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Lesson 4 · Hard Totals

Hard 15-16 — The Worst Hands

15 and 16 are the hardest hands in blackjack. You can easily bust but the total is too low to compete with the dealer.

Use surrender when available. Otherwise: stand vs 2-6, hit (or surrender) vs 7+.

Examples

Hard 16 vs 10
66
QQQ
YOU
VS
JJJ
DEALER
✓ Surrender

Surrender if available; otherwise Hit. Never stand with 16 vs 10.

Hard 15 vs 6
77
88
YOU
VS
66
DEALER
✓ Stand

Stand — the dealer is weak, wait for them to bust.

Hard 16 vs 8
77
99
YOU
VS
88
DEALER
✓ Surrender

Surrender/Hit — vs 8 the dealer is strong enough to justify surrendering.

Common mistake

Standing on 15-16 against a strong upcard and praying. Against 7-A the chart keeps hitting (or surrenders where allowed) — standing 16 vs 10 is one of the most expensive 'safe' plays in blackjack.

Guided practice

Try 8 hands from the category you just studied before the quiz.

Hard
66
99
YOUR HAND
VS
Dealer
55
DEALER

Quiz

Answer 8 out of 10 correctly to continue.

Check this hand on the full chart →