When To Hit and Stand In Blackjack

Blackjack casino table with cards and chips

Played by millions and loved by millions, Blackjack is considered to be the world’s favorite casino game because of how easy, fast-paced, and rewarding it is to play. Besides that, the online Blackjack real money winning potential is an appealing prospect in itself.

The simplicity of it lies in reaching 21 (known as a Blackjack), or as close to that number as possible before the dealer does. Go over by even one card and you’ll bust and lose your cash! And nobody wants that!

One of the fundamentals of playing is knowing when to hit or stand in Blackjack. There will be many moments in the round where you’ll need to make these game changing decisions quickly. But first, let’s discuss exactly what these two strategies mean.

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Understanding Hit And Stand

For the novices out there who have never played Blackjack, ‘hit me’ has an entirely different meaning than what you think. It basically means you want an additional card. The next important term you’ll need to get familiar with is ‘stand’, aka ‘stay’. 

When you opt to do this, you’ll keep the cards you already have to try and win the game. Understanding and being aware of when to use which method will heavily improve the betting odds in your favor. 

Added to that, always remember that when you hit or stand, it’s mostly dependent on what the dealer’s hand is.

When One Should Hit in Blackjack

After you take a seat at the Lucky Creek Casino Blackjack table, get ready for high roller thrills and rewarding excitement in just a click! Especially when knowing in Blackjack when to hit! Ok, so let’s get to the nitty gritty of it all. 

At the virtual table, you’ll get dealt two cards, as will the dealer. Take a look at your cards, do they add up to 11 or do they total less than that? If they’re less, the general rule is that you should hit. 

Something you need to keep in mind is that the ace is quite a vital card in Blackjack as you get to decide if you want to play it with a value of 1 or 11. Thereafter, you can decide if you want an extra card or not. When you get dealt an ace with any card value (with the exception of a 10 card) it’s what’s known as a ‘soft hand’. For example, an ace with a 2 is a soft 13, while an ace with a 5 is a soft 16. With a soft hand, you CAN’T go bust! Because as we said earlier, you decide on the value.

On the other end of the spectrum is the ‘hard hand’. Here, there’s no ace, or the ace can only have a value of 1. Like when you get a king and a 6 which amounts to a total of 16. If you have a 5 – 10 – 2 – and an ace, it adds up to 18 as the ace can only count as 1 for you not to go bust. 

If the dealer holds an ace, there is a high possibility of them being dealt a jack, queen, king, or 10, and reaching 21 before you do. With a hand that strong, you will need to attempt to get a total of 17 or above to hit it big.

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When One Should Stand in Blackjack

The standard rule throughout every online and brick and mortar casino is that the dealer always has to hit when they have 16 or less, and stand when reaching a total of 17. What about when it comes to identifying in Blackjack when to stand? 

To put it simply, you ought to stand when the value of all your cards sums up to 17, 18, 19 or 20 as there is a real chance of going over 21 and busting if you take another card. Anything less than 16 warrants you asking for a hit.

For you to really get lucky playing Blackjack, the dealer would need to get 7, 8 and 9 as these cards make getting to 21 in all likelihood improbable. In spite of this, there is still a risk of them gaining the upper hand and outdoing you by reaching 17 quicker than you do. Let’s say the dealer gets a 4, 5, or 6 card, then you should hit. 

The exception to this is if you have 12 or more, then your best bet is to stand. When your hand consists of 13 up to 16 and the dealer only has a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, then stand.

The simplest way to remember all the game rules is to use the Blackjack hit or stand chart below as a quick reference:
hit and stand quick guide

Hit And Stand Blackjack Variants

Now that you have an understanding of Blackjack, there are quite a couple of them you can try out. We even offer a live casino online version of the game!

The most popular live dealer Blackjack variants you’ll find at Lucky Creek Casino are:

  • Single Deck Blackjack,
  • European Blackjack,
  • Vegas Strip Blackjack.
  • Blackjack Baltic, and
  • Blackjack VIP.

However, you need to keep in mind that the various Blackjack games may have rules that differ from casino to casino. The first could be with regard to the number of decks used as some casinos use between two to eight. The dealer could also be obligated to hit on a soft 17 instead of standing.

Before you even start playing, view the rules so you know what strategy to use to get the most out of your game.

Know Your Hand Signals in Blackjack

When playing Blackjack online, all you do is click a few buttons. When going to play at a land-based casino, things work differently at the table based on various hand signals. To get hit with another card, you could either tap the table with your finder or do the ‘come here’ motion with your hand. Both are acceptable. When wanting to stand, just wave your hand over your cards. 

So, now that you’re good to go with info, go and enjoy the ultimate Blackjack playing experience at the one and only place to play. Grab our online casino sign up bonus and join the Lucky Creek family!

See our other blog articles filled with online Blackjack tips and tricks to spruce up your hand when facing the dealer

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