Do you hit 12 against 4?

The short answer is that you should not hit 12 against the dealer’s 4. Although it is a very close call when you have a 12 pitted against the dealer’s up-card of 4, standing is the right move and will likely rescue this bad hand.

12 is one of the worst hands you can hold in regular blackjack. It is a weak hand that can easily bust with any ten-card, which has a 30.7% probability of being drawn. The only time 12 is a decent hand is when the dealer’s up-card is a 4. So should you hit 12 or stand on 12 versus a dealer’s 4?

Why You Should Stand at 12 Against Dealer 4

According to the standard blackjack strategy chart, having a 12 hand when the dealer is showing a 4 is one of the trickiest positions you can find yourself in while playing blackjack. It’s one of the closest hands in these most popular casino games, especially regarding the odds of winning.

Truth be told, having a 12 hand is not the best position you can be in.

The dealer’s probability of busting with a 4 up-card is statistically 40 percent. For the player, that implies that you will lose your 12 hand 60 percent of the time if you stay with it. However, if you decide to draw another card (hit), your odds of winning are a bit better than standing, with a 2 percent probability of pushing and a 58 percent likelihood of a loss.

Still, we recommend that you stand on 12 versus the dealer’s 4 despite the dealer having a slight edge. You would be better off waiting for the croupier to go over 21 and bust out rather than hitting and exceeding 21 points yourself.

How the Player Can Create a 12 Hand

No matter which strategy you leverage, you should always consider the value of your hand and the value of the up-card shown by the dealer. You can create a 12-hand with the following 2-card combinations

• A-A
• 2-10
• 3-9
• 4-8
• 5-7
• 6-6 (a pair of 6s)

To figure out your best strategy, you should look at the case where you have a 12 against every potential up-card the dealer can have. A soft 12 is a better hand because you can decide the worth of the ace, plus a pair of 6 can be split for a better hand.

How to optimally play your 12 hand will depend on the dealer’s up-card. The higher the dealer’s card, the more aggressively you should play your 12 hand. The good news for any newbie is that the basic blackjack strategy for non-pair hard 12 is not affected by how many decks are in the shoe, the type of blackjack, and the game rules. You can expect to use the same strategy to reduce the house edge for a single deck game, multi-deck game, and other blackjack variations.

How to Play Blackjack Hard 12 with Basic Strategy

A hard 12 in blackjack may include the following two-card combinations: 2-10, 3-9, 4-8, and 5-7. The standard basic strategy shows that such a hand must hit versus dealer’s 2, 3, and 7 or more, plus stand if the dealer shows a 4 through 6.

The most common error players make when dealing with a hard 12 is when the dealer’s upcard is a 2 or 3. Instead of hitting, they frequently stand. Why? Because they are frightened of hitting their 12, they will draw any 10 and bust when the dealer’s hand shows a “poor” 2 or 3 up card and may have a 10 ‘in the hole’ and also bust.

If you hit a hard 12, only 4 cards can potentially cause it to bust, namely any king, queen, jack, or ten. On the flip side, you can draw 5 cards that can create a solid hand of 17-21 — numeric cards 5 through 9. Otherwise, drawing more cards will create a hand that is likely to bust. And because of the high frequency of busting, you should consider standing on 12 versus dealer’s upcard of a 4, 5, or 6.

However, with a 2 or 3 up-card appearing, the dealer is not as vulnerable as you may believe because the bust frequency is smaller. If the dealer’s up-card is a 2, the likelihood of the hand to bust is 35%, meaning the croupier is likely to form a hand 13/20 of the time. Meanwhile, the chance of a bust with an up card of 3 is 37%, meaning the dealer can create a good hand 5/8 of the time. As a result, the probability of hitting a hard 12 against a dealer’s 2 and 3 is significantly higher than for the possibility of standing.

Do you hit 13 against 2?

No, you should not hit 13 if the dealer’s up-card is a 2. In fact, you should always stay with your 13-value hand if the dealer shows any low card from 2 through 6. The same goes for 12 – You should stay against the dealer’s 4 through 6. You should hit 13 against all other dealer’s cards, including an Ace and 7 through K.

Should you double down on 12?

You should not double down on 12 in blackjack. Doubling down on any hand higher than 11 is a bad idea because you have a high probability of busting. You should stand on 12 if the dealer shows any lower card from 4 through 6.

On the other hand, you should hit if the dealer’s up-card is a 2, 3, ace, or 7-through 10. You should also hit if the dealer is showing a ten-card. If you are unsure with bad hands like 12, 13, and 14, you should keep it safe by staying with it.

What are the odds of busting on 12?

Your odds of busting with a hand of 12 points are 31%.