Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

Updated October 31, 2026

Why it comes first

Basic strategy was worked out by computer simulation. For each combination of your hand and the dealer’s upcard, it tells you whether to hit, stand, double or split to lose the least (or win the most) in the long run. Following it cuts the house edge to roughly half a percent under good rules.

Every mistake you make costs you. Playing a 12 against a dealer 3 incorrectly, or failing to split eights, throws away more than the edge a beginner gains from counting. In other words, a perfect counter with sloppy strategy can have a negative overall edge. Learn the chart until it’s automatic, then add the count.

The chart

The best play depends on the casino’s table rules, so this chart is built for one common set of rules. It assumes:

• Four to eight decks in the shoe.
• The dealer stands on soft 17 (S17). A soft 17 is a hand like A,6 where the ace counts as 11.
• You may double down on any first two cards, not just on certain totals.
• You may double down after splitting a pair (double after split).
• No surrender. You can’t give up half your bet to fold a bad hand.

The rules are usually printed on the felt or posted at the table, so check them before you sit down. These are also the default rules of the practice table on this site. To use the chart, find your hand on the left and the dealer’s upcard across the top.

How to read it

• Hard totals are hands without an ace counted as 11. Soft totals have an ace worth 11 (like A,6 = soft 17). Pairs are two cards of the same value.
• D means double if you’re allowed to, otherwise hit. Ds means double, otherwise stand.
• P means split. Any two ten-value cards form a pair, but you should always stand on them.
• Letters, not just colors, tell you what to do, so the chart works in black and white too.

How to learn the chart without memorizing 200 cells

The chart looks big, but it’s mostly patterns. Learn it in this order:

1. Hard totals: always stand on 17 or more.
2. Hard totals against a dealer 2–6 (the “bust cards”): stand on 12 or more against a 4, 5 or 6, and on 13 or more against a 2 or 3. Hit anything lower.
3. Hard totals against a dealer 7 or higher: keep hitting until you reach 17.
4. Doubles: double 11 against anything except an ace, 10 against a 2–9, and 9 against a 3–6. Otherwise hit.
5. Soft hands: with A,2 through A,6, double against a weak dealer card and otherwise hit. Always stand on A,8 and A,9. A,7 is the tricky one, so check the chart.
6. Pairs: mostly about splitting when the dealer is weak. Always split aces and eights, and never split tens or fives.

A good routine is ten minutes a day. Deal yourself random hands against random upcards and say your decision out loud before you act. Aim for 100% accuracy at normal speed before you think about counting; the count will take all of your attention for a while, and your strategy has to run on autopilot.

Common mistakes

• Splitting tens. A pair of tens is a 20, one of the best hands in the game. Stand.
• Standing on soft 17 against a strong card. A,6 is not a hand to stand on; double against a weak dealer card and otherwise hit.
• Taking insurance “to be safe.” Insurance is a separate side bet with a house edge. Avoid it unless the count says otherwise.
• Playing hunches. Following “my gut” instead of the chart is the single most expensive habit.

When the rules change

The chart above is for one set of rules. If your table is different, a few plays change:

• Dealer hits soft 17 (H17): this raises the house edge by about 0.2%. Double 11 against an ace, double A,7 against a 2 (stand if you can’t double), and double A,8 against a 6.
• No double after split: split less often with 2s, 3s, 4s and 6s.
• Fewer decks: single- and double-deck games change a handful of doubles and soft-hand plays, so use a chart made for those games.
• Blackjack pays 6:5 instead of 3:2: this adds about 1.4% to the house edge. Avoid these tables; they aren’t worth counting.

You’ve got the strategy. What’s next?

If you’ve followed the lessons in order, you now know the essentials: how to keep the count and how to play basic strategy. (Advanced counters also adjust a few plays based on the count, but you don’t need those to begin.) Once the chart and the count feel natural, head to the practice table to play hands with fake chips and test yourself.

Want to keep reading first? The next guide covers casino reality and legality: what’s allowed, what casinos can do about counters, and why online blackjack can’t be counted. You can also revisit bet sizing and bankroll or the true count at any time.