Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

Basic strategy tells you the best move for every blackjack hand: find your hand on the left, the dealer’s up card across the top, and play the letter where they meet. This chart is for 6 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split and late surrender, the same rules as our free blackjack table.

H Hit S Stand D Double (hit if you can’t) Ds Double (stand if you can’t) P Split R Surrender (hit if you can’t)

How to read the chart

Check for a pair first. If your two cards match, use the Pairs table. A pair you shouldn’t split, like 10,10, is played as its total.
Then check for a soft hand. An ace counted as 11 makes a soft total: ace and 6 is soft 17. Use the Soft totals table.
Everything else is a hard total. Add up your cards and use the Hard totals table.
After a hit, re-read the chart. Doubling and surrender only apply to your first two cards, so follow the fallback in the key.

Hard totals
You	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
5–8	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	R	H
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	R	R	R
17+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Soft totals (hands with an ace counted as 11)
You	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,2	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,6	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,7	S	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	S	S	H	H	H
A,8	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Pairs
You	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
6,6	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
5,5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
3,3	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
2,2	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H

Practice it in the trainer

The plays most players get wrong

Standing on 12 against a 2 or 3. It feels safe, but hitting loses less. Stand on 12 only against 4, 5 and 6.
Not doubling soft hands. Ace and 7 (soft 18) is a double against 3 through 6, and a hit against 9, 10 or an ace.
Standing on 16 against a 10. Surrender if you can; otherwise hit.
Splitting 10s. Twenty is a winning hand. Keep it.
Not splitting 8s. Sixteen is the worst total in the game. Two hands starting with 8 are far better.
Taking insurance. Basic strategy never takes it.

Why basic strategy works

Basic strategy was first calculated by four mathematicians in 1956 and later confirmed by computer simulations of billions of hands. It does not guarantee wins. It gives the move that loses the least over time, which brings the house edge under these rules down to well under 1%.

Rules change the chart slightly. If a dealer hits soft 17, or surrender isn’t offered, a few cells change. The plays above hold at almost every table.

Basic strategy FAQ

Is using a strategy chart allowed at a casino?

Most casinos let players use a basic strategy card at the table. Card counting is a different technique, and casinos can ask counters to leave.

How long does it take to learn?

Most players learn the hard totals in an evening. Soft hands and pairs take a few sessions. Practice 20 minutes a day in the trainer and aim for 95% accuracy.

Does basic strategy beat the casino?

No. It keeps the house edge as low as possible, but the casino keeps a small advantage. Blitz is free to play for fun and learning only.