Watch out for these blackjack bust hands

Blackjack is a game of skill, especially when you factor in card counting and working out probabilities. But regardless of all those tricks of the trades, the luck of the draw is the ultimate deciding factor on whether you win or lose. And no amount of mathematical crunching can save you from these bad hands. When you play blackjack online at least you see the dealer pull these bust hands from time to time:

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Twelve

This is the one of the most dreaded hands to pull from a player’s perspective, whether it’s a face card and a two, a nine and three or any other combination. According to the bust odds, players have a 31 percent chance of going bust when they draw on 12, which doesn’t seem too bad. However, when you look at it from a card perspective, there are a number of 10 value cards that will quickly bust a 12 and some lower-value cards – 2, 3, 4, 5 – that don’t really improve the 12 to the point of contention. The best-case scenario with a 12 is a 6, 7, 8, or 9, and the latter two values are the only ones that all but guarantee a winner.

Fifteen

Drawing a hand valued at 15 is basically putting the player in no-man’s land. It’s a tough hand to gauge: it’s not big enough to beat a good hand and it runs a high risk of going bust if you hit. Of course, players want to take a look at what card the dealer is showing first before making their move. If the dealer is showing a seven or higher, the player may have to take another card just to have a fighting chance. But if the dealer is showing 2 through 5, you may be OK standing on 15 and hoping they go bust before beating your hand.

Three through six

Ugh. The dealer served up a weak hand consisting of low value cards, which means you’re going to have to draw a ton from the shoe and avoid bust cards like you’re dodging bullets. Even if you initially draw a 10-value card, you’re still sitting with something lower than 17 and most times, that’s not going to be enough to take down the dealer. Again, be conscience of what the dealer is showing. If they’re up card is a seven or better, you may have to grit out a couple hits from the shoe. But, if they might be in a similar situation as you, there could be some value is staying on a hand of 14 to 16.