Basic Blackjack Strategy: Test #3

How are you holding up? These Blackjack strategy tests can be rough! Whether you're new to the game or a seasoned Blackjack player, it's important to continue to test your basic skills and strategy. And trust me, there's no quicker way to doubling your entire online deposit at 888 Casino than to understand some of these basic plays. So let's up the ante and try a more difficult strategy test!

Can you make the right play here and get one step closer to taking down that elusive $1,500 and 1st place at 888 Casino? Let's find out!

TEST #3:

You have a 7 and a 5. The dealer has a 2 face up. What should you do?

A. Hit.
B. Stand.
C. Stand if you're sitting at third base, hit from any other position.

ANSWER:
It's a common misunderstanding that when you are stuck at the dreaded 12, you should stand. Some players especially like to stand when the dealer shows a 2. They think "the dealer has a 10 in the door, will pull another picture, and bust". You might even get to watch the dealer bust with the same face card that would have busted you. So you should stand, right?

Wrong. The correct answer is:
A. Hit

Let's find out why you should Hit. If you understand the percentages correctly, the dealer will bust only 35 percent of the time when starting with a 2. Therefore, your best chance to win the hand is to hit and try to improve your hand.

Interestingly, many players might make the wrong move in this situation when sitting at third base (or the last position on the table). They are reluctant to make the right play as they fear taking the dealer's bust card and costing the whole table money. Two important points to consider:

• You don't know whether a bust card is coming, and you're as likely to help the table as hurt it by hitting.


• Unless the other players are reimbursing you for a lost wager if you stand, you owe them nothing. Make the best play for your own hand.

Did you know the right play for the test question today? If you didn't, this article has just saved you money! And even if you did know the answer, you should keep reinforcing the basics and check out the final strategy article of this series which will feature two more test strategy questions.

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