How to Play Blackjack Hard Hands

Since card counting cannot be applied when you play blackjack online, sticking to blackjack basic strategy is indeed the best way to go. You can actually beat the house advantage and be much more profitable when playing with the right blackjack basic strategy. In this part, we are going to talk about how blackjack hard hands should be played.

With a hand total of eight or less, you should always choose to hit. This is the simplest basic rule you can hold on to whenever you play blackjack. If you have a hand total of 9, you can choose to double down if the dealer’s open card shows 3, 4, 5, or 6. With a hand total of 10, you can also double down when the dealer’s open card shows 2 to 9. If the dealer has other cards, choose to hit instead.

Playing a hard hand of 11 is a bit tricky. You can safely choose to double down if the dealer’s open card shows anything from 2 to 10 and any of the face cards. Still, if the dealer’s open card shows an Ace, you may want to hit instead of double down.

If you have a hand total of 12, stand if the dealer has 4, 5, or 6 and hit with other open cards. The same goes for a hand total of 13 to 16, but you should also stand if the dealer has 2 or 3. For a hand total of 17 and above, always choose to stand instead.