If you’re a blackjack player, the question “do you hit on 16?” will come up in one form or another. There are a lot of things to consider when deciding whether to hit or stand with a stiff hand, including the dealer’s upcard and the number of decks in play. However, the answer is always the same: hit unless you have a soft 17 or higher. In this article, we’ll take a look at the reasons why this is the case, and how to determine when it’s best to hit or stand.
A hard 16 is one of the most misplayed hands in blackjack, and it’s not difficult to understand why. The fact is that you’re going to bust a lot more often than the dealer with a hard 16, and your chances of improving to a better hand are pretty low. This is why basic strategy recommends that you hit this hand when the dealer has a face-up card of seven or higher, and stand when the dealer has a 2 through 6 upcard.
However, there are a lot of different factors that come into play when it comes to hitting or standing on a stiff hand, and a lot of people get confused about the right decision. For example, some people believe that you should hit on a stiff hand when the dealer has a 5 or 6, but this isn’t true. You’re actually much more likely to improve with a six than a five, so you should usually stand with this hand.
Another common mistake is deciding that you should hit your stiff 16 against a 7, even though this will result in a bigger loss than you would have made by simply standing. This is a big mistake, and it can cost you a lot of money over thousands of hands played. The fact is that you’re going lose 74% of the time if you choose to hit, and this is 3% more than you’d have lost by simply standing.
In addition to this, you should always be evaluating the exact composition of your stiff 16 to determine which move is the correct one. For example, composition-dependent basic strategy will recommend that you stand on hard holdings of 16 that contain three or more cards like K-3-3 against a dealer’s ten-value upcard, while total-dependent strategy suggests that you hit these types of hands.
The best way to minimize your losses is by surrendering when you’re dealt a stiff hand, especially when the dealer has an upcard of 7. This will reduce your expected loss by about half, and it’s a good idea even if you don’t like the feeling of giving up on a hand that could have turned out okay for you if you’d stayed with it. Ultimately, the only way to maximize your wins is by playing smartly. And, if you’re going to lose on a stiff hand anyway, then it’s better to lose half of your initial bet rather than losing everything you’ve invested in the game.
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