wageringterms.

Definition

Hit

Also known as Take a Card, Twist

By Reviewed Editorial policy

In short

To hit is to request another card in blackjack. You can hit as many times as you like until you stand or exceed 21, at which point you bust and lose immediately.

Hitting takes another card. You can keep hitting until you choose to stand or your total passes 21, which is a bust and an immediate loss, even if the dealer busts afterwards.

That asymmetry is the entire house edge in blackjack. The player acts first, so a player bust is a loss regardless of what the dealer subsequently does.

Signalling it

At a physical table, decisions are made by hand signal so the cameras have an unambiguous record:

  • Shoe games (cards face up): tap or scratch the table
  • Pitch games (cards face down): lightly scrape the cards on the felt
  • Verbal calls are not accepted alone: the gesture is what counts

When to hit

Basic strategy gives the exact answer, but the shape of it:

  • Always hit 8 or less: no card can bust you
  • Hit 12–16 against a dealer 7 or higher. The dealer is likely to make a strong hand, so standing on a weak total loses more often than the risk of busting costs
  • Stand on 12–16 against a dealer 2–6: the dealer is likely to bust, so let them
  • Never hit 17 or more on a hard hand
  • Soft hands are different. A soft 17, ace plus 6, should always be hit, because the ace can revalue to 1 and the hand cannot bust

The famous one

Hitting 16 against a dealer 10 feels dreadful and is correct. You bust about 62% of the time. But standing loses about 77% of the time, because a dealer showing 10 makes 17 or better far more often than they bust.

Basic strategy is not choosing the play most likely to win the hand. It is choosing the play that loses least over many hands, which is frequently a different thing.

Common questions

When should I hit in blackjack?

Always on 8 or less, and on 12 to 16 against a dealer 7 or higher. Stand on 12 to 16 against a dealer 2 to 6, since they are likely to bust. Always hit a soft 17, which cannot bust.

How do I signal a hit at a table?

Tap or scratch the table in shoe games where cards are face up, or lightly scrape your cards on the felt in face-down pitch games. Verbal calls are not accepted alone, because the cameras record the gesture.

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