Blackjack Theorem
Hands

Hard 10 vs Dealer A: Hit or Stand?

Best play (6-deck, S17, DAS): Hit

You hold a hard 10 (no ace counted as 11) and the dealer shows an Ace. Below is the correct basic-strategy decision computed by the Blackjack Theorem engine, and how it shifts with the table rules.

Where this sits in the chartSee the full chart →
Hard910A
9HHH
10DhHH
11DhDhH

Dealer upcard across the top. The outlined cell is the hand on this page.

…until the count reaches +4

Hit is correct with a neutral shoe. If you count cards, the play flips to double at a true count of +4 or higher.

HitTC +3 and below
DoubleTC +4 and up
Expected value per unit bet, neutral shoe
Hit8.27%
Double-0.83%
Stand-66.57%
Difference9.09 pts

The two plays are 9.09 points apart with a neutral shoe. That is a wide enough margin that it takes a true count of +4 — a genuinely ten-rich shoe — to close it.

Computed by the engine for a full six-deck shoe. The true-count column comes from the same count-dependent table that powers the strategy charts.

By the rules

Table rulesCorrect play
6-Deck · S17 · DASH Hit
6-Deck · H17 · DASH Hit
6-Deck · S17 · DAS · SurrenderH Hit
2-Deck · S17 · DASH Hit
8-Deck · H17 · DASH Hit
See the full chart and long-run results for your table.
Open the free blackjack simulator →Drill this hand →

FAQ

Should you hit or stand on hard 10 against a A?

The mathematically correct play is: hit. This is for 6-deck, dealer stands on soft 17, DAS. It can change with other rules (see the table).

Does the dealer hitting soft 17 change hard 10 vs A?

It can. The table above shows the play under both S17 and H17 so you can match your exact table.

Does the count change the correct play on hard 10 vs A?

Yes. With a neutral shoe the play is hit, and it flips to double at a true count of +4 or higher. The two plays sit 9.09 points apart at a full six-deck shoe, which is why a modest change in the count is enough to reverse them.