Basic Blackjack Strategy

Because blackjack has an element of player choice, players can reduce casino advantage to a small percentage by playing perfect basic strategy. The Basic Strategy determines when to hit or to stand, and also determines when to double down or split. Basic Strategy is based on the player's point total and the dealer's visible card. There are slight variations depending on the house rules and number of decks.

Using perfect Basic Strategy will definitely minimize the casino's edge. But it deos not guarantee that Blackjack players will win more money.

The following table shows the Basic Blackjack Strategy.

LEGEND:

• S - Stand (Take no more cards)

• H - Hit (Take another card)

• D - Double (Double the wager, take exactly one more card, and then stand)

• SP - Split (Double the wager and have each card be the first card in a new hand. This option is available only when both cards have the same value)

• SU - Surrender (Forfeit half the bet and give up the hand. Surrender was common during the early- and mid-20th century, but is no longer offered at most casinos)

Your hand	Dealer's face-up card
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
Hard totals
17-20	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	SU	SU	SU
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	SU	H
13-14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
5-8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
Soft totals
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,8 A,9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,7	S	D	D	D	D	S	S	H	H	H
A,6	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4 A,5	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,2 A,3	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
Pairs
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,A	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
9,9	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	S	SP	SP	S	S
8,8	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP
7,7	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H
6,6	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H	H
5,5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	SP	SP	H	H	H	H	H
2,2 3,3	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H

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