13 vs 2 in Blackjack – What’s the Best Strategy?

Knowing what to do in a 13 vs. 2 blackjack situation can be a little tricky. In the case of a soft hand (Ace plus 2) against the dealer’s 2 upcard, you can simply hit. There’s barely any risk of going over 21 in this situation since you can count your ace as 1 instead of 11. However, in the case of a hard hand (no ace), the player is in a tight spot.

If you choose to stand, you’re banking on the dealer going bust. For this to happen, the dealer has to draw high-value cards in a row in addition to the upcard. Generally, you have to weigh the chances of this happening against the chance of you improving your hands from your starting point of 13.

Generally, if you choose to hit, the odds of you winning are approximately 32%. However, the odds of playing a losing hand is 63%. Should you choose to stand with 13, your odds of winning are slightly higher (35%), while the odds of losing is about 65%.

At the end of the day, it’s a close call between standing and hitting in a 13 vs. 2 situation. In terms of basic blackjack strategy, standing does give you a slight edge, which is why we would recommend this action instead of hitting.