Blackjack Hands Guide

Blackjack is a hugely popular game that is played in casinos, on online platforms, and amongst friends all over the world. Although there are some variations of the game in different countries, the most popular version is the ‘21’ version of Blackjack.

Knowing how to play Blackjack and what each hand you’re dealt means is crucial to the enjoyment of the game and your chances of winning, so this guide will look at what winning hands are, the best and worst hands you can be dealt, as well as explaining the meaning of soft and hard hands.

What are the winning hands in Blackjack?

Essentially, any hand that beats the dealer’s hand is a winning hand. But there are different ways the dealer can be beaten by players. These include:

• A player is dealt two cards, also known as drawing a hand that have a cumulative value that is higher than the value of the dealer's hand
• By the dealer going bust by going over a value of 21. The dealer has to draw cards up to a value of 16 and must stand, i.e., not take any further cards, on a value of 17 or more. So, if the dealer reaches 15 or 16, they must take another card which increases the risk of them going bust.
• By a player being dealt, or drawing a hand value of 21 with their first two cards, and the dealer cannot match that

What are the best hands you can get in Blackjack?

The best hand you can get in Blackjack is…Blackjack, as the name of the game suggests. You get Blackjack if you are dealt an Ace, which has a value of 1 or 11, alongside a 10, Jack, Queen, or King, all of which have a value of 10. If you draw this hand, you are starting with a total of 21, which cannot be beaten. However, you could be incredibly unlucky if the dealer has Blackjack as well, the hand is tied.

The next best hand is a hard 20, which is made up of two cards with a value of 10. Some players might decide to risk splitting their 10s and play two separate hands at double the cost in an attempt to double their winnings. But with an 80% chance of winning with a 20, many players will opt to sit tight and hope the dealer cannot get 20 or 21 or goes bust attempting to.

If you do decide to stand on 20, it is also worth recognising that the dealer can get 20 or 21 depending on what face-up card they have. For example, if the dealer has an eight or a nine, there is a big chance that their second card will be of a value of 10, which would mean they must stand on 18 or 19, so you win. However, if the dealer has a face-up card between 2 and 6, they will have to draw at least two more cards, which could get see them to reach 20 or 21.

The other good Blackjack hands to be dealt as starting cards are ones that combine to a value of 10 or 11. This is because you can Double Down your stake on the hand, and you have a high chance of your third card making a total value of 20 or 21. However, if you Double Down on a 10, make sure you have a higher value than the dealer's face up card.

What are the worst hand you can get in Blackjack?

Statistics would suggest that the worst starting hand you can be dealt in Blackjack is of a value of 16 when you are facing a dealer face-up card of 10. The dealers 10 will make it statistically more likely that they will have another card with a value of 10 and finish on 20 or just below, but either way, they are likely to beat your 16. The next worst starting Blackjack hand is your 16 against a dealers Ace, 9, 8, and 7 in that order because the dealer is likely to have another card with a value of 10, thus beating your 16.

Therefore, although the chances of you going bust are high, many players will take another card at 16 and hope that they get lucky.

Having a poor starting hand is not the end of the world though. For example, you get dealt a hand with a value of 13 or 14. It’s not great and you are reluctant to stand as it’s not a strong value, but you also don’t want to risk going bust if you hit a high-value card. But, if the dealer has a poor face-up card, for example, a 4, 5 or 6, the advice would be to stand. This is because the dealer is likely to have a high-value second card, which means they must draw a third card and risk going bust.

What are soft hands in Blackjack, and how to play them?

Whenever you are dealt an Ace in your Blackjack hand, you have a soft hand. This is considered to be very valuable as an Ace can be a value of 1 or 11, so you can adjust the total as appropriate. Having a soft hand also means you cannot go bust by hitting for more cards because you can change the value of the Ace at any time.

For example, if you are dealt an Ace and a 5, this is called a soft 16. If the dealer has a strong face-up card and you try to improve your hand by hitting but get an 8, instead of going bust with 24, you can change the value of the Ace to 1, so you are now on 12. The flexibility of an Ace means it is the strongest card you can be dealt.

The suggested play will be based on the total of your hand and the face-up card of the dealer. For example, if you are dealt an Ace and a 2, a soft 13, you should hit unless the dealer’s face-up card is a five or a six, in which case it is best to Double Down. You should also always hit with a soft 14, 15 and 16 unless the dealer’s face-up card is a 4, 5 or 6, when you should also Double Down.

If you are dealt a soft 18, there are two possible moves you could employ depending on the face-up card of the dealer. If they have a face-up card of a 3, 4, 5 or 6, you should Double Down. However, if the dealer has a 2, 7 or 8, it is best to stand. Or, if you are dealt a soft 19 or 20, always stand.

What are hard hands in Blackjack, and how to play them?

The definition of a hard hand in Blackjack is one that does not contain an Ace, or which has an Ace that’s value must be 1. Otherwise you would go bust by exceeding 21. Hard hands are considered very risky as your chances of going bust are very high.

This does not apply to low-value hands, such as ones with a total 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, as they can be easily improved without much risk.

If you have a hand value of 9, and the dealer's face-up card is a 3, 5, 5 or 6, you should Double Down. If you have a hand value of 10 or 11, you should Double Down unless the dealer’s face-up card is a ten or an Ace. Or, if you have a hand value of 12, it is best to hit unless the face-up card of the dealer is a 4, 5 or 6, which is when you should stand. For any hand value of 17 or more, you should always stand.

For a hard 13, 14, 15 or 16, it is advisable to stand if the dealer shows a face-up card of a 2, 3, 5, 5 or 6. If the dealer’s face-up card is not a 2, you should hit instead to try to improve your total.

Blackjack Hands FAQ

How many different Blackjack hands are possible?

There are 34 different hands that you can be dealt at the start of a Blackjack round.

What are the most common Blackjack hands?

The most common hand for a player to be dealt is a pair of 10s, as there are more cards with a value of 10 than any other card rank. A pair of 10s include 10, Jack, Queen, and King.

Why is 16 the worst hand in Blackjack?

16 is the worst hand in Blackjack because sixteen of the other fifty cards in a deck have a value of 10, and four have a value of 11.

How to play different hands in Blackjack?

Basic strategy is the best way to learn how to play all possible hands in blackjack.