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

Hard 13 vs dealer Ace: the verdict

Q: Hit or stand on hard 13 against an ace?

Basic strategy says Hit. A genuine coin-flip — the gap is under half a cent per $1. Your chance of winning with the best play is about 26.1% (push 8.0%). Full EV math for every action is in the table above.

HIT

Basic strategy says hit. Against a dealer Ace, drawing another card carries the best expectation for hard 13.

The numbers

Action	Win	Push	Lose	EV per $1
Hit	26.1%	8.0%	65.8%	−0.397
Stand	16.7%	0.0%	83.3%	−0.667
Double	24.8%	6.4%	68.8%	−0.881

Why hit is correct

Standing here wins only when the dealer busts, and a dealer showing Ace busts just 16.7% of the time — the other 83.3% they make a hand and your total loses on its own. Hitting risks going over, but the math nets out ahead: 26.1% wins versus 16.7% for standing, and a better expected value overall.

For context, a dealer Ace finishes on 17–20 about 75.6% of the time, on 21 7.8%, and busts 16.7%. 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 stand instead of hit costs about $675 per 100 such hands at $25 a hand (−0.270 EV per dollar). The genuinely expensive error here is double: −0.484 per dollar, or roughly $1209 per 100 hands at the same stakes.

Does the rule set change it?

No — hit 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

13 against other dealer cards:

vs 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5 vs 6 vs 7 vs 8 vs 9 vs 10

Other key hands vs a dealer Ace:

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

Frequently asked

Do you hit on 13 against a dealer Ace?

Yes — hit is the basic-strategy play for Hard 13 vs Ace (EV −0.397 per $1). Stand is the second-best option at −0.667.

What are the odds of winning with 13 vs Ace?

Playing it correctly (hit), you win 26.1% of hands, push 8.0% and lose 65.8%.

Is it the same if the dealer hits soft 17?

Yes — under H17 rules the verdict is still hit.

Hit or stand on hard 13 against an ace?

Basic strategy says Hit. A genuine coin-flip — the gap is under half a cent per $1. Your chance of winning with the best play is about 26.1% (push 8.0%). Full EV math for every action is in the table above.