Should you hit 16 against a 9?
Surrender if the table offers it. If it doesn't, hit. Against a 2 through 6 the book stands on 16. Against a 7 or 8 it hits, and against a 9, 10 or ace it surrenders.
Why
A dealer showing a 9 ends on 17 or better 77.1% of the time. Your 16 beats none of those hands, so standing wins only when the dealer goes over 21: 22.9%.
Hitting breaks 16 with 8 of the 13 ranks. Surrender is the way out: you give up half your bet and keep the other half. Against a 9, playing the hand out, by hitting or by standing, loses more than that over time. Where surrender isn't offered, the book hits.
When the answer changes
At the app's table (six decks, the dealer hitting soft 17, double after split and late surrender) the book surrenders 16 against a 9. Where surrender isn't offered, it hits. With one or two decks, the book hits instead. Every other rule set plays it the way the app's table does.
The full basic strategy chart for six decks, dealer hits soft 17, with every other rule set a tap away.
Questions
Should you hit 16 against an 8?
Yes. Against an 8 the book hits 16. A dealer showing an 8 goes over 21 24.4% of the time.
Is it different at a single-deck table?
Yes. At the app's table with a single deck, the book hits 16 against a 9.
More hands
- Should you hit 16 against a dealer's 10?
- Should you hit 16 against a 7?
- Should you hit 16 against an ace?
- Should you hit 15 against a 10?
- Should you hit 14 against a 10?
- Blackjack hands, one at a time
Guides
Know the book before you sit down.
