How Does a Dealer Play an Ace in Blackjack?

In blackjack, an Ace can be worth either 1 or 11 points. When a dealer is showing an Ace, they will usually ask the player if they want the Ace to be worth 1 or 11 points.

If the player says 11, then the Ace will be worth 11 points for that hand only. If the player says 1, then the Ace will be worth 1 point for that hand only.

The decision of whether to make an Ace worth 1 or 11 points is important, because it can affect the outcome of the hand. For example, if a player is dealt a hand with a total of 16 points, and the dealer is showing an Ace, the player may elect to have the Ace count as 1 point.

In this case, the player’s hand would total 17 points, which is a good hand. However, if the player had chosen to have the Ace count as 11 points, their hand would total 26 points, which would likely result in a bust.

Generally speaking, it is always better to have an Ace count as 11 points when possible. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if a player has a hand with a total of 10 points and the dealer is showing an Ace, it may be beneficial to have the Ace count as 1 point.

In this case, if the dealer also has a 10-point card in their hand (known as a “10-value card”), they would likely bust if they chose to take another card. By having the Ace count as 1 point in this scenario, the player has a better chance of winning the hand.

There are other factors to consider when making this decision as well. For example, if the dealer is showing a 7 or 8 and the player has a total of 12-16 points, it may be beneficial to have the Ace count as 11 points.

This is because there is a good chance that the dealer will bust if they take another card.

In conclusion, deciding whether to have an Ace count as 1 or 11 points can be difficult. However, there are some guidelines that can help players make this decision.

Ultimately, it is up to each individual player to decide what is best for them in any given situation.