As a matter of rule, of the initial pair that the dealer himself receives, one card will be revealed.  The other card is not revealed until all the players reveal their cards.

It is a sound strategy, therefore, to always assume that the dealer will get a value of 17 or higher.  17 is the value that will force the dealer to STAND, that is, to stop hitting or drawing new cards.  That’s the rule of the house and you should use this to your advantage.

Let us continue with our example.  12 is a pretty low value to have, considering that you should expect the dealer to attain the value of 17 or higher. 

This is where the risks of the game come in. 

If you decide to HIT, you might get a card with a value of 10, and you’ll receive a total of 22, which would automatically make you lose your bet.  Your only chance in such a case would be for the dealer to also draw a total higher than 21, so that everything would be even-steven and no transfer of wagers would take place.

So, should you HIT or STAND?

We will discuss the propriety of hitting and standing a little later on.  For now, let’s assume that you’ll HIT, since 12 is a very low value.

The ideal scenario would be to draw a card that has the value of 9.  This would give you a total of 21 and would make you an automatic winner.  Your winnings in such a case, however, would just be 1:1, that is, a winning equivalent to the amount you have wagered.  If, for example, you placed a bet of $100, and you manage to attain the value of 21 with 3 or 4 cards, you’d receive $100 from the house.

But what if you receive a card with a value lower than 9?  Let’s take a look at our example.

Now, 17 is a pretty good value.  Your chances of losing are less.  The dealer has to get a value of 18, 19, 20, or 21 to win, after all.  And that’s a 4:9 success rate, or less than a 50% chance of beating you.

Most people would STAND with 17. 

Should you?

Let’s assume that you take the gargantuan risk of hitting to secure your victory.  Now, you need one of four cards to make your case stronger: an Ace, a 2, a 3, or a 4.  There are 13 numbers per deck.  That’s a 4:13 chance, more or less, of success… which isn’t really a bright outlook. 

But hey!  That’s why they call it gambling, right?

Let’s look at things clearly.  You already have four cards with a total of 17.  Though your chances of beating the dealer with this value are pretty high, it is by no means guaranteed.  Whereas, if you could draw another card with a value of 4 or less, you’d have 5 cards in hand that would total 21 or less.  In some variations of Blackjack, having 5 cards makes you an automatic winner!  But you better check the rules of the house first before aiming for this.  Nonetheless…

The choice is yours. 

Let’s illustrate these rules in play.  Supposing, with a 17 value at hand, you decide to HIT.

The combination above would give you a Blackjack, and would entitle you to 3:2 earning, or 1 ½ the amount you have previously wagered.

But, if disaster strikes and you get a card with a value higher than 4…

Remember, a total value over 21 automatically makes you lose the game.

Initially, you’d think of Blackjack as a game of luck as everything seems to depend on the number of the card(s) you receive.  But Blackjack is very much different from other casino games.  It has the element of control – at the very least, more control than games at other tables.  You have to take advantage of this aspect of the game if you wish to reap a lot of success in Blackjack. 

Further Reading:
www.hitorstand.net
http://conjelco.com/faq/bj.html

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BlackJack Maesto has helped many people to finally win constantly with a proven tactics/strategy. For more Information, visit http://www.BlackJackMaestro.com.