Updated 2026-07-22 · 8 decks · S17 · DAS · methodology
Hard 10 vs dealer 8: the verdict
Basic strategy says double. Against a dealer 8, this hand is strong enough to put double the money on the table.
The numbers
| Action | Win | Push | Lose | EV per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double | 53.5% | 7.4% | 39.1% | +0.287 |
| Hit | 54.9% | 10.0% | 35.1% | +0.198 |
| Stand | 24.5% | 0.0% | 75.5% | −0.511 |
Why double is correct
Doubling wins almost exactly as often as hitting (53.5% vs 54.9%) — the difference is you have twice the money riding on a favorable spot. Against a dealer 8 (bust chance 24.5%), that extra bet is the whole point: EV +0.287 doubled beats +0.198 hit.
For context, a dealer 8 finishes on 17–20 about 68.6% of the time, on 21 6.9%, and busts 24.5%. Those dealer outcomes are the same no matter what you hold — the whole game is choosing the action whose distribution fits them best.
What the mistake costs
Choosing hit instead of double costs about $222 per 100 such hands at $25 a hand (−0.089 EV per dollar). The genuinely expensive error here is stand: −0.797 per dollar, or roughly $1993 per 100 hands at the same stakes.
Does the rule set change it?
No — double holds across every common configuration: Vegas Strip, Atlantic City with late surrender, H17 games and European no-hole-card tables all agree here.
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10 against other dealer cards:
Other key hands vs a dealer 8: