Stand if you have 13-16 and the dealer shows a 2 through 6. Stand if you have a 12 and the dealer has a 4, 5 or 6. The Blackjack Strategy Chart. The blackjack strategy chart is there to help you know what to do in every situation when playing the game. The table works in a simple format showing both the dealer and player’s possible hands. Blackjack Hit or Stand Chart. Using a blackjack hit / stand chart is a great idea to get started, whether you are playing online black jack or in a casino. These tables will let you know what your odds are of winning should you draw a certain total and your dealer another. In this case, the chart will tell you to stand because the dealer has to stand on a hard 17. If both you and the dealer end up with a total of 17, it’s considered a push, and no one wins; a more likely scenario than the dealer getting a better hand than a 17 without having to hit and risk going bust. You hit (per the blackjack chart or table), and draw a 4. You now have A-3-4, which you should consider as A-7. If it were a two-card A-7, you would double down against a 4; however, since the A-7 is actually three cards, and you can’t double down, you stand.

If players’ priority is to win and to improve with every single blackjack game, then they need to put effort and time into achieving it. There are many other things that gamblers need to take into account and focus on prior to playing and during the game. To make the best possible decisions every time, players should prepare themselves beforehand.

For instance, it is recommended for them to have a look at every possible hand they can get and what their best choice will be in such cases. Knowing how to proceed in the difficult situations when players have a hand 14, 15, or 16 is crucial as the total value of any of the hands is significantly high which means that the chance of players busting increases.

Whenever players’ hand total value is above 14, they are already in an unfavourable situation. Such cases require a good strategy and it is necessary for gamblers to think them through beforehand. Preparation and knowledge are compulsory if one wants to make the best possible decision.

Of course, as already mentioned, several other factors play a crucial role such as money management, discipline, decent bankroll and not to forget a bit of luck. Whenever players have the chance to turn the tables in their favour, they should take full advantage of the situation.

Important Things To Consider When Having Hand 14, 15 or 16

When players are unfortunate enough to get a hand 14, 15, or 16, they need to be very careful and stick to the strategy they have chosen. These are situations in which players are already one step from going bust regardless of the dealer’s upcard. However, this doesn’t mean that they should ignore its value, players need to always bear in mind that it is necessary for them to make their moves based on the dealer’s upcard.

Also, how players proceed in such situations shows their level of competence and knowledge to the rest of the players on the table. Since gamblers are already in an unfavourable situation, winning the hand shouldn’t be their priority. Instead, they should try to make the best move which is the move that will leave them with the smallest possible amount of money loss.

These are some of the trickiest hands in blackjack and as such, they are frequently misplayed. Part of the confusion results from the discrepancies in strategy charts. The optimal playing decisions vary depending on many different factors. These include how many decks are in play at the table, whether or not the dealer must hit soft seventeen, and whether players have the chance to late surrender.

All of these factors must be taken into account before you grab a basic strategy chart to take with you at the blackjack tables. What is optimal for hard totals 14 through 16 in a single-deck game may no longer be correct in multiple-deck variations.

What are Breaking Hands

The term breaking hands is commonly used in blackjack which places it among the important phrases players need to get familiar with. Gamblers have a breaking hand when they get their first two cards and they total 12 or above. The reason for this is that almost every single card will cause players to go bust (i.e. break their hand) as their total value will go over 21. Also, it can be referred to the dealer’s position as ‘breaking’ if their upcard is a 2 through 6.

The trouble with the so-called breaking hands 12 through hard 17 is that they invariably lose in the long term against all upcards of the dealer, including those that have higher bust rates for the house. Hard 14, 15, and 16 are particularly tough to approach because they lose more frequently than they win over the long haul.

The result is that the player ultimately ends up in the red with these totals no matter what playing decision they make. You probably think that’s bad. It is, but it gets worse since you will end up receiving horrible stiff underdogs approximately 40% of the time you spend at the blackjack tables.

What is a player to do with these hard totals then? The answer is simple – trust in basic strategy and approach such underdog hands courageously by making the correct playing decisions. And by ‘correct’ we do not necessarily mean the ones that would secure a winning outcome.

The moves basic strategy recommends for these three hard hands are considered optimal because they reduce your negative expectation, i.e. you will end up losing less money with these stiffs over the long haul. In other words, you are on the defence rather than adopting an offensive approach. In some cases, the strategy plays help you escape a highly disadvantageous situation and increase your winning chances.

Breaking Hands’ Situations

As the name hints, breaking hands is the situation when either the player or the dealer is in a very weak position. Such cases are extremely hard to cope with and the only way to have a chance of not going bust is to follow the basic strategy. Breaking hands are the reason why so many people lose in the long run as well. Thus, if players manage to learn how to deal with them, they will significantly improve their performance at the table.

The bottom line is that once gamblers have such breaking hands, the chances that they will go bust and lose are very high. However, if they use basic strategy, they will be able to improve their hand once in a while.

The move hitting here plays a crucial role and players should take their time to observe when they should hit and when this task should be left to the dealer. In cases where players have a breaking hand and the dealer’s position is standing, then they should hit. Otherwise, they risk losing the hand.

When Players Have Hand 14, 15 or 16

It will be best to have a look at all of these cases at once where players have a hand totalling 14, 15, and 16 as the strategy that needs to be used is the same. It is worth mentioning that the same goes for the situations when players have a hard 13 against different combinations of the dealer’s upcard.

Let’s first elaborate on the recommended strategy plays for hard 14. These are the easiest to remember since there are no discrepancies in the strategy based on decks and dealer rules. Hard 14 is always a stand when the dealer exposes small cards 2 through 6. The player must hit their hard 14 against all other upcards, namely 7 through ace.

When dealt A-3, you have a soft 14. This is a much better situation to be in since it is impossible to break this hand with a one-card draw. You have an advantage against a dealer who starts with weak small cards 4 through 6.

In single-deck S17 blackjack, you must double on soft 14 versus the dealer’s 4, 5, and 6. When playing with two to eight decks, you should double on A-3 only when the dealer has a 5 or a 6 provided that the S17 dealer rule applies.

A pair of 7-7 also adds up to a total of 14. In shoe games, this pair must be split when the dealer has 2 through 7 and hit versus upcards 8 through ace. At single-deck tables, the pair should be surrendered against the dealer’s 10. The rest of the moves coincide with those for multi-deck blackjack.

The player is also in a tough spot when holding a hard 15. This is a bad hand, to begin with, no matter what value the dealer’s upcard is. However, things get trickier since the best plays are influenced by the dealer’s drawing rules and the number of decks.

We shall tackle the strategy differences in more depth in the surrender section of the article. Provided that late surrender is unavailable, you should stand on hard 15 against low-value cards 2 through 6 and hit versus 7 through ace. Undoubtedly, hitting a hard total of 15 is not the easiest decision to make at the blackjack table, especially against the dealer’s 10.

Nevertheless, it has to be done because it results in the lowest possible negative EV for the player. The main idea behind hitting 15 against a 10 is that it gives you a shot at improving your situation. The differences might appear negligible but in the long run, they are not.

Soft 15 (A-4) requires a different approach due to the flexibility the ace gives you. You should double down versus low cards 4 through 6 and hit against all other cards the dealer starts with.

The situation of the player worsens even more when they are dealt a hard 16, the worst total one could possibly obtain in blackjack. There are several ways to get this terrible hand including 8-8, Q-6, 9-7, and 3-5-8. The pair of 8-8 should be split against all dealer upcards in the vast majority of blackjack variations. We expand on the particulars of this pair further on in this guide.

The correct strategy moves for hard 16, assuming you cannot surrender are relatively easy to remember. You stand on 16 against 2 through 6 and hit versus 7 through ace. The same applies to multi-card totals that add up to 16, or at least if you follow total-dependent basic strategy. In the absence of late surrender, hitting is again more optimal because it gives you the chance to improve your total against the strong dealer.

Again, all three hands will end up losing over the course of thousands of rounds played. The optimal decision is the one that cuts down your long-term losses the most. The above moves are recommended under total-dependent strategy. If you want to take your game to the next level, you can switch to composition-dependent strategy.

The latter takes into account the exact composition of the cards your hand consists of. Composition-dependent strategy recommends you to stand on hard 16 versus a 10 when your hand contains three or more cards like K-3-3. Also, when the 16 results from splitting a pair, you should stand rather than hit under composition-dependent strategy.

The Option to Surrender

There is one alternative move players can make which leads to the least money losses. However, due to this fact many landbased casinos do not offer the option to surrender as they know that if players know when to take advantage of it, they can greatly benefit from it.

Many professional gamblers won’t play in a casino which doesn’t provide the option to surrender when playing blackjack. However, if players find themselves in such a situation and there is no surrender option, all they can do is act according to the above-mentioned strategy and hope for the best.

When this option is available, most casinos tend to offer late surrender. This allows players to give up on poor hands like hard 15 and hard 16 in exchange for half of their original wager. With late surrender, you can forfeit a bad hand after the dealer has checked for blackjack when starting with an ace or a ten-value card.

Late surrender is beneficial to players because it takes away around 0.07% from the house advantage. Most novice players are averse to surrendering as the name of the move itself evokes negative connotations. However, surrendering is a smart move when you are dealt negative-expectation hands like 15 or 16 versus strong dealer upcards like 10s and aces.

As a general rule of thumb, surrendering is recommended whenever you receive a hand whose expectation of winning is less than 50%. The main advantage of surrendering is that it saves you money when you find yourself at a disadvantage. Late surrender is a defensive play which also allows advantage players to temper the effect variance has on their blackjack bankrolls.

The correct late surrender plays depend on deck number and the dealer’s fixed standing rules. In single-deck blackjack, surrender is recommended when you have hard 16 versus the dealer’s ace or 10.

Provided that the dealer hits soft 17, it is also recommended to surrender hard 15 against an ace. You should forfeit paired 7s against the dealer’s 10 in single-deck S17 blackjack. If one deck is in play and the dealer must hit soft 17, surrendering is advisable against tens and aces when you have 7-7.

In double-deck H17 games, surrender is advisable when you hold hard 15 and hard 16 against the dealer’s ace and 10. Paired 8s should also be surrendered against the ace in double-deck H17 blackjack.

As for shoe-dealt games, basic strategy suggests surrendering hard 16 against strong upcards such as 9, 10, and ace. The approach toward hard 15 in multi-deck variations depends on the dealer’s fixed rules for drawing and standing. You surrender the 15 against the dealer’s 10 in S17 variations and against the 10 and the ace in H17 multi-deck blackjack.

Hard 16 Consisting of Paired 8s

If you have read CasinoGuardian’s blackjack guide carefully so far, you probably remember that the rule of thumb of basic strategists is to always split pairs of 8-8 rather than forfeiting them despite the fact this is still a hard total of 16. Some gambling authors recommend surrendering the pair of 8s versus high dealer upcards like 10, K, Q, and J.

Regrettably, this is a major mistake, and here is why. The dealer undoubtedly has an advantage over you when you hold 8-8 versus a ten-value card. He or she would arrive at standing totals 17 through 21 77% of the time on average.

What adds insult to injury is that the dealer’s probability of busting when starting with a ten-value card is rather small at 23%. A pair of 8-8 will cost you money no matter how you approach it but splitting is recommended because it reduces your losses the most. With 8-8, you have a great opportunity to turn a terrible stiff 16 into two brand new hands starting with an 8 each. This improves your chances of forming a good hand and beating the dealer.

Assuming you play standard six-deck S17 blackjack where you can resplit to up to four hands and double down after you split, your 8-8 will lose against the dealer’s ten-value card 77 hands out of every one hundred hands and win 23 times out of every one hundred hands. However, your win rate improves to 38 hands out of every hundred rounds when you split your 8-8.

Let’s suppose you are flat betting £1 per hand for simplicity’s sake. If you merely hit the pair, you will lose £77 and win £23 every one hundred hands on average. This makes for an average net loss of £54 in the long run. Meanwhile, if you consistently split your 8-8 versus the dealer’s ten-value card, you will lose £62 and earn £38.

Your net losses drop to 2 x £24 = £48 per every one hundred hands in this case. This may not sound like a significant improvement but you are still losing £6 less compared to drawing or staying on your pair of 8-8. Meanwhile, if you choose to surrender this pair, as some gambling authors advocate, you will net losses of £50 per every one hundred rounds on average (you lose only half your original wager when surrendering).

Therefore, consistently surrendering your pair of 8s versus the dealer’s 10 turns out to be £2 more expensive than splitting over the long haul. At this point, it is pretty much obvious you are in a losing spot when holding 8-8 no matter how you decide to play it out.

The bottom line is you will save more money by splitting in the long run compared to surrendering or the other possible plays. The only consolation of blackjack players in such instances is that they have made the mathematically optimal decision when dealt a long-term loser like stiff 16.

You can compare the expectation of each basic strategy play with paired 8s and 7s against the dealer’s 10 upcard below. The calculations are courtesy of mathematician and gambling expert Michael Shackleford, known as the Wizard of Odds.

As with all rules, there are always exceptions, however. Paired 8s should always be split unless one is playing shoe games and double-deck blackjack where the dealer must hit soft 17. Under these playing conditions, the odds favour surrendering the pair of 8s rather than hitting when the dealer shows an ace.

Exceptions are also made for paired 7-7 in single-deck blackjack. When the dealer must stand on all 17s, you surrender the 7-7 against a 10. Provided that the dealer must hit soft 17, basic strategy recommends you to surrender this pair whenever you are up against a 10 and an ace.

Odds and Probabilities

Players need to know what their odds are in case they happen to have a total value of 14, 15, or 16 in their hand as this will help them make better decisions. The following odds are accurate proving that the game is played with more than one deck and that gamblers decide to hit. If they have a 14 hand, the chance that they will go bust is 46%, and if the total of their hand is 15 – 54%.

In cases when they get unfortunate and get a total of 16, their chances of going bust are 62%. The worse-case scenario is when players get 19 or 20 as this leaves them with more than 85% chance of going bust. The good news is basic strategists never draw to hard 19 and hard 20 so their chances of busting with these totals are practically nil. Logically, the higher the total of the cards in the players’ hand, the more they are likely to bust by taking a hit.

Conclusion

Having to deal with a 14, 15, or 16 hand is a big challenge which requires a lot of preparation and a good strategy and even then, players’ success is not guaranteed and they can only hope that the odds will be in their favour.

However, if they follow a strategy or choose the option to surrender, any of these choices will lead to the least amount of money they will lose. Once players find themselves in a bad situation, they should consider how to get out of it with minimal money losses instead of how to win the hand as in many cases this only pushes them to certain doom.

The game of blackjack is potentially the most popular live casino game around the world. This is thanks to its easy rules. Players can easily learn and understand the game. The main aim of live blackjack is to create a hand that comes as close as possible to 21 without going over and at the same time, getting a better hand than the dealer's.

Although there is no sure guarantee that you can win at blackjack every time, we have created a blackjack strategy chart that can help both newbies and experienced players to make the right decisions in this game.

We will go as far as to say, that when you’re playing live blackjack, there are plenty of things to keep in mind. Keep on reading to learn more.

Try out our blackjack strategy chart and play live blackjack at the following live casinos:

Blackjack strategy chart: When to hit or stand

One of the most important things you need to keep in mind when playing the game of blackjack is how to manage your bankroll and how to deal your cards efficiently without losing too many bets.

Although there are very few decisions you need to make when playing blackjack, it is important to also keep an eye on the dealer’s open card. Then you need to make one of the following decisions:

• Hit: To request another card

• Stand: You’re satisfied with your current hand and don’t require more cards

• Double: To double your bet

• Split: When you have two identical cards, you can split to create two hands

• Surrender: This option isn’t available in all variations.

In many cases, you need basic common sense to make your decision. But there are cases where it is a little more complicated than that, say when you have a hand that totals to 15 and 16. This is when the blackjack strategy chart can come in handy and help you.

There are a few rules to keep in mind when you’re playing live blackjack and the dealer as follows:

• The dealer always stands when he has a hard 17

• The dealer always hits when he has a soft 17

• The dealer wins if you bust or has a hand closest to 21

• The dealer must hit if he has 16 or less

• The dealer always stands if he has 18 or more.

Bet Behind in Live Blackjack

Bet behind is a relatively new concept that has taken the live casino world by storm. If you head to the Live Blackjack table, and there is no seat available, you can opt to place bets on a player who is actually playing.

You Bet Behind before the game actually commences and all seated players are placing their bets. You can easily follow the big winners from the little numbers on display next to their Alias, or else, by seeing who is placing the big bets. High Rollers are quite common at the best Live Casinos in the UK. They tend to place big bets and are in essence, confident about their decision-making skills.

Betting on confident players who are placing big bets, is usually a great sign that they know how to play Live Blackjack, so you can rest assured that they are making the best decisions. That being said, the game of blackjack is as much a game of luck as it is a decision-making one. You never know if the player you are placing bets on is going to win.

Regardless, the concept of Bet Behind gives you the opportunity to be part of the action.

How to win at blackjack

1) Use GambleGenie’s Blackjack Strategy Chart

This goes without saying but if you are new to the game or require some assistance with reaching a decision, the blackjack strategy chart is a good place to start from. For starters, if you are playing live blackjack you only have a few seconds to decide whether to hit or stand.

Having the Blackjack Strategy Chart available at your convenience should help seal a few wins.

2) Have a solid blackjack bankroll strategy

It’s all well and good if you are using a blackjack strategy chart, but the most important thing you need to keep in mind is your bankroll. If you have a very small budget, it would be irresponsible of you to sit at a table that only accepts high-roller bets.

Find a table that accepts smaller bets if you have a small budget to boot. There are some live casinos that also offer free games during specific time of the day. Additionally, they also offer a generous live casino welcome offer to help you get started. Keep an eye out on GambleGenie for exclusive live casino bonus offers.

3) Have a basic blackjack strategy

Although blackjack is a game of chance like all casino games, you still need to have a blackjack strategy. You can’t just randomly hit or stand without taking into consideration your hand as well as the dealer’s open card.

Having a blackjack strategy would definitely come in handy when you have some tricky hands such as 15 or 16, and the dealer has an upcard of 10.

The advantage of having a blackjack strategy is that if you play your cards right, you will be able to lower the house edge to under 1%, especially if you use your strategy for every hand. This goes without saying but you should never sit down for a game of blackjack unless you have a blackjack strategy or know the rules of the game. You can learn more about the rules of blackjack here.

Blackjack Hit Or Stay Chart

4) Avoid blackjack side bets

Not only do they drain your bankroll faster than you can decide on whether you should hit or stand, but they are only there to give the house the advantage. The insurance bet is one such example that you should avoid.

Don’t ever make an insurance bet regardless of how much money you’ve been better. The insurance bet option usually pops up when the dealer has a 10 as an upcard and that there is a small chance that the dealer has a blackjack. The insurance bet covers you against that.

A winning insurance bet pays 2:1 but the chances of winning is are much lower, so it’s best to stay clear and use your blackjack strategy chart instead.

Although they are not quite as costly as bets, some players are tempted to place side bets, even though they know there is a big chance of losing. These types of side bets diminish your bankroll. And although you are playing for fun, presumably you are also playing to win and to make a neat profit.

5) Stick to live blackjack rather than regular blackjack at an online casino

There is a reason for this. Regular blackjack games use random number generators, meaning that in a virtual world, the cards are constantly being shuffled following each round.

Playing live blackjack, means that the dealer shuffles the cards manually. It is also recommended that you play at that tables with multiple players, especially when you are playing live blackjack since this will save and protect your bankroll a little longer since you would play fewer hands.

6) Lay off the alcohol

This one is a little obvious, but playing slightly tipsy or full-on inebriated will give you the confidence of a lion, but it will also increase your bad decisions. Though you might feel confident making certain decisions at blackjack, it is never smart to play under the influence of alcohol as you’re more likely to a) make bad decisions (though using a blackjack strategy chart helps) and you will be throwing your money about frivolously, destroying your bankroll in the blink of an eye.

7) Know when to walk away

Remember that this isn’t a video game. You are actually playing with your real money, that you have supposedly worked hard for. Even if you are using a blackjack strategy chart, know the limit before you sit down to play.

Establish a threshold and once this has been met, walk away. This applies to both winning and losing amounts so you make sure you protect your bankroll. And if you’re not in the mood for playing, don’t waste your bankroll away. There are always other days.

Blackjack Hit Or Stay Chart Printable

8) Never Surrender

And no, we’re not being philosophical here. Don’t use the Surrender option if it’s present in the blackjack game variant you are playing, unless you have a 15 against the dealer’s upcard of 10 or when you have a 16 against an ace, a nine or a face card.

9) Know the rules of the blackjack variant

This applies to any game you are playing at a live casino. Know the rules of the game before you start betting. With games such as blackjack, there are numerous variations of the game available out there. The concept might be the same but the rules vary slightly.

Take your time to go through the rules. You don’t want to be wasting your money away.

GambleGenie.com is your trusted part in finding the best casino deals and bonuses in Canada. Rely on the Genie to help you pick your next favorite casino.