Hard Hands in Blackjack
| Updated: Hard Hands and the Best Way to Play Them
Blackjack is a skill-based casino game in which players can influence the outcome of each hand by making optimal decisions. Before you start learning basic strategy, you need to become familiar with every element of the card game, including the different types of hands you may be dealt. That way, you can recognize the value of your hand and make the optimal move to improve your chances of winning.
A hard hand is a key term in blackjack, referring to a hand that contains no aces or an ace that can be counted only as 1. Some hard hands are strong enough that no additional action is needed, while others require careful play. To help you play these hands optimally, we have prepared a detailed overview of this type of blackjack card combination.
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Overview
Every hand you receive during the game is either soft or hard, and it is essential to be able to tell them apart and understand the opportunities each offers. In brief, a hard hand contains no ace or contains an ace that must be counted as 1. Because the ace cannot switch from 11 to 1, some hard totals can go bust with a single hit.
For example, a hand containing an ace can be hard if the ace can be counted only as 1. One such hand is ace-9-7. Here, counting the ace as 11 would cause the player to go bust, so it must be valued at 1.
Hard hands can be risky and are often stiff hands, meaning their total is between 12 and 16. Therefore, it is essential to follow a reliable strategy whenever you receive one so that you can make the best possible move in these tricky situations.
To make the term clearer, let us look at some of the most common combinations you will encounter during the game. For instance, if your first two cards are a 9 and a 3, you have a hard 12.
If you are dealt a 9 and a 4, the combination is called a hard 13. A 10 and a 6 make a hard 16. Similarly, a pair of 7s represents a hard 14.
Strategy for Playing Hard Hands
The most widely used strategy for hard hands closely follows the well-known basic strategy, which makes it easier to understand and learn. In general, to make the best decision for your hand, you should consider not only the total of your cards but also the dealer’s upcard. Because you are competing against the dealer, you need to assess their position and act accordingly.
When you are dealt a hard hand totaling 5, 6, 7, or 8, you do not need to focus as much on the dealer’s upcard. In these situations, it is generally best to hit and continue drawing cards until basic strategy indicates a different move.
If you have a hard hand totaling 17, 18, 19, or 20, it is best to stand because these hands already offer a reasonable chance of winning and are difficult to improve without going bust.
A common shortcut is to estimate the dealer’s total by assuming that the face-down card is worth 10. However, this assumption should not replace basic strategy when determining the best move. For instance, if the dealer’s upcard is an 8, this shortcut would estimate the dealer’s total as 18.
Some blackjack players assume that the dealer’s hole card is always worth 10. The rationale is that, in a standard 52-card deck, cards worth 10 points outnumber cards of any other individual value. A single deck contains sixteen 10-valued cards: four each of queens, jacks, kings, and tens. These cards represent approximately 31% of the deck, meaning that most cards are not worth 10. Therefore, it is a misconception to assume that the dealer always has a 10-valued card in the hole.
Hard 16 and Hard 15
Hard 16 and hard 15 are among the most feared combinations in blackjack. In most cases, their totals are not high enough to beat the dealer, and attempting to improve them is risky because of the high chance of going bust.
If you have a hard 16 and the dealer’s upcard is a 9, 10, or ace, it is recommended to surrender if this move is available. However, many casinos offer variations that do not allow surrender, even though it can be a beneficial option for players in certain situations.
However, it is worth noting that if you have a hard 16 made up of a pair of 8s, you should proceed differently. In this situation, you should split the hand regardless of the dealer’s upcard because splitting creates two separate hands that can be improved individually.
The same recommendation applies when you have a hard 15 and the dealer’s upcard is a 9, 10, or ace. In these situations, surrender is advisable because your chances of winning are very low. If you are playing a game in which surrender is not allowed, stand when the dealer shows 2 through 6 and hit otherwise.
Strategy Moves for Other Tricky Hard Hands
If you are dealt a hard 12, you are in a difficult position. The hand is not strong enough to beat the dealer, but it can also go bust if you draw a 10-valued card. Your move depends entirely on the dealer’s upcard. If your hand is not made up of paired 6s, you have two options: hit or stand.
In multi-deck blackjack where the dealer hits soft 17, you should stand when the dealer’s upcard is 4 through 6. These are among the weakest dealer upcards because they increase the dealer’s chance of going bust. In all other cases, hit. If your hard 12 is made up of paired 6s, you can split when the dealer’s upcard is 2 through 6. Otherwise, hit the pair.
If you have a hard 13, hit when the dealer’s upcard is 7 through ace. If the dealer shows 2 through 6, it is best to stand. If you hold a hard 14, stand when the dealer’s upcard is 2 through 6. Otherwise, hit. If you have paired 7s, you also have the option to split. However, you should follow basic strategy, which recommends splitting paired 7s when the dealer shows 2 through 8.
When you have a hard 10, you can hit or double down depending on the dealer’s upcard. According to basic strategy, you should hit only if the dealer shows a 10 or an ace. In all other cases, double down. If the hard 10 consists of paired 5s, splitting is a poor choice regardless of the dealer’s upcard. The number of decks in play and the dealer’s rules do not affect the optimal strategy for a hard 10.
The same logic applies to a hard 11. You should double down if your hand consists of two cards. If your hard 11 is composed of three or more cards, you must hit because most casinos allow doubling down only on the first two cards.
If your hard 8 consists of paired 4s in single-deck blackjack, your best move is to hit when the dealer’s upcard is 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, or an ace. If the dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6, split the pair. In multi-deck blackjack, you should split paired 4s when the dealer’s exposed card is a 5 or 6. In all other cases, hit the pair.
In multi-deck blackjack, total-based basic strategy recommends doubling down on a hard 9 when the dealer’s upcard is 3 through 6 and hitting in all other cases. In single-deck blackjack, double down on a hard 9 when the dealer’s upcard is 2 through 6. Otherwise, hit.
Conclusion
Learning how to handle hard hands in blackjack is crucial because these combinations will inevitably occur during play. To deal with them successfully, you need to know the best move for each situation. Being familiar with the basic terms, including hard hands, will also help you understand blackjack strategies and guides more easily.