Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart

 

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The most important thing to know about blackjack is the basic strategy. This strategy is simply the best way to play every possible situation. The Basic Blackjack Strategy, has been developed by Black Jack Experts and Mathematicians trying to find a way to beat the house. Using this strategy gives the player the best odds against the house, which means that you can play on nearly even terms with the house. It will help you to make your decision about when to hit and when to stand.

The Basic Strategy Chart below is optimized for the typical rules found at online casinos (4 or more decks, dealer stands on Soft 17*). Although there are rule variations, this strategy can be played effectively under any rules. Blackjack rule variations can have an effect on some borderline situations. The most flexible blackjack rules are the number of decks used, whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17, and whether double down is allowed after splitting a hand.

Please note that it is impossible to beat the house in the long term by using this strategy alone, but by playing according to this blackjack chart you minimize the casinos edge – almost to break even and thereby maximizing your chances of winning at blackjack. We stronlgy recommend to use the Basic Blackjack Strategy, when you play Blackjack at an online casino.

* In blackjack, any hand that contains an ace counted as eleven is called a soft hand. E.g. a Soft 17 is an Ace and a 6.

Basic Blackjack Strategy Table

(optimized for typical rules found at online casinos: 4 or more
decks, dealer stands on Soft 17)

Here are some strategies. No matter what the dealer’s upward is:

  • Always split a pair of aces.
  • Always split a pair of 8′s.
  • Always stand on 17 and up (except on Soft Hands).
  • Never take insurance, even if you have a Blackjack.
    Read more about that below.
  Dealer’s Up Card
  2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace
Your Hand
5, 6, 7, 8 H H H H H H H H H H
9 H D D D D H H H H H
10 D D D D D D D D H H
11 D D D D D D D D D H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
13 S S S S S H H H H H
14 S S S S S H H H H H
15 S S S S S H H H H/R H
16 S S S S S H H H/R H/R H/R
17, 18, 19, 20 S S S S S S S S S S
 
Ace, 2 H H H D D H H H H H
Ace, 3 H H H D D H H H H H
Ace, 4 H H D D D H H H H H
Ace, 5 H H D D D H H H H H
Ace, 6 H D D D D H H H H H
Ace, 7 S D D D D S S H H H
Ace, 8 S S S S S S S S S S
Ace, 9 S S S S S S S S S S
 
Ace-Ace SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
2-2 H/SP H/SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
3-3 H/SP H/SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
4-4 H H H H/SP H/SP H H H H H
5-5 D D D D D D D D H H
6-6 H/SP SP SP SP SP H H H H H
7-7 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
8-8 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
9-9 SP SP SP SP SP S SP SP S S
10-10 S S S S S S S S S S
 
  H=Hit,
S=Stand, D=Double Down, SP=Split
H/R=Surrender if allowed, otherwise Hit
H/SP=Split if allowed to double afterwards, otherwise
Hit


Insurance

Never take insurance, even if you have a blackjack. The following table shows the house edge on the insurance bet depending on the number of decks used.

House Edge on Insurance
Number
of Decks		 House
Edge
1 5.882%
2 6.796%
4 7.246%
6 7.395%
8 7.470%
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