Hitting – When to, when not to
Let’s be crystal clear: Blackjack is NOT a violent game. Hitting refers to asking for additional cards, and has nothing to do with fists or the like.
Hitting is usually requested with the iconic phrase, “Hit me!”, along with some sort of hand motion (usually tapping your cards.) In fact, this hand motion is important - casinos usually request (or insist) on hand motions to ensure the player is clear in their intent (as hand motions can be easily captured and identified on video). Besides tapping cards, other common hand motions for hitting are scraping the cards against the table, or just tapping the table with a finger.
Be careful with hitting, however! Hit too little, and you give the dealer/house a better chance to beat you. Hit too much and you’ll go over 21 and lose. When considering hitting, think about your cards, the dealer’s face card, and the likelihood of you busting.
The basic foundation to good blackjack play is to stand (refrain from hitting) if you have a hard hand totaling 17 or more. The chances of you drawing greater than a 4 and busting are too high. If you have a soft hand with an ace, however, it’s safer to hit, as the ace can be changed into a 1 if the dealt card is large than 4 (the ace in interchangeable on the fly – you need not be held to either value.)
Now for some specific rules toward hitting based on what the dealer is showing:
If the dealer has an ace, then hit if you have a 16 or less. This is because a card with a value of 10 is more likely than any other card (since there are 5 cards that can help make blackjack.) Chances are against you in this case, so offset the dealer’s advantage with a bit of aggression.
If the dealer has a value 10 value card then you should hit if you have 16 or less. The dealer has roughly a 33% chance to get a blackjack or a 20. Chances greatly favor the dealer so you need a higher hand to compete. If the dealer shows a 7 – 9 then a blackjack for them is impossible. It’s still a good hand for the dealer so hit if you’re under 17.
Now for the ones where you should double down (double your bet and take another card)… A dealer card of 4 - 6 is considered the worst of the lot. Hit if you’re under 12 because you don’t want to take any chances on busting since the dealer will probably bust on their own. This is because a dealer must continue to take cards until they get till 17 or more. On a dealer card of 2 or 3, stand on a 13.
Use these tips to reduce the house edge, increase your winnings, and afford that nice dinner at the casino restaurant. Good luck!
