Hit or Stand

The choice of hitting - drawing another card, or standing - end your hand as it is, is one of the most basic options in the game of Blackjack. When choosing to stand, the value of your hand is the total of your current points and the game then goes on to that player sitting to your left or to the dealer if there are no more players.

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To further explain, consider this scenario:

You have placed your first bet and been given two cards. You can choose to Hit which means to take another card, which is given to you face up. Do this if you believe that your chances are good of obtaining a hand that consists of 21 points or closer to what you are now. To Stand means that you are not going to take another card and that you are staying with the total of the two cards you have. Do this if you are confident that you have a good chance to win or because there is a good chance of a bust if you did go ahead and ask for another card.

Most dealers as well as online games are required to hit on a total that is less than or equal to 16 and to stand on a total of 17 or higher. However, in some games the dealer may hit on a soft 17 such as an Ace and a 6 card. Be sure to find out how the game is played as it will factor into your overall odds and the basic strategy you should use in the game.

The best Blackjack players do not decide to hit or stand solely based on the total of their two cards as there are other things that factor in such as what the dealer has for the 'up' card and the calculations regarding the chances of winning.

In Blackjack, the house edge is at about 5.5% but if you know when to hit and when to stand, you can improve your odds by around 3%. The general rule of thumb is to stand when you have a hand of 17 or more, although this does not apply if you are holding an Ace in a soft hand. Having 17 or more in a hand is considered to be very favorable. If you have 17 or higher, your chances of improving that hand are diminished and not worth risking a bust over. On the other hand, you cannot bust if you have 11 or less than 11 so you should hit in this instance.

Please proceed with the next article on how and when to use surrender in blackjack.

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