Hard Hand
In blackjack, any hand that does not contain an Ace counted as 11.
Detailed Explanation
A hard hand in blackjack is one where either there is no Ace, or any Ace present must be counted as 1 to avoid busting (exceeding 21). For example: 10-7 is a hard 17, and A-10-9 (where the Ace must = 1) is also a hard 20. The term 'hard' reflects the inflexibility — drawing another card to a hard 16 or higher carries a significant risk of busting.
The correct basic strategy decisions for hard hands differ from soft hands. For hard totals of 17 or above, always stand. For hard 12–16, the decision depends on the dealer's upcard: stand against dealer 2–6 (the dealer is likely to bust), hit against dealer 7–Ace. Hard 11 is typically doubled down against all dealer upcards except an Ace.
Understanding the hard/soft distinction is fundamental to blackjack basic strategy. Players who apply hard-hand strategy to soft hands leave significant expected value on the table.
Related Entries
Table Game Terms
Ante
A mandatory bet placed before any cards are dealt to initiate a round.
Table Game Terms
Burn Card
A card removed face-down from the top of the deck after a shuffle before dealing begins.
Table Game Terms
Color Up
Exchanging a stack of lower-denomination chips for fewer higher-denomination chips of equal total value.
Table Game Terms
Cut Card
A solid-coloured plastic card used by players to cut the deck before dealing begins.