You would expect people who come to the casinos to play blackjack to know a little bit about the game before they begin. And the case is that they usually do know basic strategy, when to hit, when to stand, and when to double down or split. However, you would be surprised at the amount of mistakes that players make when they play, even though they should know better and in most cases, do know better.
One of the situations that you will see most in blackjack tables all over the world is when the player is holding that perilous 16. People usually get nervous about hitting when they already have a hard 16, especially when the dealer is holding a card like seven. You will often see players hitting against the dealer’s face card, since they logically think that it is likely that the player will get a good hand in then end. However, if the dealer shows a seven then they stand with the hope that the dealer busts. . This sort of thinking is completely backwards as there are in fact more reasons to hit against a 7 than against a 10.
If you look at it statistically, then the dealer will bust 26% of the time when showing a 7, but only 23% of the time when showing a ten. The difference is small, but it is there. If you are standing on your 16 you are still going to lose 74 out of every 100 hands in the situation. So you need to be hitting your 16 to try and make a winning hand.
So why is it so important to hit when you have a 16 and the dealer has a seven showing? The key difference is in your own hand. Your chances of busting are exactly the same regardless of what the dealer has. However, what you do need to think about is the cards that you will receive that will make 16 the winning hand. When holding a 7, the dealer has about a 31% chance of drawing a 17. So that means that your 16 has many potential cards that can win you the hand. Any 2, 3, 4 or 5 will very likely give you a winning hand, while an Ace will produce a likely push. So 38% of the time your hand will improve and give you a chance to win the hand.
Compare this to when the dealer is showing a 10. He is likely to make a 20 or may even draw an 18 or 19. So say you hit your 16 and you are lucky enough to draw a deuce - your 18 may not even be enough to win. Your outs to beat the dealer's holding are very slim as you really need a 4 or 5 to be confident of winning.
This makes hitting a 16 against a 7 even more profitable than hitting a 16 against a 10. Don't just stand on your 16 and hope that the dealer will bust. This also applies if you've already drawn 4 or 5 cards to make your 16, or if the dealer is holding an 8, 9 or even an Ace. Have courage and continue to hit your sweet 16 every time at the Blackjack tables to make a winning hand and maximize your profits!
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