Free tool

Blackjack basic strategy chart.

Find your hand on the left and the dealer's face-up card along the top. Change the rules to match your table, and tap any cell for the reason and what each move is worth.

6 decks · dealer stands on soft 17 · blackjack pays 3:2 · double after split · late surrender. Playing this chart perfectly, the house keeps about 0.43% of what you bet.

H HitS StandD Double, or hit if you can'tDs Double, or standP SplitR Surrender, or hit

Hard totals

You2345678910A
8 or less
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17+

Soft totals (with an ace counting 11)

You2345678910A
A,2
A,3
A,4
A,5
A,6
A,7
A,8
A,9

Pairs

You2345678910A
2,2
3,3
4,4
5,5
6,6
7,7
8,8
9,9
10,10
A,A

Columns are the dealer's face-up card. Tap any cell to see why.

Numbers make more sense at a table.Quiz yourself on the chart

How to read the chart

Find your hand in the left column and the dealer's face-up card along the top. The letter where they meet is the best move. The chart has three blocks. Hard totals have no ace, or an ace that has to count as 1. Soft totals have an ace counting as 11, so A,6 is a soft 17. Pairs are two cards of the same value, and that includes any two ten-value cards.

The letters mean: H hit, S stand, D double (hit if you can't double, for example with three cards), Ds double (stand if you can't double), P split, and R surrender (hit if the table doesn't allow it). Rs and Rp appear in a few cells when the dealer hits soft 17: surrender, or stand or split if you can't.

Rules the chart assumes

The chart opens set for six decks, the dealer standing on all 17s, double after split allowed, late surrender allowed and blackjack paying 3 to 2. You can change the soft 17 rule, surrender, double after split and the blackjack payout above the chart, and every cell is worked out again. The deck count stays at six, and you can split up to four hands.

The soft 17 rule moves the most cells. If the dealer hits soft 17, you double 11 against an ace, double A,7 against a 2, and surrender 15 and 17 against an ace (stand on 17 if you can't surrender). If you can't double after splitting, 2,2 and 3,3 are split only against a 4 through 7, 6,6 only against a 3 through 6, and 4,4 is never split. Without surrender, each R cell falls back to its second move.

Why each cell says what it says

Every cell is the move that wins the most, or loses the least, on average for that hand against that dealer card. Tap a cell to see the reason. To see the numbers behind any hand in full, including how much worse the second-best move is, put it into the blackjack hand calculator and solver.

Questions people ask

What is basic strategy in blackjack?
The best move for every hand against every dealer up-card, worked out by maths. Following it exactly brings the house edge down to about half a percent with good rules.
Does basic strategy change with the rules?
A little. Whether the dealer hits soft 17, whether you can surrender and whether you can double after splitting change a handful of moves. The chart here updates for the rules you pick.
Should I ever take insurance?
No, not with basic strategy. Insurance pays 2 to 1 on something that happens about 4 times in 13, so it loses about 8% of what you put on it. Only card counters take it, when the count is high.
When should I split?
Always split aces and 8s. Never split 10s or 5s. Split 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s and 9s against weak dealer cards; the chart shows exactly which.
When should you split 8s?
Always, against every dealer card. A pair of 8s is a hard 16, the worst hand to play on its own, and two hands that each start on an 8 do better. The one wrinkle is a dealer who hits soft 17 showing an ace: the chart then says surrender if you can, and split if you can't.
Should you hit soft 17?
Yes. A soft 17 is an ace and a 6 (A,6). The chart never stands on it. Against a dealer 3, 4, 5 or 6 you double, or hit if doubling isn't allowed. Against a 2 or a 7 through ace you hit.
When do you double down on 11?
Against a dealer 2 through 10, always. Against a dealer ace it depends on the table: with the dealer standing on soft 17, you hit; if the dealer hits soft 17, you double.
What do you do with 16 against a dealer 10?
Surrender if the table allows it, which is the R on the chart. If it doesn't, hit. Standing on 16 against a 10 loses more in the long run than hitting.
Is it cheating to use a strategy chart?
No. Many casinos even let you look at a card at the table, as long as it doesn't slow the game down.

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