in this way? (The answer is surprising.)

Should you split 8s against an ace?

A split pair of eights is expected to win against dealer upcards of 2 through 7 and to lose less against dealer upcards of 8 through ace. If a player hits on a pair of eights, he is expected to lose $52 for a $100 bet. If the player splits the eights, he is expected to lose only $43 for a $100 bet.

What not to do in blackjack?

Do you split 7s against a 3?

In multi-deck games, always split 7s against a dealer's 2 through 7, otherwise hit. In double-deck games, split 7s against dealer's 2-8 if DAS or 2-7 if NDAS; otherwise hit.

Do you hit on 15 against a 7?

Regardless of the number of decks of cards or the mix of playing rules, the correct playing strategy for a soft 15 is: Hit against a dealer's 2, 3, and 7 through ace.

How often does 20 win in blackjack?

But players win with 20 a lot more often than they lose, with about 70.2 percent of player 20s winning, 12.2 percent losing and 17.6 percent pushing. Twenty is a profitable hand for players against every dealer face up card. Let's look at player 10-10 vs.

Should you split 8s against a 7?

It's important to note that Shackleford's math indicates there's still an expected loss - likely more than half of your original bet. Other experts advise against splitting 8s against anything but a 7, or unless the dealer shows a bust card of 3, 4, 5 or 6.

What numbers should you split in blackjack?

Do you hit on 15 against a 10?

In a double- or multi-deck game, if your 15 consists of an 8-7, hit against a dealer 10 upcard (rather than surrender). In all games, if your 16 is multi-card or the result of a pair split, stand against a dealer's 10 upcard instead of hit.