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Blackjack Strategy Chart

When to hit, stand, double down, split or surrender: the complete basic strategy table for every hand against every dealer card.

Download the chart (PDF) Printable version

Optimal decisions for hard hands, soft hands, and pairs

How to Read the Strategy Chart

  1. Find your hand in the left column: a hard total (no Ace, or an Ace that must count as 1), a soft hand (an Ace counted as 11) or a pair.
  2. Find the dealer's face-up card along the top.
  3. The cell where they meet is the best play. Tap it to see that hand explained in the blackjack calculator.

Quick rules: always stand on hard 17 or more, always hit 11 or less (doubling where the chart says D), stand on 13 to 16 against 2 to 6, and always split Aces and 8s (except surrender 8s against an Ace when the dealer hits soft 17 and surrender is offered). The hit or stand, double down and split sections of the guide explain why.

Charts for 6 decks, dealer hits soft 17, double on any two cards, double after split allowed, late surrender — the American blackjack rules used at the 21Count table.

Hard Hands (No Ace or Ace counts as 1)

Hard hands: player total against dealer up-card
Player Hand / dealer up-card 2345678910A
5 H H H H H H H H H H
6 H H H H H H H H H H
7 H H H H H H H H H H
8 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 D
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 Rh Rh
16 S S S S S H H Rh Rh Rh
17 S S S S S S S S S Rs
18 S S S S S S S S S S
19 S S S S S S S S S S
20 S S S S S S S S S S
21 S S S S S S S S S S

Soft Hands (Ace counts as 11)

Soft hands: Ace plus card against dealer up-card
Player Hand / dealer up-card 2345678910A
A,2 H H H D D H H H H H
A,3 H H H D D H H H H H
A,4 H H D D D H H H H H
A,5 H H D D D H H H H H
A,6 H D D D D H H H H H
A,7 Ds Ds Ds Ds Ds S S H H H
A,8 S S S S Ds S S S S S
A,9 S S S S S S S S S S

Pairs (When to Split)

Pairs: when to split against dealer up-card
Player Pair / dealer up-card 2345678910A
A,A P P P P P P P P P P
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 Rp
9,9 P P P P P S P P S S
10,10 S S S S S S S S S S

European and UK Strategy Chart (No Hole Card)

Where the dealer takes no hole card, as in European blackjack and most UK casinos, a dealer blackjack also takes your doubles and splits, so you double and split less against a 10 or Ace. This chart is for our European table: 2 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, doubling on 10 and 11 only, no doubling after a split, no surrender. What changes and why.

European blackjack: hard hands
Player Hand / dealer up-card 2345678910A
5 H H H H H H H H H H
6 H H H H H H H H H H
7 H H H H H H H H H H
8 H H H H H H H H H H
9 H H H H H 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 H 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 H H
16 S S S S S H H H H H
17 S S S S S S S S S S
18 S S S S S S S S S S
19 S S S S S S S S S S
20 S S S S S S S S S S
European blackjack: soft hands
Player Hand / dealer up-card 2345678910A
A,2 H H H H H H H H H H
A,3 H H H H H H H H H H
A,4 H H H H H H H H H H
A,5 H H H H H H H H H H
A,6 H H H H H H H H H H
A,7 S S S S S S S H H H
A,8 S S S S S S S S S S
A,9 S S S S S S S S S S
European blackjack: pairs
Player Pair / dealer up-card 2345678910A
A,A P P P P P P P P P H
2,2 H H P P P P H H H H
3,3 H H P P P P H H H H
4,4 H H H H H 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 H H
9,9 P P P P P S P P S S
10,10 S S S S S S S S S S

Important Notes

Standard Rules

This chart assumes 6 decks, dealer hits soft 17, double on any two cards, double after split allowed, late surrender.

Rule Variations

Some decisions may change based on specific casino rules (e.g., dealer stands on soft 17, surrender not allowed). See how the blackjack variants differ.

House Edge

Following this basic strategy reduces the house edge to approximately 0.5%.

Practice Tips

Memorize the most common situations first: always split Aces and 8s (except surrender 8s against an Ace when the dealer hits soft 17 and surrender is offered), never split 10s or 5s. Drill them in the basic strategy trainer.

Bankroll Management

Basic strategy is most effective when combined with proper betting and bankroll management.

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Strategy Chart FAQ

What do the letters on the blackjack strategy chart mean?

H is hit, S is stand, D is double down (hit if doubling is not allowed), Ds is double down or stand, P is split, and Rh / Rs / Rp mean surrender if it is offered, otherwise hit, stand or split.

Is this blackjack chart for single deck or six decks?

The main chart is for six decks, the dealer hitting soft 17, doubling on any two cards, doubling after a split and late surrender, the most common casino rules. A separate chart below covers European and UK no-hole-card rules.

Can I use a strategy chart in a casino?

Most casinos allow a printed basic strategy card at the table as long as it does not slow the game down. Download the chart above, or learn it with the strategy trainer so you don't need it.

Does the chart change when the dealer stands on soft 17?

Only a few cells: with the dealer standing on soft 17 you no longer double 11 against an Ace, surrender 15 or 17 against an Ace or surrender 8s against an Ace, and you stand rather than double A,8 against a 6 and A,7 against a 2.