Updated 2026-07-22 · 8 decks · S17 · DAS · methodology
5,5 (pair of 5s) vs dealer 7: the verdict
The verdict is double. Against a dealer 7, this hand is strong enough to put double the money on the table.
The numbers
| Action | Win | Push | Lose | EV per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double | 56.1% | 7.5% | 36.4% | +0.392 |
| Hit | 57.8% | 10.0% | 32.1% | +0.257 |
| Split* | 39.4% | 8.3% | 52.3% | −0.192 |
| Stand | 26.2% | 0.0% | 73.8% | −0.475 |
* win/push/lose shown per split hand; EV covers both hands per one initial bet.
Why double is correct
Doubling wins almost exactly as often as hitting (56.1% vs 57.8%) — the difference is you have twice the money riding on a favorable spot. Against a dealer 7 (bust chance 26.2%), that extra bet is the whole point: EV +0.392 doubled beats +0.257 hit.
For context, a dealer 7 finishes on 17–20 about 66.4% of the time, on 21 7.4%, and busts 26.2%. 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 $339 per 100 such hands at $25 a hand (−0.136 EV per dollar). The genuinely expensive error here is stand: −0.868 per dollar, or roughly $2169 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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5,5 against other dealer cards:
Other key hands vs a dealer 7: