Playing 13-16 in Blackjack

You might win occasionally on your hands hard 13 through 16, but the money won't last long. Regardless of how you play these hands or what the dealer has, these are just plain losing hands.

Basic Strategy says we should stand if the dealer is showing 2 through 6 and hit if the dealer is showing 7 and up. Let's look at the returns per dollar to see why this is.

• If the dealer is showing 2 through 6, the return on the hand when you stand ranges from negative $0.15 to negative $0.29.
• If you stand when the dealer shows a higher card, the red numbers skyrocket to -$0.48 to -$0.67.

Next, we must look at the effects of hitting.

• For the dealer's 2 through 6, the return is -$0.24 to -$0.47. Standing is clearly the superior choice when the dealer is showing these cards.
• On 7 through A, the return is still negative, but only ranges from -$0.27 to -$0.52. To minimize damage to your payroll, you must hit in this instance.

Basic Strategy, unsurprisingly, stands correct.

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