Should You Hit On A 14?
If your goal is to win and improve your strategy when it comes to blackjack, you should put some effort and time to achieve it. There are plenty of things that gamblers need to take into consideration and focus on, before as well as during the game.
Among those considerations is whether to hit on a 14 or split 10s.
Should you hit on a 14? Yes, according to some pro players, all players must hit their hard 14 against all upcards, namely 7 through Ace. When you are dealt with A-3, you have a soft 14. It is a much better situation as it is impossible to break this hand with the only one-card draw.
If you are curious about Blackjack Hand 14, 15, and 16, this article has everything you need to quench your curiosity.
Aside from that, you will be able to learn the feeling about what does it exactly means for people who are new to this game.
Blackjack Hand 14, 15, And 16
If a players’ hand has a total value of above 14, there are situations where it is unfavorable. This situation requires a good strategy, and players need to think of them properly before issuing a move or command.
Preparation and the right amount of knowledge are compulsory when it comes to blackjack.
But there are indeed several factors that can play a vital role such as money, management, discipline, a decent amount of bankroll, and last but not least, a bit of luck.
So it is vital that if you get the upper hand, you should take full advantage of the situation.
Considerations When Having Hand 14, 15 Or 16
If you are having an unlucky day to get a hand of 14, 15, or 16, you should be careful and stick to the strategy you have chosen for this game. These are situations where each player is already one step from going bust regardless of the dealer’s card.
Although, these situations do not mean that you should ignore the value. Always bear in mind that you need to make your moves based on whatever is the dealer’s upcard.
It is also one way of telling how players can proceed when facing this kind of situation. It shows their level of competence and knowledge to the rest of the players on the table.
Since most of the time, gamblers are already in an unfavorable situation, winning the hand should not be the priority.
Instead, players should try to make the best move, which will leave them the smallest money loss as much as possible.
When dealing with these hands, you should know that these are some of the trickiest hands in blackjack.
They are usually misplayed, and part of the confusion results from the discrepancies in their strategy charts.
The optimal playing strategy and decision making can vary from different factors, which include the number of decks are in play at the table, whether the dealer hit soft 17, and whether the player has the chance to late surrender.
The Principles Of Breaking Hands
Breaking hands is commonly used in blackjack, and gamblers have a breaking hand when they get their first two cards, and the total is 12 or above.
As a result, almost every single card will cause the player to break their hand or go bust as their total value will go over to 21. It is also known as the dealer’s position breaking if the upcard is shown as a 2 through 6.
Breaking Hands Concerns
When it comes to blackjack, the trouble with breaking hands 12 through hard 17 is that they invariably lose in the long term.
It is against all upcards of the dealer that includes those with higher bust rates for the house. Hard 14, 15, and 16 are actually tough to approach because they eventually lose more than winning in the long haul.
As a result, many players usually end up in the red with these totals no matter what their strategy and decisions are. It is dreadful, but it gets worse since you will end up receiving stiff underdogs that are approximately 40% of the time you spend in the blackjack tables.
Approaching Underdog Hands
When it comes to dealing with these hard totals, the answer is simple. You need to trust your basic strategy and approach all these underdog hands courageously by playing with the correct decisions.
And by correct means that you do not necessarily need to win. You just have to play smart.
The moves basic strategy recommends for these hard hands are considered to be optimal. It is because they reduce your negative expectation.
For instance, you will end up losing money with these stiffs for an extended period. In other words, you are on the defense rather than charging in an offensive approach.
This strategy will help you escape a highly disadvantageous situation and increase your chances of winning.
Breaking Hands’ Situations
Breaking hand’s situation is when either the player or the dealer is in a very weak spot. These cases are extremely hard to cope with, and the only way to have a chance of not going bust is always to follow the basic strategy.
It is also worth mentioning that breaking hands are why many players lose in the long run.
If only players know how to deal with it, they will significantly improve their performance in the game of blackjack.
Once the gamblers have such breaking hands, their chances to go bust and lose are actually way high.
However, if they know how to use basic strategy, they will be able to improve their hand once in a while.
The move hitting plays a vital role, and gamblers should take their time to observe if they should hit, as well as when this task should be left to the dealer’s discretion.
Players Who Have Hand 14, 15 Or 16
The best approach is to have a look at all of these cases at once. It is where players have a hand totaling 14, 15, and 16 as the strategy needed is actually the same.
You should take note that the same goes for the situations where some players have a hard 13 against a variety of combinations of the dealer’s upcard.
Recommended Strategy For Hard 14
The strategy for Hard 14 is probably the easiest to remember since there are actually no discrepancies in the strategy based on the dealer’s rules and decks.
Hard 14 is considered a stand when the dealer exposes small cards 2 through 6. All players should hit their hard 13 against all other up cards, which are 7 through Ace.
If the player dealt A-3, you have a soft 14. It is actually a better instance to be in since it is nearly impossible to break this hand using a one-card draw.
As a result, you have an advantage against a dealer who starts with weak small cards of 4 through 6.
Doubling Soft 14
In single-deck S17 blackjack, all players should double on soft 14 if the dealer’s upcard is 4, 5, and 6.
On the other hand, you should double on A-3 only if your dealer has a 5 or 6, when playing with two to eight decks, provided that the S17 dealer rules apply.
Also, a pair of 7-7 add up to 14, and in shoe games, this part must be split when the dealer card shows a 2 through 6 and hit if the upcards are 8 through Ace. If you are in a single-deck table, the pair should be surrendered against the dealer’s 10.
Tough Spot When Holding Hard 15
Holding a hard 15 is never an easy spot to begin with, which is considered a bad hand.
Provided that the late surrender is not available, you should stand on hard 15 against a lower value card. It can be 2 through 6 and hit versus 7 through Ace.
Hitting a hard total of 15 isn’t always the easiest decision to make at the blackjack table, especially if the dealer already has 10s.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, having to deal with 14, 15, or 16 hands is always a big challenge, not only for beginners, but even for pro blackjack players.
As a matter of fact, this game requires a lot of preparation as well as a good strategy.
But despite that, the player’s success is not guaranteed. They can only hope that their odds will be in their favor, especially when playing blackjack.
On the other hand, if they follow a strategy and choose the option to surrender, any of these choices are most likely to lead to less money they will lose.
Once players find themselves in a challenging position, they should always consider how to get out of it with minimal damages to their money. It is not advisable to win the hand, as in many cases. It will only end up against their expected results.