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Blackjack basic strategy chart

Blackjack basic strategy tells you the best play for every hand: hit, stand, double or split, based on your cards and the dealer's up card. Choose your two cards below to see the right move, or read the full chart for 4 to 8 decks with doubling after splits allowed.

Check your hand

HitHard total 16 against a dealer 10.

H Hit S Stand D Double, else hit Ds Double, else stand P Split

Hard totals

You2345678910A
17+SSSSSSSSSS
16SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHHH
14SSSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
12HHSSSHHHHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
10DDDDDDDDHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
5-8HHHHHHHHHH

Soft totals (with an ace)

You2345678910A
A,9SSSSSSSSSS
A,8SSSSSSSSSS
A,7SDsDsDsDsSSHHH
A,6HDDDDHHHHH
A,5HHDDDHHHHH
A,4HHDDDHHHHH
A,3HHHDDHHHHH
A,2HHHDDHHHHH

Pairs

You2345678910A
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

Find your hand on the left and the dealer's visible card along the top. Use the pairs table when your first two cards are the same, the soft table when you hold an ace that can still count as 11, and the hard table for everything else. After you take a card, look up your new total.

"Double" means doubling your bet for exactly one more card. Where doubling is not allowed, for example after three cards, follow the fallback: hit for D, stand for Ds.

The rules this chart assumes

Four to eight decks, the dealer peeks for blackjack, doubling on any first two cards and after a split, no surrender. These are the most common rules in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and online live tables. Single-deck games and tables that pay 6 to 5 on a blackjack change the maths: a 6 to 5 payout alone adds about 1.4 percentage points to the house edge.

What basic strategy can and cannot do

Played perfectly, basic strategy brings the house edge down to around 0.5% under these rules, one of the lowest of any casino game (see our best odds ranking). It is still a house edge: over time the casino wins. Only card counting can tilt the odds, and casinos are entitled to refuse players who do it. Read how card counting works.

Frequently asked questions

What is blackjack basic strategy?

Basic strategy is the mathematically best way to play every blackjack hand, based only on your cards and the dealer's up card. It was worked out by computer simulation and cuts the house edge to roughly half a per cent under common rules. It does not make the game beatable on its own.

Should I ever take insurance?

No, not under basic strategy. Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has blackjack, and it pays 2 to 1 while the true odds are worse than that unless you are counting cards. Over time it costs you money.

Why should I always split aces and eights?

Two aces make a soft 12, a weak hand, while each ace on its own is a strong start. A pair of eights makes 16, the worst total in the game, and two hands starting on 8 lose less on average than one 16.

Does the chart change if the dealer hits soft 17?

Slightly. When the dealer hits soft 17 you double 11 against an ace, double soft 19 against a 6 and double soft 18 against a 2. Use the switch above the chart to see both versions.

Is using a strategy chart allowed in a casino?

Generally yes. Many casinos allow a printed basic strategy card at the table, and some gift shops sell them. Electronic devices that count cards are a different matter and are illegal in Nevada and other states.

Last checked 5 October 2026.