It’s never a good feeling when the dealer shows a 10-point card on the initial deal. But even when your own hand isn’t much chop, there is always a way to give yourself the best possible chance of success and keep the house edge to a minimum.
We’ll show you how to play against a dealer 10 whether you have a hard hand, a soft hand, or a splittable pair, with basic strategy moves calculated according to these standard Australian blackjack rules:
- Six or eight decks
- No peek for blackjack
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Double down on hard nine, 10, or 11
- Double after splitting
- No resplits
- No surrender
- Blackjack pays 3 to 2
Hard hand strategy
A hard total is one with no Ace, or where the Ace can only count as one point without busting the hand. When the dealer shows 10, the correct plays are as follows:
- If your hand is 16 points or lower, hit
- If your hand is 17 points or higher, stand
This is standard procedure for European-style 21 where the dealer doesn’t take a hole card. In American blackjack, where the dealer checks for a natural at the start of the hand, players would be advised to double down on 11. If the game allows surrender, good strategy suggests forfeiting on 15 or 16.
How to play soft hands
A soft hand features an Ace that can count as either one point or 11 without the total exceeding 21. When the dealer has a 10 or picture card, basic strategy says:
- If your hand is 18 points or lower, hit
- If your hand is 19 points or higher, stand
These moves apply to most traditional blackjack games, regardless of whether the dealer peeks or not, whether the house stands or hits on soft 17, or whether late surrender and doubles after splits are allowed.
Basic strategy for splitting pairs
If a player draws two cards of the exact same rank on the initial deal, they have the option to place an additional bet and split them into two separate hands. Standard splitting strategy against a dealer 10 goes like so:
- If you have a pair of Eights or lower, hit
- If you have a pair of Nines, 10s, or face cards, stand
- If you have a pair of Aces, split
If late surrender is offered, it is usually best to throw away a pair of Sevens or Eights when the house shows 10. In a US blackjack game, however, the only difference would be to split a pair of Eights.