Hit Or Stand–Blackjack Strategy
One of the most important decisions with regard to Blackjack strategy has to do with when to hit or stand. In virtually all blackjack playing scenarios, such a decision has the most bearing on whether or not the player in question will win or lose. For this reason, the skill of knowing when to hit or stand is one that should be implemented in any effective blackjack strategy.
Hit or Stand at 17?
The sweet spot in the game of blackjack seems to be 16. A hand of this value or lower will almost always be followed by a request for a hit. With a hand of 17 and higher, most players would be happy to stand, and in fact, many casinos require their dealers to stand on such hands. Whether or not you do hit or stand on a 17 is up to you. This decision is of course dependent on your particular blackjack strategy but in most cases, it would be a good idea to stand, as getting a hit with a hand of 17 is likely to result in a bust.
Blackjack Strategy Examples
Below we provide some real world blackjack scenarios that would necessitate making a careful decision as to whether to hit or stand. Before we go into that however, it would be helpful to realize that the house edge for blackjack typically starts at 5.5 %. By implementing effective blackjack strategy and knowing whether to hit or stand at critical junctures, you just may be able to tip the odds in your favor whether you are playing in an online casino or a traditional casino.
One of the worst situations that you could come across at a blackjack table is a game in which the dealer has a hand with an Ace. As most experienced players are aware of, the 10 and the face cards have a much higher likelihood of showing up than any other cards in the deck. In this scenario, the dealer has a 4 in 13 chance of getting a Black Jack. Your best option at this point is to hit in an attempt to beat out what could be a strong hand.
If the dealer’s upturned card is a 10, Jack, Queen, or King on the other hand, he has a 1-in-13 chance of getting a black jack, and pretty good odds on getting a 20 as well. Your options would then be to hit or stand at hands of 17 or higher.
If the dealer shows a 7, 8, or 9 card, the most effective blackjack strategy to implement in almost all cases would be to hit on hands of 10 to 16 and stand on higher hands. The good news is that the dealer isn't likely to get a black jack with those cards, so the odds are a bit more on your side.
If the dealer shows a 4, 5 or 6 card, this is pretty good situation for you, as you can implement the blackjack strategy of double down with a hand of 9, 10, or 11. With such a hand, you will want to hit 8 or less and stand at hands of 12 or higher.
