My most dreaded combination of cards in blackjack in a combination of 12 and, despite having read many times what I should do- stick (if the dealer has less than a 7) or hit (if he has 7 or above)- it never seems to work out.

There is a book out there called The Gregorian Stategy, which- amongst other things, will tell you to hit on a 12 unless the dealer has a 10. Having read the boom in its entirety, I’m not sure how much weight we can put on this- but for the fun of it, I took out 2 decks of cards at home and ran the formula approx. 100 times.

What I found- and in no way does this reflect the law of averages- as 100 deals is hardly comprehensive- is that if a dealer has a 2, 3, or 4 – you should hit, as well as, obviously, a 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace. But if the dealer has a 5 or 6, you should stick.

Obviously, there is are 16 cards out of the 52, approx. 30%, that will be a 10 and make you go bust. The flip side is that the dealer has better than a two thirds chance of not pulling a ten on his bad card.

So glass half full or half empty? It may seem foolish, but it’s also courageous. When on 12, unless the dealer has a 5 or 6, take a chance and HIT!!

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