E 17: Staying Against a 6 or Lower

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This is one of the most important Basic Strategy Blackjack tips:

You should always stay on 12 or higher when the dealer is showing a 6 or lower.

(It is the rule that can actually give you an edge during a hand)

Reason:

A common misconception is that you need to get as clost to 21 as possible. This is not correct. You actually only have to beat the dealer and sometimes that just means not busting yourself before the dealer hits their hand.

The dealer must hit up to 17 no matter what the player has. This gives you a huge advantage when the dealers up card is 6 or lower, because you know they will have to pull at least 2 cards and therefore greatly increase their chances of busting.

Your aim when the dealer is showing a 6 or lower, is to stay in the game and hope they bust.