Online Blackjack Strategies

Breaking Hands: Twelve to Sixteen

If the dealer turns over ...

Ace	He has Blackjack and you lose
King	He has twenty and you lose
Queen	He has twenty and you lose
Jack	He has twenty and you lose
10	He has twenty and you lose
9	He has nineteen and you lose
8	He has eighteen and you lose
7	He has seventeen and you lose
6	He has sixteen and a 38% chance of getting seventeen or better
5	He has fifteen and a 41% chance of getting seventeen or better
4	He has fourteen and a 44% chance of getting seventeen or better
3	He has thirteen and a 48% chance of getting seventeen or better
2	He has twelve and a 51% chance of getting seventeen or better

So, if you don't hit your breaking hand when the dealer shows a face card or a 10, you can expect to lose eight out of every thirteen hands. Even with the other five hands, when he doesn't beat you outright, he still has about a 45% chance of beating you when he takes a hit.

When you have a breaking hand and the dealer is in a standing position, don't hesitate Hit!! If you lose, go on to the next hand. Don't worry about it; you made the right move.
If you have twelve and the dealer shows either a 2 or a 3, that's the only time you should hit a breaking hand when the dealer is in a breaking position.
If that strategy sounds peculiar, you can easily analyze it in the following manner:

As I explained in previous chapters, the dealer is weak when he has a 2 or 3 showing. But I also said you should respect him. He has ample leeway to draw a standing hand, no matter what his hidden card is.

Consider this when you hit twelve: There are fifty two cards in a deck. Sixteen ten value cards will break you; the other thirty six cards won't. You have odds of 2 1/4 to 1 of not breaking that twelve when you hit it. And, since you don't want to sit there and watch the dealer draw out on you, don't be afraid to hit. The odds are in your favor that you won't break.

If you have twelve and the dealer has a 2 or 3 showing, call for a hit.
Suppose you draw an Ace for a total of thirteen. Refer back to the Basic Strategy chart and you will see that thirteen stands against a 2 or 3. (Always revert to Basic Strategy after you hit your hand.)

This is extremely important: Never deviate from Basic Strategy unless you are a card counter.

BASIC STRATEGY WHEN YOU HAVE A BREAKING HAND

DEALER'S UP CARD	YOU SHOULD
2 6	STAND
7 Ace	HIT
EXCEPTION: WHEN YOU HAVE TWELVE
2,3	HIT

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