Skip to main content
🎁Exclusive bonus deals
♠️

Blackjack Basic Strategy

The mathematically optimal play for every hand. Using basic strategy reduces the house edge to under 0.5% — the closest thing to a fair game in the casino.

📉
0.5%
House edge with basic strategy
📈
2–5%
House edge without strategy
💰
3:2
Best blackjack payout (look for this)
🃏
6
Decks in common S17 games
Chart Legend
HHit
SStand
DDouble Down
PSplit

Columns = Dealer's upcard. Rows = Your hand total.

Hard Totals

Hand
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
8 or less
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
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

Soft Totals (with Ace)

Hand
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
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
S
D
D
D
D
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

Pairs (Split Decisions)

Hand
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
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
P
9,9
P
P
P
P
P
S
P
P
S
S
10,10
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
A,A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P

7 Golden Rules of Basic Strategy

1
Never bust on a hard 12–16 vs dealer 2–6
The dealer is likely to bust. Stand and let them take the risk. Most amateur players hit here — that's a costly mistake.
2
Always split Aces and 8s
Aces give you two chances to start with 11. Two 8s (16) is the worst hand in blackjack — splitting gives you two 8s to build on.
3
Never split 10s
You already have 20, a near-certain winner. Splitting gives away a massive edge for the chance of two slightly worse hands.
4
Never take insurance
Insurance is a side bet with a house edge over 7%. Basic strategy is built on never taking insurance — ignore the temptation.
5
Double down on 11 vs dealer 2–10
You have the highest probability of hitting 21. Doubling maximises your return in one of the game's most favourable situations.
6
Soft 18 (A,7) vs dealer 3–6: Double
A,7 is often misplayed as a stand. Against a weak dealer card, doubling gives you the best mathematical outcome.
7
Hard 15 or 16 vs dealer 10: Surrender if the option is available
Late surrender on hard 15 vs dealer 10, and hard 16 vs dealer 9/10/Ace, is the correct play where allowed. Surrendering costs you half your bet; attempting to win costs more than half on average. Most online blackjack games and live tables offer late surrender — check the rules before sitting down.

Table Rules That Affect Strategy

3:2 vs 6:5 Blackjack payout
3:2 payout is essential. 6:5 adds 1.4% to the house edge — avoid those tables.
Dealer Stands on Soft 17 (S17)
Better for the player. Dealer Hits on Soft 17 (H17) increases house edge by 0.22%.
Double After Split (DAS)
Allowed DAS lowers house edge by 0.14%. Unlocked split doubling is valuable.
Number of decks
Fewer decks = lower house edge. Single-deck = ~0.15% edge; 8 decks = ~0.65% edge.
Surrender option
Late surrender on hard 15/16 vs dealer 9/10/A is a significant edge reducer.
Re-splitting Aces (RSA)
If allowed to re-split Aces (when a split Ace receives another Ace), the option reduces the house edge by approximately 0.03%. Not offered at all tables.
European No Hole Card (ENHC)
In ENHC games (common online), the dealer does not take a second card until players have acted — losing all bets (not just original) to dealer blackjack. This adds ~0.11% to the house edge vs standard (Peek) games. Adjust your doubles and splits accordingly.

Blackjack Strategy FAQ

How long does it take to memorise basic strategy?

Most players can learn basic strategy well enough to play at the table in 2–4 hours of study. The strategy chart has about 250 decisions, but many follow logical patterns: always stand on hard 17+, always double on 11, always split aces and eights, never split tens or fives. Grouping the decisions by rule type rather than memorising each cell individually speeds learning significantly. Our interactive strategy trainer lets you practise with real-time feedback — a few hours of drill practice typically reduces error rate to under 5% of hands, which is close enough to the theoretical minimum edge.

Does basic strategy work on online blackjack?

Yes — basic strategy applies to any blackjack game that uses a standard deck with standard rules, whether online, live dealer, or land-based. The correct strategy is determined entirely by the number of decks and the table rules (dealer hits/stands on soft 17, double allowed after split, etc.) — not by whether the game is digital or physical. Some online blackjack variants have different rules that change the optimal strategy (e.g. Infinite Blackjack, Power Blackjack), so always check the paytable and rules before playing. Standard multi-deck online blackjack from reputable providers uses certified RNG and correct dealing probabilities.

What is the most damaging rule change in blackjack?

The single most costly rule change is a 6:5 payout for blackjack (natural 21) instead of the standard 3:2. At 3:2, a £10 bet wins £15 on a natural; at 6:5, it wins only £12. This single rule change adds approximately 1.39% to the house edge — more than wiping out all the benefit of perfect basic strategy. Always check the blackjack payout before sitting down. Other costly rules: dealer hits soft 17 (+0.22%), no double after split (+0.14%), no re-splitting aces (+0.03%). Avoid any table with 6:5 blackjack payouts regardless of how good the other rules look.

Should I ever deviate from basic strategy based on a hunch?

No. Basic strategy is derived from exact mathematical calculation across every possible situation — it is the provably optimal decision for each hand given the cards visible. Intuition, recent outcomes, streaks, or feelings about the next card have zero mathematical relevance. Because each hand is independent, a losing streak gives no information about what will happen next. The only valid reason to deviate from the printed basic strategy is if you are counting cards (and know your true count warrants an index play deviation). For non-counters, any deviation from basic strategy increases the house edge. Gut feelings in blackjack are expensive.

Why should I always split 8s even against a dealer 9, 10, or Ace?

Always splitting 8s is one of the most counter-intuitive rules in basic strategy. Against a dealer 9, 10, or Ace, it feels wrong because you seem to be turning one bad hand (16) into two equally bad starting points. The mathematical reasoning: a hard 16 against a dealer 10 wins approximately 23% of the time when you stand and 23% when you hit (slightly worse). But two separate hands starting from 8 each win approximately 38% of the time individually against a dealer 10 — a significant improvement in expected value, even after accounting for the doubled stake. You still lose money on average in those situations, but you lose considerably less than keeping hard 16 intact.

Does card counting work in online blackjack?

Card counting does not work effectively in standard online (RNG) blackjack because the deck is reshuffled before every hand — or after every round in 'continuous shuffle' format. Counting requires a penetrated shoe (some decks dealt before reshuffling) to gain a meaningful edge. Live dealer blackjack uses a physical shoe and penetrates approximately 50–75% before reshuffling, which theoretically allows counting — however, Evolution Gaming and other live providers introduce frequent cuts and mid-shoe shuffles precisely to deter counting. Even with penetration, live blackjack online deals relatively few hands per hour (compared to optimal in-casino counting conditions), reducing the practical profitability significantly.

What is the difference between S17 and H17 blackjack rules?

S17 (Soft 17 Stand) means the dealer must stand on all soft 17 hands (Ace + 6 = 17). H17 (Soft 17 Hit) means the dealer must hit a soft 17. The distinction matters because dealer soft 17 with an Ace gives the dealer a chance to improve their hand to 18, 19, 20, or 21 without busting — which is impossible with a hard 17. H17 rules add approximately 0.22% to the house edge compared to S17 rules. S17 is better for the player. Look for S17 tables. Some basic strategy decisions change slightly between S17 and H17 games — specifically around doubling on soft hands against a dealer Ace.

🃏
Interactive Strategy Trainer
Practice making perfect decisions in real-time.
📊
Best Casino Odds
All games ranked by house edge.