Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

Basic strategy is the mathematically proven best play for every possible blackjack hand against every dealer up-card. It is not a betting system and it is not counting cards - it is simply the single decision, worked out by computer over billions of hands, that loses the least money in each situation. Learn it and the house edge on a good game drops to around half a percent, the best odds in the casino.

The chart below is for the most common ruleset: six decks, the dealer standing on soft 17, doubling allowed on any two cards, and double-after-split permitted - exactly what our Classic and Vegas Strip tables use. Find your hand on the left, read across to the dealer's up-card along the top, and make that play. When surrender is not offered, treat "surrender" cells as a hit.

Stand Hit Double (else hit) Split Surrender (else hit)
Hard totals (no ace, or ace counted as 1)
Your hand2345678910A
17+SSSSSSSSSS
16SSSSSHHRRH
15SSSSSHHHRH
14SSSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
12HHSSSHHHHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
10DDDDDDDDHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
5-8HHHHHHHHHH
Soft totals (a hand with an ace counted as 11)
Your hand2345678910A
A,9 (20)SSSSSSSSSS
A,8 (19)SSSSSSSSSS
A,7 (18)SDDDDSSHHH
A,6 (17)HDDDDHHHHH
A,5 (16)HHDDDHHHHH
A,4 (15)HHDDDHHHHH
A,3 (14)HHHDDHHHHH
A,2 (13)HHHDDHHHHH
Pairs (splitting decisions)
Your pair2345678910A
A,APPPPPPPPPP
10,10SSSSSSSSSS
9,9PPPPPSPPSS
8,8PPPPPPPPPP
7,7PPPPPPHHHH
6,6PPPPPHHHHH
5,5DDDDDDDDHH
4,4HHHPPHHHHH
3,3PPPPPPHHHH
2,2PPPPPPHHHH

How to read the chart

The left column is your hand; the top row is the dealer's face-up card. Where they meet is your move:

  • Stand (S) - take no more cards.
  • Hit (H) - draw another card.
  • Double (D) - double your bet and take exactly one card. If doubling is not allowed, hit instead.
  • Split (P) - split the pair into two hands. Always split aces and eights; never split tens or fives.
  • Surrender (R) - give up half your bet on the worst hands. If surrender is not offered at your table, hit instead.

The rules of thumb, if you forget the chart

  1. Always split aces and eights. Never split tens (a made 20) or fives (double the 10 instead).
  2. Stand on any hard 17 or more. Stand on hard 12 to 16 when the dealer shows 2 to 6; otherwise hit.
  3. Double an 11 against almost anything, and a 10 against a dealer 2 to 9.
  4. Hit soft 17 (Ace-6) or below; a soft 18 stands against 2 to 8 but is not strong enough to stand against 9, 10 or Ace.
  5. Never take insurance or even money. It is a side bet that loses over time.
  6. Surrender hard 16 against a 9, 10 or Ace, and hard 15 against a 10, if the table allows it.

Why basic strategy works

The dealer has no choices - the house drone must draw to 17 and stand. You do have choices, and basic strategy squeezes every fraction of a percent out of them by weighing your bust risk against the dealer's. A dealer showing a 5 or 6 busts more than 40% of the time, which is why you stand on stiff totals and double your good ones there. A dealer showing a 10 rarely busts, so you keep drawing until you can compete. Follow the chart on every hand and, on a 3:2 game, you will face a house edge of roughly 0.5%.

When the chart changes

This chart assumes six decks and the dealer standing on soft 17. A few games shift the correct play:

  • Single-Deck and dealer-hits-soft-17 games move a handful of doubles and stands - see that game's page for its tweaks.
  • European no-hole-card rules make you avoid doubling and splitting into a dealer 10 or Ace.
  • Spanish 21, Blackjack Switch and Double Exposure each need their own chart, explained on their pages.

Want a copy for the table? Open the printable strategy chart, or brush up on the terms in the blackjack glossary.

Practice makes it automatic. The fastest way to memorize the chart is to play a lot of hands.