Stand on a 3 card 16 vs a 10?
- Thread starter Rmitch223
- Start date
Yes, standing on 3-or-more-card 16 vs Ten is a better play than hitting.
The 16vT play is a very close call. Any three card sixteen already uses up some cards you would like to draw (and these are also cards that would help the dealer make a hand if stiff.) That little difference is enough to tip the scales in favor of standing.
(How's that for answers. Just posted, and all three of us are answering at the same time.)
The 16vT play is a very close call. Any three card sixteen already uses up some cards you would like to draw (and these are also cards that would help the dealer make a hand if stiff.) That little difference is enough to tip the scales in favor of standing.
(How's that for answers. Just posted, and all three of us are answering at the same time.)
There are (I think) 48 combinations of 2, 3 and 4 card 16's.
At the purely basic strategy level, you're instructed to just always hit 16 against a 10, although many 16's against a 10 should actually be stood on.
At a slightly deeper level of play, you're a smidge better off to hit the 2-card 16 and stand on all 3 or more card 16's, although, some 3 and even 4 card 16's should actually still be hit.
At yet a slightly deeper level, you should play all your 16's against a 10 according to the "Rule of 45". That means to stand with your 16 if it contains a 4 or a 5, but hit all the rest. Aside from the mathematics behind this rule, the rationale is that a 4 or 5 in your hand leaves one less key "out" available to make 20 or 21 with. Of those 48 or so iterations of 2, 3 and 4 card 16's, the "Rule of 45" will get you to play nearly all of them correctly.
Some examples are to stand against a 10 with the likes of 8/5/3, 9/4/3, 7/5/4, 8/4/4 and A/4/A/10, but to still hit with stuff like 7/6/3, 8/2/6 and even A/6/8/A.
At the purely basic strategy level, you're instructed to just always hit 16 against a 10, although many 16's against a 10 should actually be stood on.
At a slightly deeper level of play, you're a smidge better off to hit the 2-card 16 and stand on all 3 or more card 16's, although, some 3 and even 4 card 16's should actually still be hit.
At yet a slightly deeper level, you should play all your 16's against a 10 according to the "Rule of 45". That means to stand with your 16 if it contains a 4 or a 5, but hit all the rest. Aside from the mathematics behind this rule, the rationale is that a 4 or 5 in your hand leaves one less key "out" available to make 20 or 21 with. Of those 48 or so iterations of 2, 3 and 4 card 16's, the "Rule of 45" will get you to play nearly all of them correctly.
Some examples are to stand against a 10 with the likes of 8/5/3, 9/4/3, 7/5/4, 8/4/4 and A/4/A/10, but to still hit with stuff like 7/6/3, 8/2/6 and even A/6/8/A.
Yes, it is splitting hairs. Seldom will standing over hitting give you anywhere near a 1% better chance to win the hand over hitting. The other side of that coin is, 16 against a 10 in all its compositions, comes up more often than nearly any other holding (about once every 28 hands).
BTW, all this "3-card-16" and "Rule of 45" stuff assumes you do not count cards. If you do, card counting supersedes everything, since your count knows more about your chances to improve your 16 than just what cards make up your 16.
For that matter, there is another level of playing 16 against a 10 that fits in between the Rule-of-45 and card counting. It's known as "board counting".
In essence, it's an "on-the-spot" freeze-frame snipet of card counting that can tell you a bit better than the Rule-of-45 what to do this time around. When you're dealt 16 against a 10, look around the board and tally up the "babies" (2's thru 5's) and cancel them out against the 10's. If there are more babies on board than 10's -- stand, otherwise hit.
Thus, you should still hit your 8/4/4 against a 10 if there's one other player at the table and he holds 10/10. Likewise, you should stand with your 10/6 against a 10 if the other player holds 5/4/8/3 -- etc.
Once again, this is all to be superseded by counting down the shoe from the get-go.
BTW, all this "3-card-16" and "Rule of 45" stuff assumes you do not count cards. If you do, card counting supersedes everything, since your count knows more about your chances to improve your 16 than just what cards make up your 16.
For that matter, there is another level of playing 16 against a 10 that fits in between the Rule-of-45 and card counting. It's known as "board counting".
In essence, it's an "on-the-spot" freeze-frame snipet of card counting that can tell you a bit better than the Rule-of-45 what to do this time around. When you're dealt 16 against a 10, look around the board and tally up the "babies" (2's thru 5's) and cancel them out against the 10's. If there are more babies on board than 10's -- stand, otherwise hit.
Thus, you should still hit your 8/4/4 against a 10 if there's one other player at the table and he holds 10/10. Likewise, you should stand with your 10/6 against a 10 if the other player holds 5/4/8/3 -- etc.
Once again, this is all to be superseded by counting down the shoe from the get-go.
CSMs are actually somewhat slightly countable, albeit its not at all worth it for profit. They use 4 decks and they usually place a couple rounds of cards in the discard rack before placing then back into the CSM. There will be a few occasions where you can make better playing decisions than if you didn't count at all
Sorry I didn't respond to your request until now but you will note that Renzey posted what you wanted to know right here.
My suggestion to you (being you have BS mastered) is learn to "count" be-
cause as Renzey indicates, that advantage trumps basic strategy here.
This is called indices play and once you become proficient at that you'll find that "the count" changes many typical BS plays to your advantage.
BillyC1
My suggestion to you (being you have BS mastered) is learn to "count" be-
cause as Renzey indicates, that advantage trumps basic strategy here.
This is called indices play and once you become proficient at that you'll find that "the count" changes many typical BS plays to your advantage.
BillyC1