Updated 2026-07-30 · 8 decks · S17 · DAS · methodology

Hard 10 vs dealer 8: the verdict

Q: Hit or stand on hard 10 against a dealer 8?

Basic strategy says Double. A genuine coin-flip — the gap is under half a cent per $1. Your chance of winning with the best play is about 53.5% (push 7.4%). Full EV math for every action is in the table above.

DOUBLE

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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Related spots

10 against other dealer cards:

vs 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5 vs 6 vs 7 vs 9 vs 10 vs Ace

Other key hands vs a dealer 8:

16 vs 8 12 vs 8 15 vs 8 soft 18 vs 8 8,8 vs 8

Frequently asked

Do you double on 10 against a dealer 8?

Yes — double is the basic-strategy play for Hard 10 vs 8 (EV +0.287 per $1). Hit is the second-best option at +0.198.

What are the odds of winning with 10 vs 8?

Playing it correctly (double), you win 53.5% of hands, push 7.4% and lose 39.1%.

Is it the same if the dealer hits soft 17?

Yes — under H17 rules the verdict is still double.

Hit or stand on hard 10 against a dealer 8?

Basic strategy says Double. A genuine coin-flip — the gap is under half a cent per $1. Your chance of winning with the best play is about 53.5% (push 7.4%). Full EV math for every action is in the table above.