Basic strategy
This page is why the cells look the way they do. The chart is the full grid for hard totals, soft hands, and pairs.
Open the chartWhat blackjack strategy is actually doing
The goal is to beat the dealer, not to make 21. A 13 that the dealer busts against is a win. A 20 that loses to a 21 is a loss. Strategy prices both of those outcomes, plus every total in between, for the upcard you can see.
You have options the dealer does not. You can stand, hit, double, split, and sometimes surrender. The dealer hits or stands on a fixed rule. That asymmetry is why some stiffs stand and others hit: you are playing the dealer's constraints, not a target number.
Every cell on the chart is an expected-value comparison. Hit 16 versus 10 because standing loses more. Split 8s versus a 10 because two 8s are a worse starting point than starting over. Those plays lose often in the moment. They still lose less money over time than the alternatives.
The strategy path
Basic strategy first. Then the sit that grades it. Counting and deviations only after the chart is automatic.
Drill the standard chart
The S17 trainer grades hit, stand, double, split, and resign against the same multi-deck chart.
Open the trainerVariant charts
H17, Spanish 21, Switch, Free Bet, Double Exposure, Double Attack, Pontoon, and single-deck each have their own chart and trainer.
See every trainerCounting and deviations
Hi-Lo and the index plays that flip a few cells. They sit on top of this chart. They do not replace it.
Card countingPractice the chart
See every trainerReading why a cell is a hit is useful. Getting graded on every decision is how it sticks. Each trainer below is the sit for that chart.
Basic Strategy Trainer
Practice hard, soft, and pair decisions against the standard S17 chart.
Open the trainerSingle Deck Trainer
Practice the single-deck S17 chart: the doubles and the extra 7s split that move off the four-deck grid.
Open single-deck trainerH17 Trainer
Practice the multi-deck H17 chart: 11 vs ace, soft 19 vs 6, and 15 vs ace when the dealer hits soft 17.
Open H17 trainerSpanish 21 Trainer
Practice the Spanish 21 two-card chart. No 10s. Player 21 always wins.
Open Spanish 21 trainerBlackjack Switch Trainer
Practice Switch vs Keep first, then play each hand on the Switch chart.
Open Switch trainerDouble Exposure Trainer
Practice against the dealer total. Both cards are up. Ties go to the house.
Open Double Exposure trainerDouble Attack Trainer
Practice Attack vs Play first, then every later decision on the Spanish 21 two-card chart.
Open Double Attack trainerPontoon Trainer
Practice twist, stick, and buy on the Pontoon chart. Hard 14 or less must hit.
Open Pontoon trainerFree Bet Trainer
Practice the Free Bet chart: take every free double and free split. Dealer 22 pushes.
Open Free Bet trainerCard Counting Trainer
Play hands, then quiz the Hi-Lo running and true count.
Open countingThe three hand types
The same total is not always the same decision. Read them in this order, the same way the trainer grades a hand.
- Pairs
- Check these first. 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. The chart has the rest, including 9s that stand against 7, 10, and ace.
- Soft hands
- An ace still counting as 11. You cannot bust with one card, so the chart hits or doubles more often than people expect. Soft 18 (A+7) is the trap: stand against 2, 7, and 8, double against 3 through 6, and hit against 9, 10, or ace.
- Hard totals
- No ace is counting as 11. Hard 12-16 are stiffs. Stand them against weak upcards (mostly 4-6) and hit against 7 through ace, with surrender on the worst 15s and 16s. Hard 17 and up always stand. Hard 11 doubles except against an ace on this chart.
The plays that cost the most when you skip them
You do not need every cell memorized on day one. These are the mistakes that inflate the house edge fastest.
- Standing every 12 or higher
- That feels safe and it is a common way to give the house extra 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.
- Refusing to split 8s
- A hard 16 is one of the worst starting totals. Two 8s against a 10 still lose more often than they win. Splitting is still better than playing the 16. Always split aces for the same reason: 12 is weak, 11 is not.
- Taking insurance
- Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has a 10 in the hole. The 2 to 1 payout is not enough for a basic-strategy player. Even-money on your own blackjack is the same bet. Count later, skip it now.
After basic strategy
Basic strategy is the floor. Advanced play only helps once the chart is automatic.
- Card counting
- A count tracks whether the remaining shoe is rich in tens and aces. That can raise the advantage on some shoes and change a handful of plays (insurance, a few 16s, some doubles). It does not replace this chart. Card counting guide
- Deviations
- Index plays are the cells that flip when the count is high or low. They are a thin layer on top of basic strategy, not a different game. Deviations guide
- Betting systems
- Martingale, 1-3-2-6, and flat hunches do not change the house edge. They rearrange when you lose. Strategy tells you how to play the cards. Bankroll rules tell you how much you can stand to lose. Neither one is a betting progression.
How to play a hand with strategy
Do this on paper until it is boring. The trainer is the same loop with a grade after every decision.
Confirm the table rules
This guide matches our free game and trainer: several decks, dealer stands on all 17s, blackjack pays 3 to 2, double after split, late surrender on the worst 15s and 16s. If the dealer hits soft 17 or the payout is 6 to 5, a few cells change.
Name 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. Face cards are 10s.
Read the dealer upcard
The hole card is unknown. That uncertainty is already priced into the chart. A king, queen, or jack is the 10 column.
Take the play, including fallbacks
If you cannot double, D becomes a hit and DS becomes a stand. If you cannot surrender, Rh becomes a hit. Do not invent a third option.
What strategy is for
- Choosing the lowest-EV-loss move for this hand against this upcard.
- Removing guesswork on stiffs, soft 18, splits, and insurance.
- Keeping the house edge near 0.5% on a 3 to 2, stand-on-17 game.
- Giving you a single source of truth so a losing streak does not talk you into a worse play.
What strategy is not
- A way to beat the house on every session, or a prediction of the next card.
- A license to ignore the posted rules. H17, 6 to 5, and no-double charts are different.
- A betting system. The chart tells you how to play the cards, not how much to bet.
- Card counting. Counting starts after this is automatic, and it still uses this chart as the base.
Playing by feel versus basic strategy
Hunches usually protect the current hand and tax the rest of the shoe. These are the spots where that tax is highest.
Hard 16 vs 10
What people doStand, because hitting can bust. Standing loses this hand almost every time the dealer does not bust.
What the chart says (S17, multi-deck)Surrender if the table allows it. Otherwise hit. The extra busts still cost less than giving up.
8s vs 10
What people doPlay the 16, or stand, because splitting against a 10 looks reckless.
What the chart says (S17, multi-deck)Always split 8s. Two chances at 18 is better than one 16, even when the dealer is strong.
Soft 18 vs 9
What people doStand on 18. It feels like a made hand.
What the chart says (S17, multi-deck)Hit. Ace-7 versus 9, 10, or ace is too weak to keep. Against 3 through 6, double it instead.
Insurance
What people doTake it, especially with a blackjack, as even money.
What the chart says (S17, multi-deck)Never, for a basic-strategy player. The 2 to 1 payout is not enough unless the remaining ten-density is unusually high.
Blackjack strategy FAQ
What is blackjack strategy?
It is the correct play for each starting hand against each dealer upcard, computed from expected value. People usually mean basic strategy: the chart for hard totals, soft hands, and pairs. Advanced strategy (counting, deviations) sits on top of that chart.
Does basic strategy mean I will win?
No. It means you lose the least against a game that still has a house edge. On our 3 to 2, stand-on-17 rules that edge is about 0.5% if you follow the chart. You can still lose a session. You cannot make the math go away by hitting less.
Do I have to memorize the whole chart?
Eventually, if you want to play at speed. Start with the expensive mistakes: stiffs versus 7 through ace, splits of 8s and aces, no insurance, and soft 18. The trainer grades every decision against the same chart, which is faster than staring at a grid.
Why does strategy 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 a strategy 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.
What is the difference between this and the chart page?
The chart is the full grid. This page is the reasoning: hand types, fallbacks, the plays that move the house edge, and what counting actually changes. The trainers are the sits that grade those cells. Use them together.
Which trainer should I open?
The basic strategy trainer if you are learning the standard S17 chart. A variant trainer only if you sit that game. The counting trainer after the chart is automatic. See every trainer from the trainer hub.
When should I start counting cards?
After basic strategy is automatic. Counting tracks remaining tens and aces so you can raise bets on good shoes and flip a few plays. It does not help if you are still standing soft 18 versus a 10. Read the card counting guide, then drill it in the counting trainer.
Learn strategy by playing it
Reading why a cell is a hit is useful. Getting graded on every hit, stand, double, split, and surrender is how it sticks. The S17 trainer uses this same multi-deck, stand-on-17 chart. Variant trainers live on the trainer hub.