Basic blackjack strategy is a set of decisions (hit, stand, double down, split or surrender) worked out for every combination of your hand and the dealer's visible card. It was calculated by analysing which choice gives the best mathematical result over a very large number of hands. It does not predict the next card, and it does not turn the game in your favour. What it does is make sure you are not handing the house more of an edge than the rules already give it.
Why the dealer's upcard matters so much
The dealer has no choices to make. In most games the dealer must keep drawing until reaching 17 or more, and that fixed rule is what basic strategy is built around. When the dealer shows a weak card, a 4, 5 or 6, there is a real chance they will have to draw into a total over 21. When the dealer shows a 7 through an ace, they are more likely to finish with a strong total. Most decisions come down to weighing your hand against that one visible card.
Core principles for hard hands
A hard hand has no ace, or has an ace that can only count as 1.
- 8 or less: always hit. You cannot bust.
- 9: double against a dealer 3 through 6; otherwise hit.
- 10: double against a dealer 2 through 9; hit against a 10 or an ace.
- 11: double against most upcards; under some rule sets, hit against an ace.
- 12: stand against a dealer 4, 5 or 6; hit against anything else.
- 13 to 16: stand against a dealer 2 through 6; hit against 7 through ace.
- 17 or more: stand.
Hitting 16 against a dealer 10 feels wrong to many players, because it so often leads to a bust. Standing loses even more often over time, though, because the dealer will usually finish above 16.
Core principles for soft hands
A soft hand contains an ace counted as 11, so one more card cannot bust you.
- Soft 13 to soft 17 (ace-2 through ace-6): never stand. Hit, or double against the dealer's weaker upcards where the rules allow it.
- Soft 18 (ace-7): stand against a 2, 7 or 8; double against 3 through 6 where allowed; hit against a 9, 10 or ace.
- Soft 19 or more: stand in almost every situation.
Pairs: when to split
- Aces and 8s: always split. Two hands that each start with an ace beat one soft 12, and a pair of 8s makes 16, the weakest total in the game.
- 10s: never split. Twenty is already a strong hand.
- 5s: never split. Play them as a hard 10.
- 4s: usually hit rather than split.
- 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s and 9s: split against weaker dealer upcards; the exact range depends on the rules at the table.
Insurance and surrender
An ace showing on the dealer’s side usually triggers an offer of insurance, which is really a separate wager that the hole card completes a blackjack. Basic strategy says decline it, because the payout on that side bet does not make up for how often it loses. Late surrender, where it is offered, lets you give up half your stake after the dealer checks for blackjack. It is the recommended play for a hard 16 against a dealer 9, 10 or ace, and a hard 15 against a 10.
Rules change the details
Basic strategy is not one universal chart. The number of decks, whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17, whether you may double after splitting and whether surrender is available all shift a handful of decisions. The principles above hold in most games, but a chart made for the exact rules you are playing is the most accurate reference. Rules also affect what a blackjack pays: a table paying 6:5 instead of 3:2 costs the player noticeably more, whatever strategy they follow.
New to casino games altogether? Our round-up of beginner-friendly online casino games puts blackjack next to the alternatives.
What basic strategy cannot do
It lowers the house edge; it never removes it. You will still lose sessions, sometimes several in a row, while playing every hand correctly. Short-term results swing widely, and no chart changes that. Basic strategy is also not card counting, and it does not rely on tracking which cards have been played. Bring a fixed amount to each session (our guide to setting a gambling budget you can stick to shows how to choose it) and treat any win as a pleasant surprise rather than the expected result.
Check that online casino play is permitted where you live, and choose only operators licensed by the relevant authority.
Responsible play: blackjack is for adults only. Decide on your stake and your stopping time before you sit down, and never increase your bets to win back what you have already lost.
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