When to Hit in Blackjack: Essential Strategy Tips for Winning Hands
Whether you prefer playing classic cards online or modern live dealer variants, knowing when to hit in blackjack is crucial for your success. If you know how to decide when to stay or hit, you can apply different strategies to improve your odds of winning. In this article, you’re going to learn the basic rules of blackjack, the best scenarios to hit and to avoid, and expert tips to enhance your winnings.
Key Takeaways
- Learn when to hit effectively.
- Understand how dealers influenceac hitting decisions.
- Common mistakes to avoid when hitting.
- Expert tips to build confidence when hitting.
Understanding the Basics of Hitting in Blackjack
When you “hit” in blackjack, you’re simply asking for another card from the dealer to boost your hand’s total value. Many players hit when the total value of cards is low, usually between 8 and 16. However, the dangers of this move is that you can bust or exceed 21. Expert blackjack players rely on their dealt cards and the dealer’s visible card to determine the best opportunity to hit.
Basic Rules for When to Hit
One of the challenges among new players who are learning how to play blackajck, is knowing the best time to hit and the rules guiding this basic strategy. Here are basic rules you must follow to hit effectively:
- Hitting Under 12: This is considered a safe hit because when the total value of your cards is 12 or less there are minimal chances of busting. For example, hitting a hand like 9 is safe because adding an extra card value will still be below 21.
- Hitting Between 12 and 16: Many experts consider hands between 12 and 16 as “stiff hands” because of the busting risk involved. In this case, your decision to hit or not depends on the dealer’s upcard. It is safe to hit if the dealer has a strong card like 7 or an Ace for bigger returns.
- Soft Hands: These hands often contain an Ace and they are flexible, allowing you to hit without bigger risks of busting. It is safe to hit on soft 17 or lower to enhance your total value.
When to Hit vs When to Stand: Key Dealer Upcard Factors
When playing online blackjack, it is vital to observe the dealer’s upcard because it determines when to hit or stand. First, you must know that dealers are likely to bust if they have weak cards ( 2 through 6), so, the best strategy is to stand if your total card value is between 12 and 16. On the contrary, if the dealer has a strong upcard (7 through Ace), hitting is the smartest move you can play, unless you have a total of 17 or higher.
Total Less Than 12
It is recommended to hit on any hand with a total value of 12 since they have zero chances of busting. The total value of any card that is drawn will remain below 21, giving you a winning edge.
Hitting on 12 or 13 Against a Dealer’s 2
When you have a hand total of 12 or 13 and the dealer has 2, you should hit despite the potential risk of busting. Hitting will buy you more chances to improve on your total hand.
Low Hands Against a Dealer’s Strong Hand
Whenever a dealer has a strong hand (7 through Ace), you should hit if the total value of your cards is 16 or lower. While this move has high risk of busting, it offers better long term odds.
Common Scenarios for Hitting
In online blackjack, it is advisable to hit whenever you find yourself in the following scenarios:
- Total is below 12: Hit when your total card is below 12 since there is no risk of busting.
- Total of 12 to 16 vs. dealer’s 7 or higher: Hitting when you have a total of 12 to 16 when the dealer has 7 or higher increases your chances of getting 17 or more.
- Soft 17 or less: When you hit with a soft 17 or less, the Ace shields you from busting.
- Soft 18 vs dealer’s 9, 10, or Ace: You should only hit if the dealer has 9, 10, or Ace because 18 is likely to lose against the dealer’s strong hands.
- Special cases: You should hit when your total is 12 or 13 against the dealer’s 2 as it improves your odds of winning, especially in single-deck and other aggressive strategies.
Soft Hands: When to Hit
A hand is considered “soft” in blackjack if it has an Ace counted as 11 without going over 21. The flexibility of soft hands allows you to adjust the Ace’s value to 1, significantly lowering the risk of busting.
Hitting Soft 17
Always hit on soft 17 is when a dealer displays a strong upcard like 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace. This enhances your chances of moving to 18-21 which has better odds of winning. Overall, hitting soft 17 works perfectly against the dealer’s strong cards.
Hitting Soft 18 Against High Cards
Although a soft 18 hand may seem strong, it is vulnerable against the dealer’s high cards like 9, 10, or Ace. In this case, hitting enhances your chances of closing with a stronger total, increasing your overall winning probability.
When Not to Hit: Situations to Avoid
Knowing when not to hit or stand in blackjack is equally important. Here are situations you should avoid hitting:1
- Always stand when you have a total of 17 or higher.
- Always stand on 12 to 16 when the dealer has a 2 through 6.
However, some cases require you to consider surrendering or splitting, rather than hitting or splitting. For instance, when you have a hard hand or a pair that you can play more effectively.
Advanced Tips
- Reduce the house edge with basic strategy charts: Understand the basic strategy charts to know when to hit, stand, surrender or split based on the dealer’s upcard.
- Adjust your betting strategy: Adjust your betting strategy to fit different online blackjack variants, such as single-deck and multi-deck that allow more aggressive moves like double down. Play multi-deck games cautiously as they have a lower card predictability.
- Understand the dealer’s rules: Start by learning the dealer’s rules that affect the game’s odds, especially those determining whether the dealer should hit or stand on soft 17.
Applying these online blackjack tips to your play helps you to make smarter strategic decisions.
Conclusion
- Determining when to hit in blackjack narrows down to understanding the relationship between your hand value and the dealer’s upcards. When you have a vulnerable hand and the dealer has a stronger upcard, hitting allows you to stay competitive. By knowing when to hit or stand in blackjack and regular practice you lower the house edge and boost your odds of winning.
FAQs About Hitting in Blackjack
Should I Hit on 16?
Yes. You can hit on hard 16 if the dealer’s upcard is a 7 through Ace or hit on soft 16 because you can’t bust.
What About 13 vs Dealer 2?
You should always stand when you have 13 against the dealer’s 2 because you have a fair chance to win if the dealer bust.
Should You Hit on Soft 17?
Of course, yes. Hit on a soft 17 because it can’t bust with just one card and only stand if the casino rules allow.
When to Hit or Stand on 14 or 15?
On hard 14, hit if the dealer’s upcard is 2 to 6, and hit if the dealer displays 7 to Ace while on hard 15 hit if the dealer has 7, 8 or 9 and only stand if the dealer has 2 through 6.
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WRITTEN BY
Douglas Mutala is a seasoned English iGaming content writer and copywriter with over 7 years of experience crafting SEO-optimized, high-impact content for global clients.
He currently writes for TimesofCasino, where he develops engaging articles, detailed casino reviews, slot game reviews, gaming guides, and online gambling trends.
He has also worked with other content agencies, including RevPanda, iGamingVision, and Gorillazap Media.
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