Blackjack basic strategy chart
Pick the table rules: whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17, whether you can double after splitting and whether late surrender is offered. The three tables (hard totals, soft totals and pairs) show the basic-strategy play for each of your hands against each dealer up-card. The chart is for shoes of 4 to 8 decks where the dealer checks for blackjack.
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How to read the chart
- Set the rules shown on the table felt or in the rules card.
- Find your hand: a pair in the pairs table, a hand with an ace counted as 11 in the soft table, anything else in the hard table.
- Read across to the column of the dealer’s up-card.
- Follow the letter: H hit, S stand, D or Ds double, P split, Rh, Rs or Rp surrender. The legend says what to do when a double or surrender is not allowed at that moment.
How the chart is built
The base chart is the standard one for 4–8 decks, dealer standing on soft 17, double after split allowed. Each rule switch then changes only the cells known to change for it: H17 adds the three doubles above; no double after split narrows the small-pair splits; late surrender adds surrender on hard 16 against 9, 10 and ace and hard 15 against 10 (plus three more cells with H17). Ten-value pairs are never split; A,A and 8,8 always are, except that with H17 and surrender 8,8 against an ace is surrendered.
Example
You hold 10 and 6 (hard 16), the dealer shows a 10. With late surrender the cell says Rh: give up half the bet. Where surrender is not offered, hit. Against a dealer 6, the same 16 is S: stand and let the dealer risk busting.
Tips
- Soft hands are where most players go wrong: A,7 (soft 18) is not always a stand; against 9, 10 and ace hit it.
- Never take insurance with basic strategy: it is a side bet that the dealer has blackjack and loses money over time.
- Print the page or keep it on your phone where rules allow; many casinos tolerate a strategy card at the table.
Frequently asked questions
What is basic strategy?
The play with the best expected result for each combination of your hand and the dealer's up-card, worked out by computer over all possible remaining cards. It does not use card counting, so it is the same every hand of the shoe.
What changes when the dealer hits soft 17?
With these rules the chart doubles 11 against an ace, doubles soft 18 against a 2 and soft 19 against a 6 (standing if a double is not allowed). With late surrender it also surrenders 15 and 17 against an ace and 8,8 against an ace.
What if I cannot double after splitting?
Splitting small pairs is then less useful: 2,2 and 3,3 are split only against 4 to 7, 4,4 is never split, and 6,6 is split only against 3 to 6.
Does basic strategy beat the casino?
No. It lowers the house edge to its minimum for the rules, but the edge stays with the casino. Rules matter too: a table paying 6:5 for a blackjack costs the player far more than any of the options here.
Why do I hit 12 against a 2 or 3?
Because the dealer showing a 2 or 3 still makes a hand often enough that standing on 12 loses more than the risk of busting. Against 4, 5 and 6 the dealer busts more often, so you stand.