Blackjack Strategy: Hitting and Standing

Whether you should hit or stand in a given scenario depends on the value of your hand and the value of the dealer’s upcard. In general, you should hit when the dealer’s upcard is high (7 through ace) and stand when the upcard is low (2 through 6). With a high upcard, the dealer is likely to have a good hand that you need to beat. With a low upcard, the dealer will probably have to hit and is more likely to bust—all the more reason you need to be careful not to bust. The following table shows whether you should hit or stand in every possible scenario. It uses the following key: