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How to Make Money on the Worst Blackjack Hands
No one wants to see a bad blackjack hand. Life would be great if we were always dealt a 20 against a dealer’s 6. The sad reality is that you will get more bad hands than good ones in blackjack. The good news is that you can learn how to make money on the worst blackjack hands.
From changing your mindset to making the right play, it is possible to profitably play bad hands in blackjack. Here’s a closer look.
Changing How You Regard Starting Blackjack Hands
When a poor hand appears in a game of blackjack, we are almost always mentally conditioned to lose. That type of mentality can cause us to think that our decisions don’t matter. We deviate from basic strategy or do something on a hunch. This is not the way to proceed.
For example, let’s say we have a 16 against a dealer 10. This is going to be a losing proposition in most cases. If we convince ourselves mentally that there is no hope, our mind may tempt us to stand on this hand. The proper play in almost every case is to take you chances and hit the hand, unless the casino that you have chosen offers surrender.
Instead of thinking that all is lost, try to think in terms of how to minimize the loss. Surrender in this case gets you half of your bet back. That may not be a win, but it beats losing all of your wager. Sometimes this type of play is actually a profitable move.
Hitting the hand will result in an occasional win. That is better than losing 100% of the time. You are always better off sticking to basic blackjack strategy instead of deviating. Try to remember this: outcomes are irrelevant, but decisions matter. Good decisions made consistently lead to good outcomes.
Let’s take a look now at some common bad starting hands. Learning how to make money on the worst blackjack hands is easier than you think.
16 Vs. Dealer 10
There is no way around this one. It is probably the very worst situation that you can experience at the blackjack table. Most players would agree that you are dead in the water here.
With all things being equal, hitting the 16 is probably your best play unless the 16 is made with 8-8. In that case, the old rule about always splitting Aces and 8’s applies. But, there is also the option of surrender if your favorite online casino offers it. When you surrender the hand, you will receive half of your original wager back.
16 Vs. Dealer Ace
There are so few options in this scenario. Standing is going to be a disaster in almost every case. Your best bet is to hit the hand and hope for the best.
You want to be wary of falling into the insurance trap here. Taking insurance is almost always a bad deal for the player. That is why the casino offers the bet in the first place.
16 Vs. Dealer 9
This is an interesting hand for a couple of reasons. One is that hitting the hand will cause you to bust a majority of the time. Standing will almost surely get you beaten. But what about splitting those 8s when you have them?
Be careful. You have to always assume that a dealer has a 10 in the hole. That means you could hit a ten on both of your 8s and still lose both hands. In this case surrender is once again advised as a good move.
15 Vs. Dealer 10
Don’t try to get creative when you are playing this hand of blackjack. The best options are surrender or hitting the hand. If you choose to be passive about the hand and stand, you will likely lose.
Many players ask, why would you want to hit a hand that is already a lost cause. Because there will be those rare occasions when you will improve the hand to a 20 or a 21. That is a sweet win if you are able to pull it off.
15 Vs. Dealer Ace
Again, be aware of the insurance trap. It may seem an attractive option for you, but you will come out on the losing end more often than not. If you hit the hand there will be a positive outcome in a few situations.
Of course, the situation is not as bad as a 16 against a 10. Still, you need to realize it is bleak and accept the fact that you will lose most of the time in this situation.
15 Vs. Dealer 9
Things aren’t much better when you hold this hand to start a game of blackjack. A big part of making money with the worst blackjack hands is how you handle them mentally, something we will talk more about next. The key thing to remember here is to not be passive.
Passive Blackjack is Weak Blackjack
A common thread in the discussions above is the avoidance of passive play. This can be defined as not being proactive and sticking to basic blackjack strategy when the run of bad cards come. It is always betting to be active instead of just phoning it in.
Passive blackjack play is more of a risk when there is an extended period of bad hands. The player may become dispirited and put things on autopilot. When this happens you will make poor blackjack decisions.
It is always better to go out on your own terms than it is to be passive. An aggressive blackjack strategy is how to make money on the worst blackjack hands. To play blackjack for money online we recommend that you try one of the recommended casinos. You can read the Lucky Red Casino review, Casino Max review, Miami Club review, or Roaring 21 review to name a few.