Blackjack Strategy When Playing a Hard 13 to 16

Stand: When the dealer upcard is 2,3,4,5, or 6.
Hit: When the dealer has anything else showing.

Why to stand on hard 13 through 16

This strategy applies to hard 13, hard 14, hard 15 and hard 16 hands. These types of hard hands are even worse to deal with than a hard 12 because the strategy says that you are likely to get a 10 when you hit and bust with these combinations. Hard 16 is actually the worst possible blackjack hand you could be dealt because the dealer gets to stand on 17 or higher and if you hit with a hard 16, there are more than just tens that can bust you so your odds are at the lowest. It's best to stand when the dealer has similar cards such as 2,3,4,5 and 6. That way you can let the dealer bust instead!

Why to hit on hard 13 through 16

If the dealer doesn't have the nice cards that will likely make him bust, then your best bet is to just hit with the hand you have. The mathematical blackjack strategy says this is the best thing to do in the long term since the dealer will likely get a 17 or higher because of the high density in ten cards. These are the toughest decisions to make but blackjack basic strategy makes this choice much easier to make.