When Should I Double Down?

When Should I Double Down?
There are three times we'd recommend placing the blackjack double down bet:
  1. When your cards total 11 and the dealer has a low card (6 or lower).
  2. When you have a soft 16, 17 or 18 (this means that you have a card plus an ace).
  3. When you have a hard 9 or 10 (“hard” describes a hand with no ace).

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Also question is, should you double down on 12?

The second situation which justifies deviating from hitting 12 against a dealer 2 comes about in tournament play. If the tournament rules specify that the double-down card is dealt face down, instead of hitting your 12 you could double down for just one chip (i.e., doubling for less).

Also, what does it mean to double down on something? Definition of double down. intransitive verb. 1 : to double the original bid in blackjack in exchange for only one more card. 2 : to become more tenacious, zealous, or resolute in a position or undertaking the administration needs to double down on the call for political reform — Washington Post.

Subsequently, one may also ask, can you double down anytime?

Double Down Rules Today, in most casinos, a player is allowed to double down on any two original cards. You can even double down a blackjack in some casinos. This rule applies whether you are playing blackjack live or playing online. A few casinos still restrict doubling down to a hard total of 9, 10, or 11.

Do you hit or stay on 16?

That's a hand that does not contain an Ace or if it does the Ace counts as one. Some examples of a hard 16 would be 10-6 or 5-7-4 or 7-8-Ace. The correct basic playing strategy for hard 16 is to stand when the dealer shows a small card (2 through 6) and hit when the dealer shows a high card (7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace).

Related Question Answers

Do you hit on 12 against a 3?

There is a rule in blackjack that says you should never risk busting your hand when the dealer shows a weak upcard (weak meaning a 2 through 6 because the dealer could break with a one-card draw). The bottom line is that you will win your hand a little more often by hitting than by standing on 12 against a dealer's 3.

Is it better to play 2 hands in blackjack?

The answer is, yes, for several reasons. Playing two hands is an excellent way of increasing your bet spread when the count is in your favor. You can also bet 50% of what you would have bet on one hand, on each of two hands, with less risk and variance.
Marcus Vance
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Marcus Vance

Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.