The Worst Hand in Blackjack By Henry Tamburin No other hand makes blackjack players feel queasy than the dreaded 16. Players hate to hit the hand because they are afraid to bust. So many chicken out and stand no matter what the dealer shows.
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After you learn the basic rules of how to value and manage your own hand in blackjack, the next step is to figure out how to read the dealer’s. It’s a pretty straightforward process, but one that requires close attention in order to optimize your chances of winning.
Basic Rules by Which the Dealer Must Play
The first step in reading the dealer’s hand is to know about certain rules they are forced to abide by. First of all, as the cards are dealt each player receives their two of them face up. The dealer, on the other hand, gets one card face up and the other face down.
Once every player at the table has acted, the dealer turns up the hidden card and plays their hand from there. This basic procedure, and the one exposed card in front of the dealer, will be the foundation around which most of your blackjack decisions will be made.
Table where a dealer has starting cards equalling 11.
The next basic rule to understand is that the dealer has to hit any time their two cards equal less than 17, and stay anytime their two cards are worth 17 or more. The only exception to that rule is when a dealer has what’s known as a “soft 17.”
A soft 17 only occurs when the dealer has an ace and a six, giving them a hand that could take a hit and not bust because the ace can be worth either one or 11. Different venues have different rules regarding how a dealer must proceed on a soft 17, but most require that the dealer take a hit.
Finally, the dealer is not allowed to split or double down (guides to which can be found elsewhere on this website) no matter what they’ve been dealt or the other players are showing.
The Rule of 10
Now that you know how the dealer is constrained, it’s time to figure out how to go about reading their hand and making your bets accordingly.
The first piece of strategy that any amateur player has to learn is the rule of 10. Very simply, it states that you should assume any card you can’t see has a value of 10. With four actual 10s in each deck, and 12 face cards that all hold that same value, there are more cards worth 10 in the deck than any other amount. Since you can’t know what the next card will be – unless you have some sort of James Bond-ish pair of x-ray glasses – the odds dictate that you assume the rule of 10.
It is such an important rule because you’re always going to be presented with at least one card you can’t see – the dealer’s down card. So, no matter what they have showing, always assume the card you can’t see is worth 10 and proceed from there.
A similar idea applies to the next card that will come out of the deck when you take a hit, but to a much smaller extent because you should almost always make your decisions based off the dealer’s holding, not what card you suspect might be added to your hand when you take a hit.
Making Hit or Stay Decisions Based on the Dealer’s Holding
Now that you know to assume the dealer’s down card is worth 10, many hit or stay decisions become somewhat automatic.
For instance, if the dealer’s up card indicates strength with, say, a face card showing, you should figure that they have a total of 20 (and it’s very likely they will have something very strong even if they don’t have the 20). Therefore, if you’re two cards equal anything less than 17 you are always going to want to take a hit, even if you have 16 and are afraid the next card will bust you. It’s always better to go down swinging than to chicken out and find they had 20 all along, thus never giving yourself a chance to take a run at winning the hand.
On the other hand, if the dealer has a weak card showing – anything between two and six – you’re options are wide open. If you have a hand that can’t bust with one card, you might want to consider doubling down in order to take advantage of their weakness. If you have a poor hand that can bust with one card, like a 14, you’re always going to want to stay and hope the dealer goes over 21.
Most professional blackjack players have their own strategy that tells them when would be the best time to stand and when would be ideal to hit. In blackjack, the house edge starts around 5.5 percent, but if you know when to hit and stand, you can decrease those odds down to around 3 percent. Here are some of the most common scenarios in blackjack and how to know when to hit or stand when you’re stuck in that situation:’
Pay Attention
Once you understand the basic strategy behind reading a dealer’s hand the strategy involved becomes relatively simple. But above all else, you need to remember to pay attention to what’s going on and how the dealer’s hand is developing.
In a casino or online there can be a lot of distractions – loud noises, blinking lights, obnoxious neighbors, beautiful cocktail waitresses, etc. It takes very little effort to ignore all that for a few brief moments to size up the dealer’s hand and make an intelligent, calculated decision. So always take that short break from enjoying your surroundings to study what kind of hand you’re facing.
By putting just a little extra energy into reading the dealer’s hand, and then applying the rules and ideas stated above, you’ll find yourself cashing in chips much more often.
How Do You Calculate Blackjack Odds?
Blackjack is perhaps the only casino game that offers a skilled player a competitive advantage against the house. Provided players use basic blackjack strategy, card counting skills, and carefully select the right game, it’s entirely possible to whittle away the house edge. Caesars Games – a leading provider of online slot games – conducted extensive research into the best blackjack game available to players. One game comes up trumps every time, Single Deck Classic Blackjack!
Classic Blackjack Odds
One of the world’s most renowned authorities on casino game probabilities is the Wizard of Odds. This comprehensive gambling portal provides in-depth information on the house edge of blackjack games, given specific rules of play. Let’s assume that 1 deck of cards is used in a game of Classic Blackjack. Several other assumptions need to be made to calculate the house edge, including the following:
• Dealer stands on soft 17
• Players can re-split Aces
• Players can hit split Aces
• Players can re-split to 4 hands
• Players can Double after a Split
• No Surrender and Blackjack pays 3: 2
• Players can Double on any first 2 cards
• Player does not lose original bet against the Dealer Blackjack
Given these rules, the player has a 0.23967% edge over the house. When using a basic strategy with a cut card, the player still has an edge over the house of 0.08797%. If a continuous shuffler is used, the player edge is 0.20097%. The house edge increases when the number of decks of cards increases. For example, if all the rules stay the same and 8 decks of cards are used, the house edge with optimal gameplay is 0.30518%!
Why Would a Casino Offer Classic Blackjack to Players?
Believe it or not, there are a handful of games provided by casinos that offer players a competitive advantage. Classic Blackjack is one of them. True, you are unlikely to find this game at many Atlantic City casinos or Las Vegas casinos for this reason. Classic Blackjack is played with just 52 cards comprising 4 suits (diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades) with 2-10 worth their face value, Aces worth 1 or 11, and Jacks, Queens, and Kings worth 10.
There is an important blackjack rule that you probably don’t want to miss. Look carefully at the table and see whether blackjack pays 3:2, or 6:5. The best variant of this casino card game is the 3:2 version. Consider the payouts if you place a $100 bet and you hit blackjack. On the one hand you can win $150, and on the other you can win $120 – it’s a no-brainer. Equally important is what the dealer does on 16 and 17. Most of the time, the dealer is required to draw to 16 and stand on all 17s. Sometimes, the dealer is only required to stand on soft 17 (Includes an Ace).
Easy Blackjack Tips to Remember
• Always split a pair of Aces
• Stand if your hand total is a hard 17 – 21 (no Aces)
• Stand if you have a soft hand total of 19 – 21 (includes Aces)
• Always hit if your hand total is less than/equal to 11 – you can never bust!
• A natural blackjack (10-value card + Ace) beats any hand total that sums to 21
• Always use blackjack strategy charts and odds calculators to stand the best chance of winning
How Hard Is It to Beat the Dealer in Blackjack?
The trick to playing blackjack well is knowing which games to play, which rules to select, and how to manage your bankroll well. Blackjack is primarily a skill-based casino card game. An element of luck is involved since players don’t know what the next card is going to be with any certainty. You cannot alter the cards you have been dealt – you can only manage the way you play them. A fixed set of rules requires blackjack dealers to play a certain way. Like all casino games, the house has an inherent advantage, which is typically limited to around 1% in blackjack.
You may be wondering why the house has an advantage over the player? The reason for this is simple: The dealer acts after the player. If the player busts, the dealer is not required to continue playing, and wins by default. Fortunately, there are multiple blackjack guides, articles, rules, charts, and calculators that can teach players the art of the deal. It’s important to understand key terms in blackjack such as:
• Hit – take another card.
• Double Down – opt for one final card, double your bet, and stand.
• Stand – take no further action and stick with what you have.
• Split – Split identical cards such as a pair of Kings, a pair of Two’s, into 2 separate hands with additional wagers on each hand.
• Surrender – this option (if available) allows players to surrender a bad hand for 50% of their bet.
• Choose 3:2 over 6:5 on Blackjack – this simply gives you a higher payout
Best Blackjack Hand
The importance of basic blackjack strategy cannot be stressed enough. This is typically represented in a grid/chart which indicates the following:
• The dealer’s upcard versus the player’s hand
• Multiple combinations are possible from 2 – Ace (for the dealer) and all the available 2-card combinations for the player.
• Players must either hit, double, stand, or split depending on the cards the dealer is showing and the player’s hole cards.
Players are advised to select blackjack games that require a dealer to stand on all 17. This makes it easier for the player to win in the long-term. Another important point to bear in mind is that of card shuffling machines. If you are an experienced card counter, it is best to avoid these machines since it makes it difficult to keep an accurate count.
Best Blackjack Hand Ever
Perhaps the most important rule for the game of blackjack, or any casino game is effective bankroll management. If you’re playing Classic Blackjack, you must manage your bankroll well. Set loss limits and profit limits and always know when to walk away
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