There are 13 different card types which range from a ‘2’ to an ‘Ace’. 4 of the cards are worth ‘10’ points as such (10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings) and 1 card is worth ‘11’ or ‘1’ (Ace):
If you happen to get an ‘Ace’ on your first card, there is over a 1 in 3 chance that your next card is worth ‘10’ or more. You also have to consider what the dealer gets. Was the dealer’s first card an ace? If that is the case, the odds are against you as there’s a 1 in 3 chance that the dealer will get ‘21’ or a ‘blackjack’ without even requesting (‘Hit’) another card.
If you want to take full advantage of your odds, you have to carefully look at what card the dealer is dealt first. For example, if he has a ‘6’, then there’s a 1 in 3 chance that his next card has a ‘10’ value. This will give the dealer a score of ‘16’. The rules mean that the dealer has to ‘Hit’ at ‘16’ and there’s still an almost 1 in 3 chance that the next card he receives is a ‘10’. This means that the odds are good that the dealer will go ‘Bust’ by going over ‘21’. Blackjack is a game of luck to some extent but, as you can see, there is skill that can be applied.
Let’s look at another example. If the dealer has a ‘6’ and you have 2 cards totaling ‘12’. Having ‘12’ isn’t generally good enough to win a game as it’s quite a way from the decisive ‘21’. If you decide to request another card (‘Hit), there is a 1 in 3 chance that you’ll get a card with a value of ‘10’ giving you a total of ‘22’ which means you are ‘Bust’ and inevitably losing your stake. You should technically stand in this situation here.
If the dealer would have been a ‘7’ or higher in his first card instead of a ‘6’, there is a 1 in 3 chance that the dealer would have a total of ‘17’ of higher. This means that you should request more cards (‘Hit’). Another example to consider is if the dealer has a ‘7’ and you have ‘16’, there is a 1 in 3 chance the dealer will get a ‘17’ and therefore beat you. This situation is not ideal but if this is the case, you should ‘Hit’. This is because you will need a ‘5’ or lower to not go ‘Bust’. Your chances of doing this are 5 in 12 in order to avoid losing (Ace, 2, 3, 4 and 5).
To conclude, if the dealer receives a ‘6’ of lower’, don’t ‘Hit’ as much because the dealer has a weak hand and there is a good chance that the dealer will go ‘Bust’. If the dealer receives a ‘7’ or above, you should ‘Hit’ more often since the dealer has a strong hand and you have nothing to lose in reality.
Hard vs. Soft Hands – when playing Blackjack online, you will see there are hard hands and soft hands. A soft hand is basically when you have an ‘Ace’. This means that the ‘Ace’ can act as either 11 points or 1 point depending on what you prefer. A hard hand is a hand without an ‘Ace’ basically.
Whilst this is relatively easy to remember and comprehend, understand how to play the two kinds of hands to your advantage is key to succeeding. Basically, you need to assume that the next card the dealer will receive is of ‘10’ value.
With that in mind, you need to compare that with your own hand and then ‘Hit’ or ‘Stand’ accordingly. For example, if you are sitting on a hand of ‘15’ value and the dealer has a ‘6’, assume the dealer will get a ‘10’ and therefore have ‘16’. This means this is a very good chance the dealer will ‘Bust’. However, if you have a ’15’ and the dealer has a ‘10’, you should ‘Hit’as there is a good chance the dealer will get a ‘20’ and beat your hand.
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