Blackjack Basic Strategy — Complete Chart & Guide

Basic strategy is a complete set of rules that tells you the mathematically optimal play for every possible blackjack hand against every possible dealer upcard. It was derived through computer simulation of hundreds of millions of hands and is the foundation that every serious blackjack player builds on.

Without basic strategy the house edge is typically 2-4% depending on your decisions. With perfect basic strategy the house edge drops to approximately 0.5% in a standard 6-deck game. That is an enormous difference over thousands of hands.

    🃏 The Golden Rules — Never Break These
    Always split Aces and 8s — no exceptions
Never split 10s or 5s — ever
Never take insurance — the house edge on insurance is ~6%
Always stand on hard 17 or higher
Double 11 against dealer 2-10
Double 10 against dealer 2-9
Surrender hard 16 vs dealer 9, 10, or Ace
Surrender hard 15 vs dealer 10

  

Hard Totals Strategy

A hard total is any hand without an Ace counting as 11, or a hand where the Ace must count as 1 to avoid busting. These are the most common hands you will face.

Your Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
8 or less	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	Su	H
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	Su	Su	Su
17+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

H = Hit · S = Stand · D = Double (or Hit) · Su = Surrender (or Hit)

Soft Totals Strategy

A soft total is any hand containing an Ace counting as 11. Soft hands give you more flexibility because you can never bust by taking one card.

Your Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,2 (13)	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3 (14)	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4 (15)	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5 (16)	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,6 (17)	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,7 (18)	DS	D	D	D	D	S	S	H	H	H
A,8 (19)	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,9 (20)	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

DS = Double or Stand if double not allowed

Pairs Strategy

When you are dealt two cards of the same value you have the option to split them into two separate hands, each with its own bet equal to your original. Knowing when to split is one of the highest-value decisions in blackjack.

Your Pair	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
2,2	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
3,3	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
5,5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
6,6	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P

P = Split · H = Hit · D = Double · S = Stand

Table Rules That Affect Basic Strategy

Basic strategy changes slightly depending on the rules at your specific table. Here are the most important rule variations and how they affect the house edge:

Rule	Effect on House Edge
Blackjack pays 3:2	Standard — always play 3:2 tables
Blackjack pays 6:5	+1.4% to house — avoid these tables
Dealer stands on soft 17	−0.2% better for player
Dealer hits soft 17	+0.2% to house
Double after split allowed	−0.14% better for player
Surrender allowed	−0.08% better for player
6 decks	Standard multi-deck game
Single deck	−0.6% better for player

Practice Basic Strategy With Hints

Count Kingz shows you the correct basic strategy play for every hand with a strategy hint toggle. Learn by playing — the fastest way to memorize the chart.

🃏 Practice Free at Count Kingz →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a strategy card at the casino?

Yes — casinos in most jurisdictions legally allow players to reference a printed basic strategy card at the table. The edge is so small that casinos do not mind. You can print a wallet-sized strategy card and use it openly at most Vegas and Atlantic City tables.

Why do I sometimes lose even when I play perfect basic strategy?

Basic strategy minimizes the house edge but does not eliminate it. Even with perfect play the house still has approximately a 0.5% edge in a standard 6-deck game. Short term variance means you will still have losing sessions. Basic strategy is a long-run strategy — it shows its value over thousands of hands not individual sessions.

Does basic strategy change for different numbers of decks?

Yes, slightly. The strategy chart on this page is optimized for 6-deck blackjack which is the most common format. Some decisions change in single-deck or double-deck games. The differences are minor but worth knowing if you regularly play those formats.

Blackjack Basic Strategy —Complete Guide