To keep your current hand and take no more cards in blackjack.
Standing means you're satisfied with your hand and don't want any more cards. The dealer then plays their hand according to house rules (typically hitting on 16 or below and standing on 17 or above).
Knowing when to stand is just as important as knowing when to hit. The most critical standing decisions include: standing on hard 17+ (always), standing on 12-16 when the dealer shows 2-6 (with some exceptions for 12 vs. 2 or 3), and standing on soft 19 or higher.
In casinos, you signal a stand by waving your hand over your cards (palm down). In face-up games, this is the standard gesture.
You hold 8-8-5 (21 after a hit? no — 21 total). Better example: you hold Q-6 against a dealer 5 at a Harrahs New Orleans table. Standing is correct even though 16 is a weak total, because dealer 5 busts roughly 42% of the time. Hitting 16 vs 5 loses -34 cents per dollar; standing loses only -15 cents per dollar.
Stand on hard 17 or higher, always. Stand on 12-16 against a dealer 2-6 (except 12 vs 2 and 12 vs 3, which hit). Stand on soft 19 and above, always. The single biggest stand mistake recreational players make is hitting hard 17 hoping for a small card — the 46% chance of busting dwarfs any upside. Wave your hand horizontally over the cards to signal stand; no verbal calls.
<p>You hold <strong>8-8-5 (21 after a hit? no — 21 total)</strong>. Better example: you hold <strong>Q-6 against a dealer 5</strong> at a Harrahs New Orleans table. Standing is correct even though 16 is a weak total, because dealer 5 busts roughly 42% of the time. Hitting 16 vs 5 loses -34 cents per dollar; standing loses only -15 cents per dollar.</p><p>Stand on <strong>hard 17 or higher, always</strong>. Stand on <strong>12-16 against a dealer 2-6</strong> (except 12 vs 2 and 12 vs 3, which hit). Stand on soft 19 and above, always. The single biggest stand mistake recreational players make is hitting hard 17 hoping for a small card — the 46% chance of busting dwarfs any upside. Wave your hand horizontally over the cards to signal stand; no verbal calls.</p>
To keep your current hand and take no more cards in blackjack.
<p>You hold <strong>8-8-5 (21 after a hit? no — 21 total)</strong>. Better example: you hold <strong>Q-6 against a dealer 5</strong> at a Harrahs New Orleans table. Standing is correct even though 16 is a weak total, because dealer 5 busts roughly 42% of the time. Hitting 16 vs 5 loses -34 cents per dollar; standing loses only -15 cents per dollar.</p><p>Stand on <strong>hard 17 or higher, always</strong>. Stand on <strong>12-16 against a dealer 2-6</strong> (except 12 vs 2 and 12 vs 3, which hit). Stand on soft 19 and above, always. The single biggest stand mistake recreational players make is hitting hard 17 hoping for a small card — the 46% chance of busting dwarfs any upside. Wave your hand horizontally over the cards to signal stand; no verbal calls.</p>
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