Blackjack starting hands: What are the best and worst hands?

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games around, with a large portion of gamblers participating in a variant of the classic game.

There are a number of reasons that make the card game one of the most popular, with the rules of the game relatively simple to understand and can be played in person or online at a popular online platform. Those that do not quite know how to play blackjack or need a little helping hand to fine-tune their experience can always look to take advantage of the resources that have been made available, too.

Without a doubt, though, blackjack will only become easier and perhaps more enjoyable when a player knows a few of the strategies that can be implemented when playing this simple game, whilst knowing what the best and worst starting hands are can also have a huge impact on the entire experience obtained.

A host of different variables exist, but those who know the difference between the hands that they hold and the strength of them will find that the game can become a lot easier to enjoy. Let’s take a look at the best and worst hands available and what you should do if you receive one of them.

What are the best blackjack hands?

Naturally, starting with the very best hand possible, a ‘blackjack’ consists of an ace and one of the following cards: ten, jack, queen, or king. Players with this combination will have 21 as their starting total and will find that they cannot be beaten. However, it should be noted that a tie can happen if the dealer also has the same starting hand, although this would have to be extremely rare.

Of course, the above starting hand is extremely rare and one that will not happen all too often, therefore it is important to understand what some of the other best hands available are and how they can be used.

A hard 20, which is two cards of a value of 10 each, is considered the next best as the math suggests that this hand will win 80% of the time. Indeed, the dealer can still win, but they would need to have to obtain 21 to do so and this could be incredibly difficult for them to obtain, given the hand the player has.

Let’s not forget, for many blackjack variants, if the dealer has a hand that totals 18 or 19, then they will have to stand, thus increasing the odds of a win in the player’s favor.

Players who have a starting hand that totals either 11 or 10 will also have good starting hands, as this will allow players to effectively double down. The third card that would be drawn would have a high chance of making 20 or 21, although this could be the same for the dealer, too.

What are the worst blackjack hands?

Naturally, whilst there are a number of blackjack hands that can be considered to be the best, there are a number of them that can also be considered to be amongst the worst and make that particular round played rather challenging.

It has been revealed that players who have a starting hand to the value of 16, such as a pair of 8s will have the worst hand possible, especially if the dealer’s face-up card is a 10. The dealer will likely be able to beat the hand, therefore forcing the player to obtain another card, despite the fact that they need a five or lower in order to remain active.

A starting hand of 16 against a dealer’s Ace is also one of the worst available, as well as a 16 versus a nine. It could also be argued that a 13 or 14 is also unfavorable, but they can also provide a strength, should the dealer have a low up card.

Enjoy an enhanced blackjack experience

By learning all about the best and worst starting blackjack hands possible, players will be able to better position themselves when they play against a dealer. The great thing about these hands is that they remain the same for almost every single variant and work in the same way when playing online or at a traditional brick-and-mortar establishment at a physical casino table.

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