Blackjack table

Basic strategy says to hit a hard 9 against a dealer Ace; doubling is only right against 3 through 6.

A hard 19 against a dealer Ace is a clear stand under basic strategy. Hitting would bust on most cards.

Basic strategy says to stand on hard 13 against a dealer 4, since the dealer has a high chance of busting.

Hard 12 against a dealer 10 is a hit in basic strategy. The dealer's strong upcard makes standing worse than taking the bust risk.

A three-card hard 16 against a dealer 10 is very close, and composition-dependent strategy slightly favors standing. That is because the 2 and 4 already in my hand leave fewer small cards to draw.

Basic strategy for a hard 14 against a dealer 9 is to hit; standing loses more often against a strong upcard, and there is no surrender option.

Basic strategy says to always stand on hard 17 against any dealer upcard. Hitting here busts too often to be worth it.

Hard 11 against a dealer 7 is a standard double under basic strategy (6 decks, S17), maximizing expected value.

Basic strategy for a hard 14 against a dealer 6 is to stand, because the dealer is likely to bust. Hitting would risk busting my own hand for no gain.

Basic strategy for soft 17 against a dealer 10 is to hit, because standing on 17 does poorly against a 10 and hitting a soft hand cannot bust. Doubling is worse here than simply hitting.

Basic strategy says to stand on hard 17 against a dealer 10. Hitting risks busting on any card 5 or higher.

Basic strategy for a hard 12 against a dealer 10 is to hit. The dealer's strong upcard makes standing on 12 worse.

A hard 20 against a dealer 10 is a clear stand. Any hit busts unless it draws an ace.

Basic strategy always splits 8s. Against a dealer 2 with double after split allowed, two hands starting from 8 beat a stiff 16.

A hard 18 against a dealer 2 is a clear stand under basic strategy. Hitting or doubling would only risk busting a strong total.

Under basic strategy, a hard 12 against a dealer 2 is a hit. The dealer busts less often with a 2 showing than with a 4 to 6, so standing on 12 loses more.

A hard 19 against a dealer 2 is a clear stand under basic strategy. Hitting risks a bust for very little gain.

Basic strategy says to hit a hard 14 against a dealer 9, because standing loses too often against a strong upcard and there is no surrender option.

Basic strategy says to double a hard 11 against a dealer 7, since that gives the highest expected value.

Basic strategy for 6 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, with double after split allowed: split 2s against a dealer 3. Each 2 is a better starting card than a total of 4 against a weak upcard.

Basic strategy: hard 12 vs dealer 3 is a hit in S17 multi-deck games.

Hard 11 against a dealer 3 is a standard double, and double after split is allowed. Doubling maximizes expected value here.

Hard 16 against a dealer 10, with no surrender available: basic strategy says hit, since standing loses more often than hitting.

A hard 18 against a dealer 7 is a clear stand under basic strategy. Hitting risks a bust, and the dealer often ends on 17, which 18 beats.

Basic strategy says to hit a hard 7 against a dealer 7. Doubling or standing on 7 is clearly worse.

Basic strategy says to hit a hard 14 against a dealer 7, since the dealer is likely to make 17 or more and standing on 14 loses more often.

Hard 15 against a dealer 7 is a hit in basic strategy. The dealer's 7 is strong, so standing on 15 loses more often than hitting.

Basic strategy is to hit hard 16 against a dealer 7, because standing loses too often to the dealer's likely 17 or better.

Hard 11 against a dealer 2 is a standard double under basic strategy (6 decks, S17, peek), giving the highest expected value.

Hard 10 vs dealer 9 is a double in basic strategy, but a fixed 10-chip base bet on a 1000-chip stack makes the gain small, so a plain hit keeps the variance lower. Doubling would be the strictly EV-maximizing play.

A hard 20 against a dealer 9 is a clear stand under basic strategy. Hitting would bust on anything but an ace.

Basic strategy for a hard 13 against a dealer 10 is to hit, since standing on 13 loses more often than risking a bust.

A hard 20 against a dealer 10 is a clear stand, since any card other than an ace busts the hand.

A hard 20 against a dealer 10 is a strong favorite, so basic strategy says stand. Splitting tens would give up that edge.