When playing blackjack you should follow basic strategy at all times. Using this will help you maximize your chances of winning and reduce the amount that you lose. One of the most important decisions in blackjack is whether or not to hit on a hand. If you do not, it is likely that the dealer will have a good enough hand to beat yours and you will end up losing.
When you have a hand of 12 or 13 in blackjack it is important to know when to hit or stand depending on the dealers cards. The dealer has a high chance of getting a 10, Jack, Queen, or King which means you will need a very strong hand to compete against it. A lot of players make the mistake of hitting when they have a hard 13 and the dealer shows a 2, 3, 4, or 6 card. This is a big mistake because the dealer will bust more often than not and this will cause you to lose.
In the case of a dealer showing a 6, 5, or 4 card it is best to split hands. This is because these types of dealer up cards will most often result in pat hands which will outdraw your hard 13.
The worst situation for a blackjack player is when they have a hard 12 and the dealer has a 3 or higher card. In this situation the dealer will bust more than half of the time and you will lose your bet. The dealer will also have a better chance of getting a 10 which will cause you to lose your hand.
Another important decision to make is when to double down and split. If the dealer has a 2 or 3, it is a good idea to split your hands as you will be more likely to beat their strong hand with a hit. It is also a good idea to split your hands when they are against a seven, eight, or nine card as you will be more likely to win with a hit than if you stood and hoped for the dealer to bust.
You should always hit a soft 17 against the dealer’s 5 or 6. In this case the dealer is more likely to have a 10 than a 7 and a 10 will usually beat your hand. Likewise, a soft 15 is a bad hand and you should never hit it unless the dealer has a 3 or lower card.
A lot of newer players get confused about when to hit and stand in blackjack. This is because many of them will look at a wallet-size chart they bought in the gift shop on their last Vegas trip and think that they should hit every hand that isn’t a 10. They will then go out and lose all of their money because they are not following the proper blackjack strategy. The correct strategy is actually quite simple, and if you are willing to invest some time in learning it then you will be able to play with the confidence that you are giving yourself the best chance of winning at this casino game.