Blackjack basic strategy chart
The best play for every hand in six-deck blackjack, for your table’s rules. Tap any cell to see what each option is worth.
The chart
Soft 17
Double after split
Surrender
- HHit
- SStand
- DDouble, or hit if you can’t
- DsDouble, or stand if you can’t
- PSplit
- RhSurrender, or hit if you can’t
- RsSurrender, or stand if you can’t
- RpSurrender, or split if you can’t
Six decks, dealer hits soft 17, double after split allowed, no surrender, blackjack pays 3:2.
Hard totals
No ace counted as 11, and not a pair.
| Your hand | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 or less | ||||||||||
| 9 | ||||||||||
| 10 | ||||||||||
| 11 | ||||||||||
| 12 | ||||||||||
| 13 | ||||||||||
| 14 | ||||||||||
| 15 | ||||||||||
| 16 | ||||||||||
| 17 | ||||||||||
| 18+ |
Soft totals
An ace still counting as 11. A soft hand can’t bust on one card.
| Your hand | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A,2 soft 13 | ||||||||||
| A,3 soft 14 | ||||||||||
| A,4 soft 15 | ||||||||||
| A,5 soft 16 | ||||||||||
| A,6 soft 17 | ||||||||||
| A,7 soft 18 | ||||||||||
| A,8 soft 19 | ||||||||||
| A,9 soft 20 |
Pairs
Two cards of the same value. If a split isn’t the play, play the hand as its total.
| Your hand | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,2 | ||||||||||
| 3,3 | ||||||||||
| 4,4 | ||||||||||
| 5,5 | ||||||||||
| 6,6 | ||||||||||
| 7,7 | ||||||||||
| 8,8 | ||||||||||
| 9,9 | ||||||||||
| 10,10 | ||||||||||
| A,A |
For 4 to 8 decks with blackjack paying 3:2 and a dealer who checks for blackjack. Every cell was checked against an exact EV calculation for its two-card hand. Single- and double-deck games move a few cells (9 against a 2 becomes a double, for one), and the app adjusts for them.
How to use it
Find your hand down the side and the dealer’s card across the top. The cell is the play that loses least or wins most over the long run.
Classify the hand
Is it a pair, a soft total with an ace counting as 11, or a hard total? Check pairs first, then soft, then hard.
Read the dealer’s card
Against 2 through 6 the dealer busts often, so the chart stands and doubles more. Against 7 through ace, it hits more.
Take the special play first
Surrender, split and double are only offered on your first two cards. If the cell says double and you can’t, follow the fallback in the key.
Which rules change the chart
Only a handful of cells move with the rules. They are all close calls, which is why a single rule is enough to tip them.
Dealer stands on soft 17
Three cells soften: hard 11 against an ace becomes a hit, and soft 18 against a 2 and soft 19 against a 6 become stands.
No double after split
Splitting small pairs is worth less when you can’t double the new hands, so 2,2 and 3,3 against a 2 or 3, 4,4 against a 5 or 6, and 6,6 against a 2 become hits.
Late surrender
Give up half the bet on hard 16 against a 9, 10 or ace, and hard 15 against a 10. When the dealer hits soft 17, also surrender hard 15 and hard 17 against an ace, and 8,8 against an ace.
Turn the chart into instinct.
Reading a chart is step one. BlackJackal deals the hands, grades each call, and drills the cells you miss until they stick.
Free, with 21 hands a day. No subscription.