Visual Guide

Blackjack Chart

A blackjack chart, also called a basic strategy chart, is a lookup table. Your hand is on the left. The dealer's upcard is along the top. The cell where they meet is the play with the best expected value for that spot.

The charts on this page are the same ones used in our trainer: multi-deck, dealer stands on 17, blackjack pays 3 to 2. Follow them and you cut the house edge to about 0.5%. H17, Spanish 21, Switch, Free Bet, Double Exposure, Double Attack, Pontoon, and single-deck have their own charts in the menu below.

Practice with the trainerRead blackjack odds

How to read a blackjack chart

Start with the type of hand, not the total. If you were dealt a pair, use the pairs chart. If you have an ace still counting as 11, use the soft chart. Otherwise use hard totals. Using the hard chart on ace-7 is the most common reading mistake.

The dealer row is the upcard only: 2 through 10, then ace. A dealer king, queen, or jack is the 10 column. After you find the cell, play that action if the table allows it. If it does not, use the fallback in the legend: D becomes hit, DS becomes stand, Rh becomes hit.

The chart is computed from expected value, not from what feels safe. That is why you hit some 16s, double some soft 18s, and split 8s against a 10. Those plays lose often in the moment and still lose less money over time than the alternatives.

Basic strategy charts

These tables use the same basic-strategy data as the trainer. On a phone, switch Hard, Soft, and Pairs with the tabs. Soft rows are labeled A2 for ace-plus-2, and TT is a pair of tens. Hard 18 through 21 always stand.

  • HHit
  • SStand
  • DDouble, else hit
  • DSDouble, else stand
  • PSplit
  • RhSurrender, else hit
Hard totals
2345678910A
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

The three charts, and why they are separate

The same total is not always the same hand. Hard 18, soft 18, and a pair of 9s are three different decisions.

Hard totals
No ace is counting as 11. Hard 12-16 are stiffs: hitting can bust you, standing can lose to a made dealer total. The chart stands on 12-16 against weak upcards (mostly 4-6) and hits against 7 through ace, with surrender on the worst 15s and 16s.
Soft hands
An ace still counting as 11. You cannot bust with one card, so the chart hits or doubles more often. Soft 18 (A+7) is the hand people stand on too much; against 9, 10, or ace, hitting is correct.
Pairs
Always check pairs before the other charts. Split aces and 8s in every cell. Never split 5s or 10s: 5s play as a hard 10 (double), and 10s are already a strong 20.

How to use the chart at a table

The goal is not to stare at the grid forever. Use it until the common cells are automatic, then keep it as a check.

1

Identify the hand type

Pair, soft, or hard, in that order. Ace-8 is a soft 19, not a pair, unless you were dealt two aces.

2

Read the dealer upcard

Face cards count as 10. The hole card is unknown, which is already priced into the chart.

3

Play the cell, including fallbacks

If you cannot double or surrender, do not invent a third option. D without a double is a hit. Rh without surrender is a hit. DS without a double is a stand.

4

Practice until you do not need the paper

The trainer highlights the correct cell after every decision, using this same chart. That is faster than memorizing from a screenshot.

What a chart is for

  • Choosing the play that loses the least, or wins the most, for this hand against this upcard.
  • Removing guesswork on stiffs, soft 18, and whether to split 9s.
  • Keeping the house edge near 0.5% on a 3 to 2, stand-on-17 game.
  • Giving you a single source of truth so you do not talk yourself into a worse move after a losing streak.

What a chart is not

  • A prediction of the next card, or a way to beat the house on its own.
  • A license to ignore the posted rules. H17, 6 to 5, and no-double-after-split charts are different.
  • A betting system. The chart tells you how to play the cards, not how much to bet.
  • Card counting. Counting changes some stands, hits, and insurance plays after you already know this chart.

When this chart does not apply

Basic strategy is ruleset-specific. This grid is correct for the game we teach: several decks, dealer stands on all 17s, double after split, late surrender on the worst 15s and 16s. H17, no surrender, and restricted doubles move a few cells. Spanish 21, Switch, Free Bet, Double Exposure, Double Attack, and Pontoon are different games — open those charts instead.

Dealer 17
This chart (S17, multi-deck)Dealer stands on soft 17. Some 11s and soft doubles are more aggressive.
What changesIf the dealer hits soft 17, open the H17 chart. 11 vs ace doubles, soft 19 vs 6 doubles else stands, and 15 vs ace resigns.Open the H17 chart
Surrender
This chart (S17, multi-deck)Rh cells: surrender 16 vs 9, 10, and ace, and 15 vs 10, when the table allows it.
What changesNo surrender: play those cells as hits. Do not stand just because surrender is missing.
Doubling
This chart (S17, multi-deck)D and DS assume you may double the first two cards, including after a split.
What changesIf doubling is restricted, take the fallback (hit for D, stand for DS) instead of skipping the hand type.
Number of decks
This chart (S17, multi-deck)Built for a multi-deck shoe, including our four-deck free game.
What changesUse the single-deck chart for a genuine one-deck game. Do not mix those cells with this grid.Open the single-deck chart
Spanish 21
This chart (S17, multi-deck)This S17 shoe chart does not apply. Spanish 21 removes tens and pays a 21.
What changesOpen the Spanish 21 chart. It is the two-card H17 late-surrender grid. Multi-card 12-17 still hit more.Open the Spanish 21 chart
Blackjack Switch
This chart (S17, multi-deck)This chart does not grade Switch or Keep. Pairs and totals sit on a different grid.
What changesOpen the Switch chart, then use the trainer on Switch so the first decision is Switch or Keep.Open the Switch chart
Double Exposure
This chart (S17, multi-deck)This chart assumes a hidden hole card. Double Exposure shows both dealer cards.
What changesOpen the Double Exposure chart. Columns are dealer totals, not a single upcard.Open the Double Exposure chart
Pontoon
This chart (S17, multi-deck)This S17 shoe grid does not apply. Pontoon forces hits on hard 14 or less.
What changesOpen the Pontoon chart. Twist, stick, and buy sit on that grid.Open the Pontoon chart
Double Attack
This chart (S17, multi-deck)Neither the first-card Attack nor the Spanish deck uses this S17 grid.
What changesOpen the Double Attack chart. Attack or Play first, then the Spanish 21 two-card grid.Open the Double Attack chart
Free Bet
This chart (S17, multi-deck)This chart assumes you pay for doubles and splits, and that a dealer 22 busts.
What changesOpen the Free Bet chart. Take every free double and free split. Dealer 22 pushes.Open the Free Bet chart

Blackjack chart FAQ

Is a blackjack chart the same as a strategy chart?

Yes. People search both names. It is the grid of correct plays for hard totals, soft hands, and pairs against each dealer upcard.

Do I use the hard chart or the soft chart for ace-6?

The soft chart, until the ace is forced down to 1. Ace-6 is a soft 17. If you hit and catch a 10, it becomes a hard 17 and you stop using the soft rows.

Why does the chart tell me to hit 16 against 10?

Because standing loses more. A dealer 10 finishes as a strong total often enough that the extra busts from hitting still cost less than giving up every time. Surrender, when offered, is better than either hit or stand.

Can I use this chart in a casino?

Most places allow a paper or phone chart used quietly. The better outcome is to learn it in the trainer so you are not reading under time pressure. Confirm the table is 3 to 2 and check whether the dealer hits a soft 17.

Why not stand on every 12 or higher?

That feels safe and it is a common way to inflate the house edge. Against 7 through ace the dealer is likely to make a hand, so many stiffs have to hit. Against 4, 5, and 6 the dealer busts often, so those same stiffs stand.

Is this the chart the trainer uses?

Yes. The tables below are the same S17 data as the basic strategy trainer. H17, Spanish 21, Switch, Free Bet, Double Exposure, Double Attack, Pontoon, and single-deck each have their own trainer.

Can I use this chart on Spanish 21 or Switch?

No. Those are different games. Open the Spanish 21, Switch, Double Exposure, Double Attack, or Pontoon chart from the tabs above.

Memorize the chart by playing it

Reading the grid is how you learn what the colors mean. The trainer is how they stick: every hit, stand, double, split, and surrender is checked against this same multi-deck, stand-on-17 chart. Variant charts have their own trainers.

Open the strategy trainer

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