US Players and Credit Card Deposits Accepted! Blackjack Basic Strategy For Hands Totaling Hard Nine (9) How to Play a Hard Nine Total in Blackjack - Hard 9 Hard hands: Hard 8 or less - Hard 9 - Hard 10 - Hard 11 - Hard 12 - Hard 13 - 16 - Hard 17 to 21. Find out about the game of blackjack, learn the card values, all about blackjack casino table and casino chips. Familiarize with soft and hard hands in black. The good news for blackjack rookies is that the optimal playing strategy for unpaired hard 12 (i.e. Any hand that does not contain two cards of the same value) is not influenced by playing conditions and deck number. The correct moves coincide across all blackjack. If you have a couple of 4s, you have a hard total of 8. If you hit and get a 10, you have a total of 18, which is great. But if you split the 4s, you’re likely to get a 10 and wind up with a hard total of 14, which isn’t nearly as exciting. The same logic applies to 5s.

• Blackjack Hard Total Recall
• Blackjack Hard And Soft Totals

History – How To Play – Rules – Odds – Strategy – Pro’s Perspective

Whether online or land-based Blackjack is one of the most popular card games at casinos, whether online or land-based. The game is sometimes referred to as 21, as players will try to get a hand total that is equal to 21. The game is not a competitive game in that players do not compete against each other. It is only played between the player and the dealer at the blackjack table. When the showdown occurs, players will not compare their blackjack hands together, but will instead compare their hands with the hand of the dealer.

There are many versions of the game, but they all have the same concept and target, which is reaching a hand total of twenty-one. The game begins with each player being dealt 2 cards. Players will then go through a series of decisions that depend on the hand total and the cards forming the hand. These decisions include “Hitting”, “Standing”, “Splitting” and “Doubling Down.”

When players get an ace and a jack or any other ten-value card, they will instantly win, and it is called Blackjack. Players will be rewarded more than the usual winning hand ( for Blackjack which is usually 3 to 2) while regular winning hands would pay even money (one to one). There is also a selection of side bets that players can place, depending on the blackjack version. The typical side bet in most blackjack games is an Insurance bet.

Blackjack History

The origin of Blackjack, like many other casino games, is still debatable. Nonetheless, most people agree the game of Blackjack originated in France in its land-based casinos in the 1700s. The game was called Vingt-et-Un. Vingt-et-Un is a French word that translates to twenty-one (21) in English, which is how players still use to refer to blackjack to this day. Some researchers believe that the game was derived from other card games that were popular in France at the time. These French games were French Ferme & Chemin de Fer, which had many similar rules and procedures.

Though Blackjack is thought to originate in France, the game was first referenced in a novel written in the 1600s by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. In the book, he describes two characters playing a card game that was named Veintiuno (Vingt-et-Un), and the rules of the game were pretty similar if not the exact rules of Blackjack.

Players dealt with cards, and the purpose was to get a hand total that is as close to twenty-one as possible without busting. In this game, the Aces counted as either 1 point or 11, just the like modern-day version of Blackjack. The book was written in the early 17th century, which adds credibility to the theory that the game actually originated in Spain.

Later on, the game of Blackjack traveled throughout Europe, however, leaving the most prominent tracks in Spain and France. Eventually, the game was introduced to the US.

Among the different versions of Blackjack, Vingt-et-Un (21) was the one that spread the most. It started to appear gradually in North America among the French colonists. However, the rules of Vingt-et-Un at that time differed slightly from modern-day Blackjack. For example, the dealer was the only person permitted to double down, and there were wagering rounds between each dealt card.

The game became very popular in Nevada as it was the first state to legalize gambling in 1931.

At that time, the game was still named 21. For the casinos to attract players and encourage them to play the game, they offered the chance to place a special bet. This bet would pay players 10: 1 if they got a blackjack with a Jack of Clubs or Spades, along with an Ace of Spades. This is where the name Blackjack originated.

How to Play Blackjack

Like any casino card game, players will start by placing a bet. This is the final bet and players will not be able to reduce it or add to it (unless the game allows for doubling down) during gameplay. Once players place their respective bets, they will get two cards facing up while the dealer will give himself two cards though one is facing down, and the other is facing up. In some versions, the two cards of the dealer will also be facing up, for example in Blackjack Double Xposure.

Some games allow players to place bets on more than one blackjack hand; they are called multi-hand blackjack games. In these games, players will place a separate bet for each hand, and each hand is played separately. Although it is very rewarding, and it enables players to recover from the loss of one of the hands by winning the rest, it can also be devastating if the dealer gets a good hand or a blackjack.

Players will calculate their hand total, and make a decision to: either “Hit” or “Stand.” If they “Hit”, it means that they are not satisfied with their hand total and that they want more cards. They can keep hitting until they “Stand” which means that they are happy with the hand total or until they “Bust.” Busting means going over 21; if players bust, the hand is an immediate loss.

Once players stand, the dealer will show his hole card, which is the card that was facing down. He will then start “Hitting” which means to draw more cards until he reaches or passes 17. Some games obligate the dealer to stand on all 17s, and some require the dealer to stop at only Hard 17s. After the dealer stands, a comparison between the hand of the dealer and the hand of the player will take place. The hand that is closest to 21 is the winning hand. If the two hands have the same value, it’s a tie, which really depends on the rules of each version. When there is a tie, it is called a “Push”; some versions would consider it a tie and give players back their bets while other games consider a Push to be in the favor of the dealer.

There are other decisions that players will need to make during the gameplay. For example, players can “Split” If they get identical cards to form two hands. The two hands will have the same value of the original bet. Some versions would enable players to split more than once to form 4 different Blackjack hands. Also, some versions would allow players to split, unlike ten-value cards like a Ten and a Jack, or a Jack and a Queen. Players can split aces in some versions, but they will only be able to hit once and if they get a ten-value card, they will be paid even money as it is considered an average win and not a Blackjack.

Blackjack Rules

The rules of blackjack depend on which version is being played. Players are advised to check the rules of the specific blackjack version they are playing before engaging in the game. Although there are common rules like 21, busting, the dealing procedure and the card value, there are other rules that differ.

Card Values:

The card values are equal to the face value of each card, while Jacks, Queen, and Kings have a value of ten. Aces can be counted as either 11 or 1, depending on the blackjack hand. If it forms a total while being counted as 11, it is called soft, and if it creates a total while being counted as 1, it is called hard. For example, a hand that consists of an Ace and a five is a soft sixteen and a hard six.

Splitting Rules:

Splitting is allowed in every blackjack game, but some games will not allow splitting Aces and some games will only allow players to split 1 time. Players who split aces will only be allowed to hit once and get one more card. Players can split unlike ten-value cards depending on the rules of each game; some allow it while some require players to get identical ten-value cards so they can split. Splitting means that players will place a new wager which on the new hand, which is equal to the original wager was placed on the Blackjack hand; with four hands players can quadruple their original wager.

Double Down Rules:

Players will be permitted to double down after they get their first two cards. Some games enable players to double down at any value and others only allow them to double down if they get a hand total that is equal to 9, 10 or 11. Players will only be able to get one more card after they double, they will have to take that card, because it is not optional.

Surrender Rules:

Some games will give players the chance to surrender their blackjack hands; it is the equivalent of folding in poker. Players can make that decision after they are dealt the initial two cards. If they surrender, they will forfeit the hand, and they will lose half of their bet. Sometimes it is better to lose half than to lose the entire bet.

Insurance Rules:

Insurance is a side bet that players can place if the dealer’s card that is facing up is an Ace or a ten-value card. Players will win that bet if the hand has a blackjack. The dealer will peek and see his card once players place that wager and pay it out if it is a blackjack.

If players do not place insurance, and the dealer gets a blackjack, all the wagers, except insurance will bust. If the player has a blackjack as well, it is considered a push. Some variations will give players their bets back, while others consider a push to be in the favor of the house.

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Blackjack Odds

For you to fully understand the game, it is essential to comprehend and master the odds of the game and learn about the advantage of the house. It is critical to know how the house gets its edge.

The house has a distinct advantage over the players because players have to draw in blackjack first. If the player busts, the dealer will automatically win regardless of their hand. This is the main advantage the house has, and if everything else is equal, the house edge in a standard game of blackjack would be equal to 8 percent. The player and the dealer have a 28 percent probability of going over 21. Twenty-eight multiplied by twenty-eight means that 8 percent of the time the two hands will go over 21, and since the player will draw first, the dealer will win if and when they both bust.

Odds of Busting Based on Dealer’s First Card Drawn

Of course, the odds are not equal among all variations. Some offer players great advantages and, to balance these benefits; the casino increases its advantage or edge. Because of this, it is essential for players to know everything about the game before playing.

For example, the number of decks in play has a tremendous effect. Some games draw cards from a single deck, which can affect the odds significantly while other games draw the cards from six different decks of cards. If a game uses one deck of cards, the house will change other rules to increase its odds and reduce the odds for players. This is because when a player gets an Ace, it means there are 3 Aces left which decreases the chances for the dealer in getting one of these aces. On the other hand, if the game uses 6 decks, it means that there are 23 Aces remaining in the deck.

The odds on a player’s hand will change every step of the way. For example, if players get two cards, and they hit, the hand total will increase, and the chance of busting will increase, and so forth.

Odds of Busting based on Player’s First Card Drawn

Since Blackjack is one of the games with a reputation of counting cards, a lot of researchers and gamblers have studied the game and the odds so they can increase their chances of winning. You might have seen that in the movie “21” where MIT students developed a way to beat the house. For them to do that, they had to make up a counting system that would increase their advantage. This is why there are published studies that show the percentage of busting and getting a blackjack depending on the first 2 cards, the hand total of the player, and the facing up card of the dealer. You can find more about these strategies and percentages in the Strategy section.

Blackjack Hard Total Recall

Blackjack Strategy

Before discussing strategy, let us firstly go through some numbers that can be quite helpful. For starters, we will discuss the bust probabilities for each hand total. This will enable players to optimize their game to the fullest by knowing the percentage of busting if they ask for one more card.

– If players get a hand total of 11 or below, the percentage is equal to zero.
– If players get a hand total of 12 or below, the percentage is equal to 31.
– If players get a hand total of 13 or below, the percentage is equal to 39.
– If players get a hand total of 14 or below, the percentage is equal to 56.
– If players get a hand total of 15 or below, the percentage is equal to 58.
– If players get a hand total of 16 or below, the percentage is equal to 62.
– If players get a hand total of 17 or below, the percentage is equal to 69.
– If players get a hand total of 18 or below, the percentage is equal to 77.
– If players get a hand total of 19 or below, the percentage is equal to 85.
– If players get a hand total of 20 or below, the percentage is equal to 92.

From these numbers, players can figure out when they should stand and when they should hit. Players who get a hand total of between 2 and sixteen should generally hit and get another card. If they get a hand total that is more than 17, they should typically stand.

Of course, players will have to take the showing card of the dealer into consideration. The next set of numbers shows the dealer’s chance of busting according to the facing up card.

Blackjack Hard And Soft Totals

– Ace (11.65%)
– 10/Face Card (21.43%)
– 9 (23.34%)
– 8 (23.6%)
– 7 (25.9%)
– 6 (42.08%)
– 5 (42.89%)
– 4 (40.28%)
– 3 (37.56%)
– 2 (35.30%)

Taking these numbers into consideration, as well as the previous ones, will help players decide whether they should hit or stand.

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Besides hitting and standing, players should also know when to split and when not to split:

– When players get Aces or 8 cards, they should always split. There is a big chance to get a hand total that is closer to twenty-one when you hit on these two cards.
– Players should never split 10, 4, or 5 cards, regardless of the upcard of the dealer. Splitting in these scenarios will put you in danger of busting.
– Players should split 7, 3, and 2 cards if the dealer is showing a card between a 2 and a 7. If the value of his card is 8 or over, you should hit instead of splitting.
– Players should split 6 cards if the dealer is showing a card that has a value between 2 and 6. If the value of his card is equal to 7 or over, you should hit instead of splitting.

Pro’s Perspective: Blackjack Strategies and Tips

With John Grochowski

Not all blackjack games are created equal. Beyond the basics, there is a mix-and-match set of rules, and each casino chooses the conditions for its own game variations. Some rules are favorable to players while others give the casino an extra edge.
Let’s look at some of the more common options.

Number of Card Decks

Fewer decks are better for players. That’s because more blackjacks are dealt with fewer decks. That’s true for both players and dealers, but players are paid a premium on blackjacks and dealers aren’t.

In a single-deck game, if your first card is an Ace, 16 of the other 51 cards, or 31.4 percent, are 10-value cards that complete a blackjack. In a six-deck game, a first-card Ace leaves 64 of the other 311 cards, or 30.9 percent, as 10 values. There is a similar effect when the first card is a 10-value. Regardless of whether an Ace or a 10 comes first, there is a greater chance of blackjack with fewer decks.

However, not all single-deck games are better than all multi-deck games. You need to consider other rules in effect, including those listed below.

Blackjack Rules

The basic blackjack rule is that the dealer hits on 16 or less and stands on 17 or more. However, many casinos have the dealer hit soft 17, where an Ace is being counted as 11. Soft 17s such as Ace-6, Ace-2-4, Ace-3-3, and others can’t be busted with a one-card hit because the Ace can be counted as 1 instead.

It’s better for players if the dealer stands on all 17s. Hitting soft 17 gives the dealer a chance to improve to hands that could beat player 17s, 18s, 19s or 20s, and even push player 21s.

For most of blackjack’s history, two-card 21s have paid 3-2 so that a $10 bet brings $15 in winnings. Some casinos nowadays only pay on 6-5 on blackjacks, so a $10 bet only wins $12. This is one of the most important rules in blackjack. If blackjacks only pays 6-5, it adds 1.4 percent to the house edge – an amount greater than the entire house edge in many games that pay 6-5.

Variations of Double Down

As a player, you want to see games where the player may double down on any first two cards, including after the player has split pairs. If you split a pair of 8s and receive a 3 on one for a two-card total of 11, you want the option of doubling down. It increases the house edge if the casino does not allow doubling down after splits. Similarly, some casinos do not allow doubling down on soft hands and some restrict doubling to two-card totals of hard 10 or 11.

Fewer restrictions are better for smart players who know how to use them. Have your web browser search for basic strategy charts. They’ll tell you the proper times to double down along with the best plays for each possible hand.

If players’ priority is to win and to improve with every single blackjack game, then they need to put effort and time into achieving it. There are many other things that gamblers need to take into account and focus on prior to playing and during the game. To make the best possible decisions every time, players should prepare themselves beforehand.

For instance, it is recommended for them to have a look at every possible hand they can get and what their best choice will be in such cases. Knowing how to proceed in the difficult situations when players have a hand 14, 15, or 16 is crucial as the total value of any of the hands is significantly high which means that the chance of players busting increases.

Whenever players’ hand total value is above 14, they are already in an unfavourable situation. Such cases require a good strategy and it is necessary for gamblers to think them through beforehand. Preparation and knowledge are compulsory if one wants to make the best possible decision.

Of course, as already mentioned, several other factors play a crucial role such as money management, discipline, decent bankroll and not to forget a bit of luck. Whenever players have the chance to turn the tables in their favour, they should take full advantage of the situation.

Important Things To Consider When Having Hand 14, 15 or 16

When players are unfortunate enough to get a hand 14, 15, or 16, they need to be very careful and stick to the strategy they have chosen. These are situations in which players are already one step from going bust regardless of the dealer’s upcard. However, this doesn’t mean that they should ignore its value, players need to always bear in mind that it is necessary for them to make their moves based on the dealer’s upcard.

Also, how players proceed in such situations shows their level of competence and knowledge to the rest of the players on the table. Since gamblers are already in an unfavourable situation, winning the hand shouldn’t be their priority. Instead, they should try to make the best move which is the move that will leave them with the smallest possible amount of money loss.

These are some of the trickiest hands in blackjack and as such, they are frequently misplayed. Part of the confusion results from the discrepancies in strategy charts. The optimal playing decisions vary depending on many different factors. These include how many decks are in play at the table, whether or not the dealer must hit soft seventeen, and whether players have the chance to late surrender.

All of these factors must be taken into account before you grab a basic strategy chart to take with you at the blackjack tables. What is optimal for hard totals 14 through 16 in a single-deck game may no longer be correct in multiple-deck variations.

What are Breaking Hands

The term breaking hands is commonly used in blackjack which places it among the important phrases players need to get familiar with. Gamblers have a breaking hand when they get their first two cards and they total 12 or above. The reason for this is that almost every single card will cause players to go bust (i.e. break their hand) as their total value will go over 21. Also, it can be referred to the dealer’s position as ‘breaking’ if their upcard is a 2 through 6.

The trouble with the so-called breaking hands 12 through hard 17 is that they invariably lose in the long term against all upcards of the dealer, including those that have higher bust rates for the house. Hard 14, 15, and 16 are particularly tough to approach because they lose more frequently than they win over the long haul.

The result is that the player ultimately ends up in the red with these totals no matter what playing decision they make. You probably think that’s bad. It is, but it gets worse since you will end up receiving horrible stiff underdogs approximately 40% of the time you spend at the blackjack tables.

What is a player to do with these hard totals then? The answer is simple – trust in basic strategy and approach such underdog hands courageously by making the correct playing decisions. And by ‘correct’ we do not necessarily mean the ones that would secure a winning outcome.

The moves basic strategy recommends for these three hard hands are considered optimal because they reduce your negative expectation, i.e. you will end up losing less money with these stiffs over the long haul. In other words, you are on the defence rather than adopting an offensive approach. In some cases, the strategy plays help you escape a highly disadvantageous situation and increase your winning chances.

Breaking Hands’ Situations

As the name hints, breaking hands is the situation when either the player or the dealer is in a very weak position. Such cases are extremely hard to cope with and the only way to have a chance of not going bust is to follow the basic strategy. Breaking hands are the reason why so many people lose in the long run as well. Thus, if players manage to learn how to deal with them, they will significantly improve their performance at the table.

The bottom line is that once gamblers have such breaking hands, the chances that they will go bust and lose are very high. However, if they use basic strategy, they will be able to improve their hand once in a while.

The move hitting here plays a crucial role and players should take their time to observe when they should hit and when this task should be left to the dealer. In cases where players have a breaking hand and the dealer’s position is standing, then they should hit. Otherwise, they risk losing the hand.

When Players Have Hand 14, 15 or 16

It will be best to have a look at all of these cases at once where players have a hand totalling 14, 15, and 16 as the strategy that needs to be used is the same. It is worth mentioning that the same goes for the situations when players have a hard 13 against different combinations of the dealer’s upcard.

Let’s first elaborate on the recommended strategy plays for hard 14. These are the easiest to remember since there are no discrepancies in the strategy based on decks and dealer rules. Hard 14 is always a stand when the dealer exposes small cards 2 through 6. The player must hit their hard 14 against all other upcards, namely 7 through ace.

When dealt A-3, you have a soft 14. This is a much better situation to be in since it is impossible to break this hand with a one-card draw. You have an advantage against a dealer who starts with weak small cards 4 through 6.

In single-deck S17 blackjack, you must double on soft 14 versus the dealer’s 4, 5, and 6. When playing with two to eight decks, you should double on A-3 only when the dealer has a 5 or a 6 provided that the S17 dealer rule applies.

A pair of 7-7 also adds up to a total of 14. In shoe games, this pair must be split when the dealer has 2 through 7 and hit versus upcards 8 through ace. At single-deck tables, the pair should be surrendered against the dealer’s 10. The rest of the moves coincide with those for multi-deck blackjack.

The player is also in a tough spot when holding a hard 15. This is a bad hand, to begin with, no matter what value the dealer’s upcard is. However, things get trickier since the best plays are influenced by the dealer’s drawing rules and the number of decks.

We shall tackle the strategy differences in more depth in the surrender section of the article. Provided that late surrender is unavailable, you should stand on hard 15 against low-value cards 2 through 6 and hit versus 7 through ace. Undoubtedly, hitting a hard total of 15 is not the easiest decision to make at the blackjack table, especially against the dealer’s 10.

Nevertheless, it has to be done because it results in the lowest possible negative EV for the player. The main idea behind hitting 15 against a 10 is that it gives you a shot at improving your situation. The differences might appear negligible but in the long run, they are not.

Soft 15 (A-4) requires a different approach due to the flexibility the ace gives you. You should double down versus low cards 4 through 6 and hit against all other cards the dealer starts with.

The situation of the player worsens even more when they are dealt a hard 16, the worst total one could possibly obtain in blackjack. There are several ways to get this terrible hand including 8-8, Q-6, 9-7, and 3-5-8. The pair of 8-8 should be split against all dealer upcards in the vast majority of blackjack variations. We expand on the particulars of this pair further on in this guide.

The correct strategy moves for hard 16, assuming you cannot surrender are relatively easy to remember. You stand on 16 against 2 through 6 and hit versus 7 through ace. The same applies to multi-card totals that add up to 16, or at least if you follow total-dependent basic strategy. In the absence of late surrender, hitting is again more optimal because it gives you the chance to improve your total against the strong dealer.

Again, all three hands will end up losing over the course of thousands of rounds played. The optimal decision is the one that cuts down your long-term losses the most. The above moves are recommended under total-dependent strategy. If you want to take your game to the next level, you can switch to composition-dependent strategy.

The latter takes into account the exact composition of the cards your hand consists of. Composition-dependent strategy recommends you to stand on hard 16 versus a 10 when your hand contains three or more cards like K-3-3. Also, when the 16 results from splitting a pair, you should stand rather than hit under composition-dependent strategy.

The Option to Surrender

There is one alternative move players can make which leads to the least money losses. However, due to this fact many landbased casinos do not offer the option to surrender as they know that if players know when to take advantage of it, they can greatly benefit from it.

Many professional gamblers won’t play in a casino which doesn’t provide the option to surrender when playing blackjack. However, if players find themselves in such a situation and there is no surrender option, all they can do is act according to the above-mentioned strategy and hope for the best.

When this option is available, most casinos tend to offer late surrender. This allows players to give up on poor hands like hard 15 and hard 16 in exchange for half of their original wager. With late surrender, you can forfeit a bad hand after the dealer has checked for blackjack when starting with an ace or a ten-value card.

Late surrender is beneficial to players because it takes away around 0.07% from the house advantage. Most novice players are averse to surrendering as the name of the move itself evokes negative connotations. However, surrendering is a smart move when you are dealt negative-expectation hands like 15 or 16 versus strong dealer upcards like 10s and aces.

As a general rule of thumb, surrendering is recommended whenever you receive a hand whose expectation of winning is less than 50%. The main advantage of surrendering is that it saves you money when you find yourself at a disadvantage. Late surrender is a defensive play which also allows advantage players to temper the effect variance has on their blackjack bankrolls.

The correct late surrender plays depend on deck number and the dealer’s fixed standing rules. 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. If one deck is in play and the dealer must hit soft 17, surrendering is advisable against tens and aces when you have 7-7.

In double-deck H17 games, surrender is advisable when you hold hard 15 and hard 16 against the dealer’s ace and 10. Paired 8s should also be surrendered against the ace in double-deck H17 blackjack.

As for shoe-dealt games, basic strategy suggests surrendering hard 16 against strong upcards such as 9, 10, and ace. The approach toward hard 15 in multi-deck variations depends on the dealer’s fixed rules for drawing and standing. You surrender the 15 against the dealer’s 10 in S17 variations and against the 10 and the ace in H17 multi-deck blackjack.

Hard 16 Consisting of Paired 8s

If you have read CasinoGuardian’s blackjack guide carefully so far, you probably remember that the rule of thumb of basic strategists is to always split pairs of 8-8 rather than forfeiting them despite the fact this is still a hard total of 16. Some gambling authors recommend surrendering the pair of 8s versus high dealer upcards like 10, K, Q, and J.

Regrettably, this is a major mistake, and here is why. The dealer undoubtedly has an advantage over you when you hold 8-8 versus a ten-value card. He or she would arrive at standing totals 17 through 21 77% of the time on average.

What adds insult to injury is that the dealer’s probability of busting when starting with a ten-value card is rather small at 23%. A pair of 8-8 will cost you money no matter how you approach it but splitting is recommended because it reduces your losses the most. With 8-8, you have a great opportunity to turn a terrible stiff 16 into two brand new hands starting with an 8 each. This improves your chances of forming a good hand and beating the dealer.

Assuming you play standard six-deck S17 blackjack where you can resplit to up to four hands and double down after you split, your 8-8 will lose against the dealer’s ten-value card 77 hands out of every one hundred hands and win 23 times out of every one hundred hands. However, your win rate improves to 38 hands out of every hundred rounds when you split your 8-8.

Let’s suppose you are flat betting £1 per hand for simplicity’s sake. If you merely hit the pair, you will lose £77 and win £23 every one hundred hands on average. This makes for an average net loss of £54 in the long run. Meanwhile, if you consistently split your 8-8 versus the dealer’s ten-value card, you will lose £62 and earn £38.

Your net losses drop to 2 x £24 = £48 per every one hundred hands in this case. This may not sound like a significant improvement but you are still losing £6 less compared to drawing or staying on your pair of 8-8. Meanwhile, if you choose to surrender this pair, as some gambling authors advocate, you will net losses of £50 per every one hundred rounds on average (you lose only half your original wager when surrendering).

Therefore, consistently surrendering your pair of 8s versus the dealer’s 10 turns out to be £2 more expensive than splitting over the long haul. At this point, it is pretty much obvious you are in a losing spot when holding 8-8 no matter how you decide to play it out.

The bottom line is you will save more money by splitting in the long run compared to surrendering or the other possible plays. The only consolation of blackjack players in such instances is that they have made the mathematically optimal decision when dealt a long-term loser like stiff 16.

You can compare the expectation of each basic strategy play with paired 8s and 7s against the dealer’s 10 upcard below. The calculations are courtesy of mathematician and gambling expert Michael Shackleford, known as the Wizard of Odds.

As with all rules, there are always exceptions, however. Paired 8s should always be split unless one is playing shoe games and double-deck blackjack where the dealer must hit soft 17. Under these playing conditions, the odds favour surrendering the pair of 8s rather than hitting when the dealer shows an ace.

Exceptions are also made for paired 7-7 in single-deck blackjack. When the dealer must stand on all 17s, you surrender the 7-7 against a 10. Provided that the dealer must hit soft 17, basic strategy recommends you to surrender this pair whenever you are up against a 10 and an ace.

Odds and Probabilities

Players need to know what their odds are in case they happen to have a total value of 14, 15, or 16 in their hand as this will help them make better decisions. The following odds are accurate proving that the game is played with more than one deck and that gamblers decide to hit. If they have a 14 hand, the chance that they will go bust is 46%, and if the total of their hand is 15 – 54%.

In cases when they get unfortunate and get a total of 16, their chances of going bust are 62%. The worse-case scenario is when players get 19 or 20 as this leaves them with more than 85% chance of going bust. The good news is basic strategists never draw to hard 19 and hard 20 so their chances of busting with these totals are practically nil. Logically, the higher the total of the cards in the players’ hand, the more they are likely to bust by taking a hit.

Conclusion

Having to deal with a 14, 15, or 16 hand is a big challenge which requires a lot of preparation and a good strategy and even then, players’ success is not guaranteed and they can only hope that the odds will be in their favour.

However, if they follow a strategy or choose the option to surrender, any of these choices will lead to the least amount of money they will lose. Once players find themselves in a bad situation, they should consider how to get out of it with minimal money losses instead of how to win the hand as in many cases this only pushes them to certain doom.