There is no doubt that Blackjack is the most popular casino game across the globe and every player has the age-old conundrum, should they hit or stand, especially when there is a hard 16. Well, making a big call will take some time; however, with the help of the right information, you can play fairly and increase your chances of success.
One of the worst situations that you can face while playing Blackjack is dealing with a 16, and on the other hand, the dealer has a seven or higher.
If you look at the Blackjack rules chart, it will say that you should hit 19 if the dealer has a seven or higher. Besides, sometimes you can surrender. However, if you want to win, then you will have to play in a better way. So, let’s discuss this in detail.
Do you hit a 12 against a 3?
Some players have reported that every time they hit a 12 against a 3, they busted. So, they prefer to stand, waiting for the dealer to take the bust card. It is a method that confounds some players as they have heard some professional players saying that they should take the risk of busting their own hand, especially when the Blackjack dealer has a weak card. However, the major question here is should you hit a 12 against a three or not?
The answer will vary from one player to another. Some will say that you should not stand with a 12 against a 3. Why? There are two important reasons to consider. The first one is, when a player hits a 12, he can bust if he draws a 10. The second reason is that 9 out of 13 times, you may be able to survive the draw.
As a matter of fact, five cards, such as 5 to 9, can offer you a pat hand of 16 to 21. So, there are cards that can help you. Apart from that, a dealer’s chance of busting may not be as great as you imagine.
If the dealer has a 3, it can break around 37% of the time. If there is a 4, then the percentage can go up to 40 percent, and in the case of 5 or 6, it can be around 42 percent. So, you can hit a 12 against a 3. The basic Blackjack strategy says you will be a little better hitting a 12. Just remember the saying by the experts; “A little brother can hit his big brother.”
Should you hit 16?
Well, it depends. As per the strategy chart, you can hit on a 16 if the dealer has a card from 7 to 10. You can hit it against a face card or Aces. Here, the players may think that the dealer has a 10 and they need to improve the hand.
Sometimes, you will bust, but you should hit. In such conditions, you may prefer to stand and let the dealer bust.
Some will say you can’t beat a 20 of a dealer with a 16. They are right. But if you have busted, then you can’t beat the dealer. In such a case, you will lose around 70 percent of the time. Let’s understand the statistics. When you hit on a 16, you will win around 25 percent of the time, or you can push around 6 percent of the time. You will lose 69 percent of the whole time. So, the net loss here will be around 44 percent if you hit a 16.
If you prefer to stand on a 16, then you will push 0 percent, lose around 70 percent and win 30 percent of the time. Here, the net loss will be around 41 percent. So, if you stand on 16, you will lower your losing probability by 2 percent.
In a situation where you are dealing with a 16, you will have to understand that you will likely lose, and you should deal with that. Even so, the best basic strategy for this hand is hitting against dealer’s 7 through 10.
A 16 is the closest to a bust. Besides, most players shy away from it and prefer to stand. However, if you are a good player, you should take your chances. The basic rules say you should hit on 16.
What are the odds of busting on 16?
Talking about a specific truth, the odds can be evaluated. However, the odds of busting by a 16 will be the same with the dealers. If the busting chances are unfavorable, then stand and wait for the dealer to bust.
Most players want to know what the odds of busting on 16 are? There is no doubt that Blackjack players hate a 16 hand of point value. The odds of busting will depend on the total number of players in a game. But this can be very challenging.
Busting in a 16
The value 16 in Blackjack creates fear inside the players. When a player gets this, he generally avoids hitting the hand as there is a great possibility of getting busted.
Some players get so distracted that they don’t think about the face-up card of the dealer and prefer to stand. In some cases, players also surrender to lower the lost value.
A 16 in a pair of 8 makes the players not split their cards to avoid losing two bets at the same time.
What should one do when the hand is at 16?
A hand 16 means a hand with Ace or without ace counted as one. Some Blackjack experts say that the players should stand if the dealer has a 2-to-6-point value face-up card. If the face-up card value of the dealer is between 7 to 10, then the players should hit.
As a 16 is considered to be an unfortunate hand, this strategy will not guarantee any win but may lower the loss value.
It is advisable to apply the basic Blackjack strategy when you have a 16. The rule says losing less on a bad hand is as important as winning a game on a good hand.
Let’s take look at an example
Suppose you have a 9 and a 7 card. On the other hand, the dealer has an 8. Now, if you calculate, you will find that hitting may make you lose around 70 percent of your time. As a result, your winning chances will go down by 30 percent. If you prefer to stand, you can lose more than 73 percent of your time, and the average chance of winning the game will be 26 percent.
Here the chances of winning the game are higher if you stand.
When you only get 30 percent, the dealer will win 70 percent. But compared to the strategy to follow the sand, it is better than 26 percent.
A player should try to hit a 16 to increase the winning chances by around 4 percent. Remember that this is a game where a single percentage will matter. So, take advantage of it.
What should one do when the 16 combines 3 or more cards?
The Blackjack strategy will not reveal what you should do when you have such a situation. But if your 16 is made of 3 or more cards, then you should prefer to stand. If the dealer has a 10, you should stand. That means always stand where the odds favor.
16 is a terrible Blackjack hand. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid this hard hand in the game. But you can lower the chances of losing less and winning more by following this strategy.