12 vs 3 in Blackjack – What’s the Best Strategy?

In a 12 vs. 3 blackjack situation, the right strategy is to hit. When you have a hard 12, and the dealer has 2 as his upcard, hitting is always a good strategy because you have a slightly higher chance of winning than losing.

If you choose to stand, the only way you win is if the dealer exceeds 21 by getting 2 high-value cards in a row. The dealer will only burst 37.4% of the time. If this doesn’t happen, then the dealer ends up with high-value cards, which could be 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21. It means you’ll almost definitely lose since you have decided to stick with 13 cards.

Although there’s a good chance of exceeding 21 if you hit, the chances of this happening are still slightly less than the chances of improving your hands. You could get a 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, which gives you a very good chance of winning against the dealer.

The chance here is even higher in blackjack games, where the dealer has to stand at 17. If you choose to hit, you only burst if you land any of the four 10 cards (K, Q, J, 10). Based on this probability, the best blackjack strategy is to hit because it has a slightly higher chance of winning.