How Do You Know When to Hit in Blackjack?

Most blackjack players know when to hit and when to stand, but some struggle with the decision of whether or not to take another card when the dealer is showing a low card. The correct decision in this situation depends on the player’s hand and the dealer’s up-card.

If the player has a hard hand (a hand without an Ace or with an Ace that can only be counted as 1) and the dealer is showing a low card (2-6), the player should hit. The idea is that the player will likely make a better hand by taking another card, and the dealer is likely to bust if he drAWS another card.

If the player has a soft hand (a hand with an Ace that can be counted as 11) and the dealer is showing a low card, the decision is less clear. In this situation, it is sometimes correct to hit and sometimes correct to stand.

The best way to make this decision is to use a basic strategy chart, which takes into account all of the possible combinations of player’s hands and dealer’s up-cards.

In general, hitting is the better play when the player has a chance of making a hand (like a hard 10 or 11) and standing is better when the player’s hand is unlikely to improve (like a hard 16). However, there are many situations where hitting or standing depends on other factors, like whether the player has already drawn a card or whether doubling down is an option.

A basic strategy chart can be found online or in most blackjack books. Using one of these charts will help you make the best possible decision in any given situation.