Hard Hand in Blackjack

A hard hand in blackjack is any hand without an Ace, or a hand where the Ace must count as 1 to avoid busting. The total is "hard" because it's fixed—there's only one way to count it.

Hard Hand Examples

Hard 16No Ace — clearly hard

This 10-6 is obviously a hard 16. There's no Ace, so the total is fixed at 16.

Also Hard 16Ace must count as 1

This hand has an Ace, but A-8-7 would equal 26 if the Ace counted as 11. Since that would bust, the Ace must count as 1, making this a hard 16.

Hard vs. Soft: Why It Matters

The distinction matters because hard hands are riskier:

• Hard hands can bust with a single high card
• Soft hands can't bust with one card (the Ace can switch from 11 to 1)

This changes your strategy. With hard 16, hitting is dangerous. With soft 16, hitting is safe.

Hard Hand Strategy Basics

Key rules for hard hands:

• Hard 17+: Always stand
• Hard 12-16: Stand against dealer 2-6, hit against 7+
• Hard 11: Double down against dealer 2-10
• Hard 10: Double against dealer 2-9
• Hard 9 or less: Always hit

Practice Hard Hands

Hard hand decisions are the foundation of basic strategy. Practice with our free trainer until they're automatic.