Should You Hit on a 12 or 13 in Blackjack?

There are a lot of different schools of thought when it comes to blackjack strategy. Some people swear by always hitting on a 12 or 13, regardless of the dealer’s up-card.

Others will tell you to always stand in those situations. So what’s the right play?.

The answer, as is often the case in blackjack, is it depends.

If the dealer is showing a 2 through 6, then you should hit on a 12 or 13. The logic here is that the dealer is more likely to bust with a low up-card, so you want to give yourself a chance to win by drawing another card.

However, if the dealer is showing a 7 or higher, then you should stand on a 12 or 13. The reasoning is that the dealer is more likely to make a strong hand with a high up-card, so you’re better off not taking any more cards and risking busting yourself.

There are also some other factors to consider when making this decision. For example, if you have a 12 and the dealer is showing a 5, you might want to consider hitting if there are a lot of low cards left in the deck (meaning the odds of busting are lower).

Conversely, if you have a 13 and the dealer is showing an Ace, you might want to stand even though the dealer has a good chance of making a hand, because if you bust it’s an automatic loss and there’s no way the dealer can bust.

In general, though, if you’re wondering whether to hit or stand on a 12 or 13 against most dealers’ up-cards, following these basic guidelines should help you make the right decision most of the time.