Big Book Of Blackjack

This is another book I borrowed.


Big Book of Blackjack

The following is an excerpt from the book:

"
When the dealer show a 7 upcard and you have a stiff hand (12 to 16)...

Many players think: If I hit this 14, I risk busting my hand right here and now. But maybe the dealer will bust. If I don't take a hit, my hand still has a chance.

Every player is afraid that he will be responsible for his own loss, but that 14 you are holding is already in dire jeopardy when the dealer shows a 10 up. You must fight for the hand's survival by taking a hit, and giving it a chance of becoming a stronger hand.

People stand on 16 thought: any 6 to 10s will bust my hand, and that's 8 out of 13 cards. So stand, because you'll bust 8 out of 13 times.

This is wrong because It fails to consider the probability that our 16 is already beaten. We have to take our logic a bit further and realize that if the dealer shows a 10 and has any 7 - King, our 16 is already a goner!

So, 7 out of 13 cards, we're already dead. Furthermore, even if the dealer has a 2 to 6, he's not dead yet. He has to take a hit and he gets another shot to beat our 16.
"

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Probability tells that you stand a higher chance of survival if you hit 16, so don't be afraid to do it in your game!