When playing online blackjack and in possession of a twelve, play can sometimes be tricky. Players holding a twelve are a face card away from a bust, but quite often, the twelve must improve in order to win. Blackjack players often freeze up and ignore logic when they are holding twelve in their hand. Before deciding how to act on the twelve, a blackjack player must look at the dealer’s hole card so that they can make the best of all possible decisions regarding playing their twelve.
To split or not to split?
When dealt a pair of sixes, there are instances when playing the twelve as is makes sense. If the dealer holds an up card that is a seven, eight, nine, ten, face card, or an ace, a blackjack player is best suited taking a hit with the pair of sixes intact. Most likely, the player is going to need extra help. Standing does no good and splitting is unprofitable. However, if the dealer holds a six or less, the blackjack player is best suited splitting the pair of sixes and playing each hand accordingly, as the odds of winning one or both hands are in the player’s favor.
How to play a hard twelve
When playing the hard twelve in blackjack, a player should hit when the dealer shows a two or three. Taking a hit in these situations can seem a bit uncomfortable, however, the dealer will be drawing and the likelihood of the dealer making a hand valued between seventeen and twenty-one outweighs the likelihood of the dealer busting. Thus a player should hit.
However, the black jack player should stand if the dealer has an up card of a four, five, or six. The dealer will be forced to draw in most instances when they hold such an up card. The likelihood that they draw to a bust is high. Thus, the best move is to stand when the dealer holds a four, five, or six. Should the dealer have a seven or higher – the blackjack player is going to need extra help. Players should hit their hard twelve if the dealer shows a seven or higher as their up card, as the risk that the dealer has a higher hand or will draw to one outweighs the chance that they will need to draw and go bust.