Lesson description
In some blackjack hands, the odds between you and the dealer winning are nearly fifty-fifty. Learn how to navigate these tricky hands with Mr Blackjack.
There are several hands in blackjack where the odds between the dealer and player are really close. Lesson 7, How to Win the Most Misplayed Hands in Blackjack. Even if you play them correctly using basic strategy, there's not always a guarantee you'll win them every time. However, what I can tell you is the most commonly misplayed hands, and that if you play basic strategy, you'll win them more often.
Misplayed hand number 1, player 12 on a deal or two or three, do you hit or do you stay? With 12, you have to think about what cards hurt you if they come out, which are 10, jack, queen, and king. You also need to consider which cards can help you-- ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
So you have four cards that hurt you and nine cards that help you. In this case, you hit because you have a better chance at making a better hand. The dealer also has a better chance at making a better hand, so you basically have the same odds at this point. However, if you don't take a card, your odds go way down.
Another misplayed hand is a player's soft 18 on a dealer 10. Do you hit or do you stay? In this situation, you have to think that behind the dealer's 10 is another 10, therefore giving him 20. This makes your 18 a losing hand.
You have to hit your hand and hope for an ace, 2, or 3 in order to improve your current hand to get closer to 21. I would never suggest this with hard 18. But when you have an Ace in your hand and you can never bust, you should take that tiny advantage that you have and try to better your score.
Another hand is 9 on a dealer 3. Sometimes it's obvious when you get 11 and when you get 10. But when you have 9, you can't forget to double. Even if there's no card that can get you to 21, you're still in a favorable position versus the dealer's bust cards. You will double any 9 against a dealer 3 or 6.
Two 9's versus a dealer 7. So you find yourself with 18 against a dealer 7. You have to think the dealer has 17 under there, and you have 18 with your two 9's. It is tempting to want to split those 9's so you can maximize your profit. However, there's no guarantee that the dealer will bust.
And let's say you potentially get one 10, giving you 19, and the second card, you get a 7, giving you 16. So now you have a winning hand and a losing hand, putting your profit at zero. At this point, you wish you would had stayed with the original 18. Do yourself a favor. Don't force the action. Split when it's time and stay when the math says so.
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