Originally Posted by
slingshot
Hit. The dealer is at advantage.
My reference above was sort of baiting Tasha into the wrong answer with the "flow of the cards comment".
If you are not counting cards and have no further information about the remaining cards (or the next card), then mathematically "hit" is the best option.
If you are counting, "hit" is the best option up until a TC of about +3 (hi-lo or equivalent) at which standing becomes the best option. It becomes the best option not only mathematically, but also you don't want to take unnecessary hits in +EV situations. So on borderline plays, you might want to not take a hit just to preserve cards. Not hitting 1 or 2 cards may allow for an extra round at your max bet +EV situation and that is worth far more than the few cents that a borderline hit is worth.
And finally on some of these borderline plays, like 12 vs 2, 12 vs 3, 16 vs 10 it is best play the same hands the same all the time rather than hit sometimes and stand others according to the count. There is a very minimal cost to this but a bigger reward in terms of longevity. There is a strategy known as "card counters basic strategy", in which you determine the correct play at TC's of say +3 or more and always play it that way. That way you are playing the hand correctly when your bigger bets are out and incorrectly at a very meniscal cost when your minimum bet is out, but always playing the same avoiding a huge card counter "tell". The insurance decision also falls into this card counters basic strategy.