When you play blackjack, you have some incomplete information to base your playing decisions on. You know the value of your two cards and you know the value of the dealer’s up card. You don’t know what the dealer’s hole card is and you don’t know what the next card out of the shoe will be. However, if you use basic strategy when you play, you can make an accurate decision based on just the information that you do know.
Basic Strategy
Basic blackjack strategy is based on the mathematics of the game. It has been tested and refined through computer simulations. When it is followed correctly, it reduces the house edge to the minimum, which is usually about one-half of a percent. When you use basic strategy, you make your decision to hit, stand, or double down based on your two cards and the dealer’s up card. Many players wonder what percentage of time will the dealer bust based on their up card. (Whenever your hand or the dealer’s hand goes over the total of 21, it is called a bust.)
The dealer will bust more often with certain up cards than with others. Take a look at the chart below. You will see that the worst cards for the dealer are the 5 and 6, followed closely by the 4. When the dealer is showing a 5 or a 6, they have a 42 percent chance of busting and a 40 percent chance when they have a 4 showing. This is why you double down more often when the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6.
The cards where the dealer is least likely to bust are the Ace, 10, and 9. When the dealer has one of these cards showing, they also have another advantage since the player has to act first. According to basic strategy, a player with a hand of less than 17 will need to take a hit when the dealer is showing a 7, 8, 9, 10, or ace. If the player busts, he loses the hand even if the dealer also busts, so the percentage of times the house will win is greater than just the bust percentage shown in the chart.
Play Correctly
You will make more money when the dealer is showing a card that will allow you to double down, however, you must follow the rules of basic strategy. Many novice players will double down with a hand of 7 or 8 against a dealer showing an up card of 5 or 6. This is not correct and even though the dealer will bust 42 percent of the time, you will lose more money if you don’t play according to basic strategy.
Knowing the dealer’s bust percentage is useful information but it should just be used to confirm the decisions you make when you play basic strategy. If you are unsure of the correct plays, you should memorize the basic strategy chart or bring one to the table with you. This way, you will be playing blackjack with the lowest house edge possible.
Blackjack Dealer Bust Percentages
Dealer Card 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace
Bust % 35% 37% 40% 42% 42% 26% 24% 23% 23% 17%
21: How to Play Casino Blackjack
Doubling Down in Blackjack Is a Good Bet
How to Play Free Bet Blackjack
The Secrets of Basic Blackjack Strategy
How Blackjack Card Counting Works
Three Card Poker
How To Play Four Card Poker
Texas Hold’em 101
Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold’em
Card Room Etiquette for Casino Poker
Basic Strategy for Blackjack
Keys to Winning at the Blackjack Table
Pai Gow Poker Strategies
How to Play the Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker Table Game
Beat Blackjack for $100,000 a Year
Beating Blackjack With a Simple Plus Minus Count
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
When you play blackjack, you have some incomplete information to base your playing decisions on. You know the value of your two cards and you know the value of the dealer’s up card. You don’t know what the dealer’s hole card is and you don’t know what the next card out of the shoe will be. However, if you use basic strategy when you play, you can make an accurate decision based on just the information that you do know.
Basic Strategy
Basic blackjack strategy is based on the mathematics of the game. It has been tested and refined through computer simulations. When it is followed correctly, it reduces the house edge to the minimum, which is usually about one-half of a percent. When you use basic strategy, you make your decision to hit, stand, or double down based on your two cards and the dealer’s up card. Many players wonder what percentage of time will the dealer bust based on their up card. (Whenever your hand or the dealer’s hand goes over the total of 21, it is called a bust.)
The dealer will bust more often with certain up cards than with others. Take a look at the chart below. You will see that the worst cards for the dealer are the 5 and 6, followed closely by the 4. When the dealer is showing a 5 or a 6, they have a 42 percent chance of busting and a 40 percent chance when they have a 4 showing. This is why you double down more often when the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6.
The cards where the dealer is least likely to bust are the Ace, 10, and 9. When the dealer has one of these cards showing, they also have another advantage since the player has to act first. According to basic strategy, a player with a hand of less than 17 will need to take a hit when the dealer is showing a 7, 8, 9, 10, or ace. If the player busts, he loses the hand even if the dealer also busts, so the percentage of times the house will win is greater than just the bust percentage shown in the chart.
Play Correctly
You will make more money when the dealer is showing a card that will allow you to double down, however, you must follow the rules of basic strategy. Many novice players will double down with a hand of 7 or 8 against a dealer showing an up card of 5 or 6. This is not correct and even though the dealer will bust 42 percent of the time, you will lose more money if you don’t play according to basic strategy.
Knowing the dealer’s bust percentage is useful information but it should just be used to confirm the decisions you make when you play basic strategy. If you are unsure of the correct plays, you should memorize the basic strategy chart or bring one to the table with you. This way, you will be playing blackjack with the lowest house edge possible.
Blackjack Dealer Bust Percentages
Dealer Card 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace
Bust % 35% 37% 40% 42% 42% 26% 24% 23% 23% 17%
21: How to Play Casino Blackjack
Doubling Down in Blackjack Is a Good Bet
How to Play Free Bet Blackjack
The Secrets of Basic Blackjack Strategy
How Blackjack Card Counting Works
Three Card Poker
How To Play Four Card Poker
Texas Hold’em 101
Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold’em
Card Room Etiquette for Casino Poker
Basic Strategy for Blackjack
Keys to Winning at the Blackjack Table
Pai Gow Poker Strategies
How to Play the Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker Table Game
Beat Blackjack for $100,000 a Year
Beating Blackjack With a Simple Plus Minus Count
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
When you play blackjack, you have some incomplete information to base your playing decisions on. You know the value of your two cards and you know the value of the dealer’s up card. You don’t know what the dealer’s hole card is and you don’t know what the next card out of the shoe will be. However, if you use basic strategy when you play, you can make an accurate decision based on just the information that you do know.
Basic Strategy
Basic blackjack strategy is based on the mathematics of the game. It has been tested and refined through computer simulations. When it is followed correctly, it reduces the house edge to the minimum, which is usually about one-half of a percent. When you use basic strategy, you make your decision to hit, stand, or double down based on your two cards and the dealer’s up card. Many players wonder what percentage of time will the dealer bust based on their up card. (Whenever your hand or the dealer’s hand goes over the total of 21, it is called a bust.)
The dealer will bust more often with certain up cards than with others. Take a look at the chart below. You will see that the worst cards for the dealer are the 5 and 6, followed closely by the 4. When the dealer is showing a 5 or a 6, they have a 42 percent chance of busting and a 40 percent chance when they have a 4 showing. This is why you double down more often when the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6.
The cards where the dealer is least likely to bust are the Ace, 10, and 9. When the dealer has one of these cards showing, they also have another advantage since the player has to act first. According to basic strategy, a player with a hand of less than 17 will need to take a hit when the dealer is showing a 7, 8, 9, 10, or ace. If the player busts, he loses the hand even if the dealer also busts, so the percentage of times the house will win is greater than just the bust percentage shown in the chart.
Play Correctly
You will make more money when the dealer is showing a card that will allow you to double down, however, you must follow the rules of basic strategy. Many novice players will double down with a hand of 7 or 8 against a dealer showing an up card of 5 or 6. This is not correct and even though the dealer will bust 42 percent of the time, you will lose more money if you don’t play according to basic strategy.
Knowing the dealer’s bust percentage is useful information but it should just be used to confirm the decisions you make when you play basic strategy. If you are unsure of the correct plays, you should memorize the basic strategy chart or bring one to the table with you. This way, you will be playing blackjack with the lowest house edge possible.
Blackjack Dealer Bust Percentages
Dealer Card 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace
Bust % 35% 37% 40% 42% 42% 26% 24% 23% 23% 17%
When you play blackjack, you have some incomplete information to base your playing decisions on. You know the value of your two cards and you know the value of the dealer’s up card. You don’t know what the dealer’s hole card is and you don’t know what the next card out of the shoe will be. However, if you use basic strategy when you play, you can make an accurate decision based on just the information that you do know.
Basic Strategy
Basic blackjack strategy is based on the mathematics of the game. It has been tested and refined through computer simulations. When it is followed correctly, it reduces the house edge to the minimum, which is usually about one-half of a percent. When you use basic strategy, you make your decision to hit, stand, or double down based on your two cards and the dealer’s up card. Many players wonder what percentage of time will the dealer bust based on their up card. (Whenever your hand or the dealer’s hand goes over the total of 21, it is called a bust.)
The dealer will bust more often with certain up cards than with others. Take a look at the chart below. You will see that the worst cards for the dealer are the 5 and 6, followed closely by the 4. When the dealer is showing a 5 or a 6, they have a 42 percent chance of busting and a 40 percent chance when they have a 4 showing. This is why you double down more often when the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6.
The cards where the dealer is least likely to bust are the Ace, 10, and 9. When the dealer has one of these cards showing, they also have another advantage since the player has to act first. According to basic strategy, a player with a hand of less than 17 will need to take a hit when the dealer is showing a 7, 8, 9, 10, or ace. If the player busts, he loses the hand even if the dealer also busts, so the percentage of times the house will win is greater than just the bust percentage shown in the chart.
Play Correctly
You will make more money when the dealer is showing a card that will allow you to double down, however, you must follow the rules of basic strategy. Many novice players will double down with a hand of 7 or 8 against a dealer showing an up card of 5 or 6. This is not correct and even though the dealer will bust 42 percent of the time, you will lose more money if you don’t play according to basic strategy.
Knowing the dealer’s bust percentage is useful information but it should just be used to confirm the decisions you make when you play basic strategy. If you are unsure of the correct plays, you should memorize the basic strategy chart or bring one to the table with you. This way, you will be playing blackjack with the lowest house edge possible.
Blackjack Dealer Bust Percentages
Dealer Card 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace
Bust % 35% 37% 40% 42% 42% 26% 24% 23% 23% 17%
21: How to Play Casino Blackjack
Doubling Down in Blackjack Is a Good Bet
How to Play Free Bet Blackjack
The Secrets of Basic Blackjack Strategy
How Blackjack Card Counting Works
Three Card Poker
How To Play Four Card Poker
Texas Hold’em 101
Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold’em
Card Room Etiquette for Casino Poker
Basic Strategy for Blackjack
Keys to Winning at the Blackjack Table
Pai Gow Poker Strategies
How to Play the Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker Table Game
Beat Blackjack for $100,000 a Year
Beating Blackjack With a Simple Plus Minus Count
21: How to Play Casino Blackjack
21: How to Play Casino Blackjack
Doubling Down in Blackjack Is a Good Bet
Doubling Down in Blackjack Is a Good Bet
How to Play Free Bet Blackjack
How to Play Free Bet Blackjack
The Secrets of Basic Blackjack Strategy
The Secrets of Basic Blackjack Strategy
How Blackjack Card Counting Works
How Blackjack Card Counting Works
Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker
How To Play Four Card Poker
How To Play Four Card Poker
Texas Hold’em 101
Texas Hold’em 101
Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold’em
Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold’em
Card Room Etiquette for Casino Poker
Card Room Etiquette for Casino Poker
Basic Strategy for Blackjack
Basic Strategy for Blackjack
Keys to Winning at the Blackjack Table
Keys to Winning at the Blackjack Table
Pai Gow Poker Strategies
Pai Gow Poker Strategies
How to Play the Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker Table Game
How to Play the Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker Table Game
Beat Blackjack for $100,000 a Year
Beat Blackjack for $100,000 a Year
Beating Blackjack With a Simple Plus Minus Count
Beating Blackjack With a Simple Plus Minus Count
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
Home
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
About Us
Advertise
Careers
Privacy Policy
Editorial Guidelines
Contact
Terms of Use
EU Privacy
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
