To hit in blackjack means to take another card to add to your hand, in the hope of getting closer to 21 without going over. You can keep hitting until you stand or bust. On slots and roulette the word has a looser meaning: a winning spin, or a number that comes up.
Hitting adds one card to your blackjack hand; you can hit again until you stand or bust.
Basic strategy always hits hard 11 or less (unless doubling) and never hits hard 17 or more.
The dealer has no choice: hit on 16 or less, stand on 17 or more, with a table rule for soft 17.
A dealer who hits soft 17 costs the player about 0.22%.
Blackjack meaning
Take one more card
Always hit
Hard 11 or less, unless doubling
Never hit
Hard 17 or more
Dealer must hit
16 or less
Cost of dealer hitting soft 17
About 0.22%
What hit means in blackjack
In blackjack you choose after the first two cards whether to hit, stand, double down, split or, at some tables, surrender. Hitting is the simplest: the dealer gives you one more card, you add it to your total, and you decide again. If the total goes over 21 you bust and lose straight away, even if the dealer later busts too.
Hitting is not available after a double, because a double gives you exactly one card. Split aces usually receive only one card each as well. The full set of actions is covered in how to play blackjack, and the term sits in our casino glossary.
The slot and roulette uses are informal. A number that ‘hits’ twice is no more or less likely next spin: each spin is an independent event. Online slots show their RTP in the help screen; check there rather than relying on how often a game seems to hit.
The dealer never chooses. Under standard rules the dealer draws on 16 or less and stands on 17 or more. Tables differ on soft 17: at some the dealer stands, at others the dealer hits. The Wizard of Odds blackjack basics (opens in a new tab) treat standing on soft 17 as standard, and the rule-variation tables value a hitting dealer at a 0.22% cost to the player.
Worked example: at £20 a hand, 0.22% is about 4.4p extra per hand on average, or £4.40 over 100 hands. Small per hand, but it sits on top of every other rule. Our page on the dealer soft 17 rule compares the two set-ups.
How to hit in live, online and land-based blackjack
Online RNG or live: press the ‘Hit’ button within the decision timer.
Land-based: tap the table behind your cards, or point; dealers rely on the signal for camera records.
Check the new total, remembering an ace can drop from 11 to 1.
Hit again or stand; if you bust, your bet is taken at once.
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Frequently asked questions
What does hit mean in blackjack?
Hit means asking the dealer for one more card to add to your hand. You can hit as many times as you like until you stand or your total goes over 21, which is a bust and loses immediately. You cannot hit after doubling, and split aces normally get one card each. Our blackjack rules page explains every action in order.
When should you always hit in blackjack?
You should always hit a hard total of 11 or less unless basic strategy tells you to double. Those hands cannot bust on one card, so standing turns down a card that cannot hurt you. You should also hit hard 13 to 16 against a dealer 7 or higher. Our blackjack basic strategy guide lists every hand.
Should you hit on soft 17?
Yes, basic strategy never stands on soft 17 (ace-6): it hits, or doubles against a dealer 3 to 6 where allowed. The ace can drop from 11 to 1, so one more card cannot bust you, and a total of 17 is easily matched or beaten by the dealer. See our soft hands page for every soft total.
Does the dealer have to hit on 16?
Yes, the dealer must hit 16 or less and stand on 17 or more under standard rules, with no choice at all. The only variation is soft 17, where some tables make the dealer hit and others make the dealer stand. A hitting dealer costs players about 0.22%. Our page on why the dealer wins ties explains where else the house gets its edge.
What is the hand signal for hit?
The usual signal for hit at a land-based table is tapping the felt behind your cards or pointing at them. Casinos use hand signals so there is a clear record on camera. Online and live tables use a ‘Hit’ button instead, with a timer for each decision. Our guide to online vs live blackjack compares the two formats.
What does hit mean on a slot machine?
On slots, a hit is any spin that returns a win, whether it is smaller or larger than your stake. How often that happens is the hit frequency, but it says nothing about the size of wins or the game’s RTP. UK slots must not celebrate a return that is less than or equal to your stake. Our page on hit frequency explains the difference.
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