What does the dealer have?
The main thing to consider when deciding how to play your hand is what does the dealer have? The dealer has to deal one of his cards face up so you can gather a good idea of what he has and what he is going to do next. The dealer has to hit on 16 or smaller and has to stand on 17 or above so if he is showing a card that is either an Ace or a Ten (including King, Queen or Jack) then in all likelihood he is going to stand as there are only five cards that can make him hit. Law of averages say you are probably going to need at least 19 to beat him in this case.
If the dealer is showing a low card then they are going to have to hit before they can stand and there is a fair chance
they could go bust, especially if they are hitting against 18 or above so you would most likely stand in that instance.
For more on Blackjack playing Strategy read the
Blackjack Strategy Card page.
