Playing Hard Hands in Blackjack

Unlike other popular card games, Blackjack is not a game of mere luck. Blackjack is a game dictated by strategy, card skills, speed of thought, and sound reasoning ability. If you are well aware of the basic blackjack strategy and how to play hard hands, soft hands, and pairs, you can easily reduce the house edge and win the game. In this article, let us discuss how to play hard hands in blackjack.

In Blackjack, hard hands are those hands which lack an Ace value card. You can increase your chances of winning by playing hard hands correctly. Here is how to play hard hands in blackjack.

• Check the dealer’s up card.
• Check your initial two cards.
• Always stand, if your card value is 17 to 21.
• Always hit, if you are having 8 or less.
• Double, if your card value is 9 and the dealer’s up card is 3 to 6. Else hit.
• Double, if your card value is 10 and the dealer’s face card is 2 to 9. Otherwise hit.
• If your card value is 11 – double if the dealer’s up card is 2 to 10. Always hit if the dealer’s face card is an Ace.
• Hit, if your card value is 12 and the dealer’s face card is 2 or 3. If the dealer’s face card is 4, 5 or 6, Stand. Else hit.
• Stand if your card total is 13 to 16, and the dealer’s card is 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.

Almost all the decisions of the players are communicated to the dealer with the help of blackjack hand signals. Hence it is important that the player must be knowledgeable of all the blackjack hand signals used in the game. Remember, dealers only monitor players hand signals, not the conversation of the players.