Blackjack Basic Strategy

Blackjack basic strategy chart

4 to 8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split allowed.

This is the chart the trainer grades against. Find your hand in the left column and the dealer's up-card across the top. The cell is the correct play: H to hit, S to stand, D to double, P to split.

Hard hands have no ace, or an ace that must count as 1. Soft hands have an ace counting as 11. Pairs are two cards of equal value, including any two ten-value cards.

Hard hands
Your totalDealer shows2345678910A
8 or lessHHHHHHHHHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
10DDDDDDDDHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
12HHSSSHHHHH
13-16SSSSSHHHHH
17+SSSSSSSSSS
Soft hands
Your handDealer shows2345678910A
A-2, A-3HHHDDHHHHH
A-4, A-5HHDDDHHHHH
A-6HDDDDHHHHH
A-7SDDDDSSHHH
A-8, A-9SSSSSSSSSS
Pairs
Your pairDealer shows2345678910A
2-2, 3-3PPPPPPHHHH
4-4HHHPPHHHHH
5-5DDDDDDDDHH
6-6PPPPPHHHHH
7-7PPPPPPHHHH
8-8PPPPPPPPPP
9-9PPPPPSPPSS
10-10SSSSSSSSSS
A-APPPPPPPPPP

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Blackjack basic strategy chart for 4 to 8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17: three color-coded tables for hard hands, soft hands and pairs showing whether to hit, stand, double or split against each dealer up-card from 2 through Ace.
The same chart as one image. Click to view full size. Download PNG or SVG.

Table rules these plays assume

  • 4 to 8 decks
  • Dealer stands on soft 17
  • Double after split allowed
  • Aces can be re-split
  • No surrender
  • Blackjack pays 3 to 2

If the dealer hits soft 17 (H17) a few plays change: double 11 against an Ace, double soft 18 against 2, and double soft 19 against 6. Single- and double-deck games also differ in a handful of spots. This trainer teaches the multi-deck, stand-on-soft-17 chart, which is the most common game in US casinos.

Reading the hard hands table

Totals of 8 or less always hit: you cannot bust, and the hand is too weak to stand. 9, 10 and 11 are the doubling hands; double them when the dealer shows a card weaker than your total, and hit otherwise. 12 through 16 are the stiff hands: stand against a dealer 2 through 6 (the cards most likely to bust the dealer) and hit against 7 through Ace. 17 and above always stands.

Reading the soft hands table

Because the ace can drop to 1, soft hands can take a card without busting. Soft 13 through 17 hit, except that they double against the dealer's weakest up-cards. Soft 18 is the tricky one: double against 3 through 6, stand against 2, 7 and 8, and hit against 9, 10 and Ace. Soft 19 and 20 stand.

Reading the pairs table

Always split Aces and 8s. Never split tens or fives (play fives as a hard 10). Split 2s, 3s and 7s against 2 through 7, 6s against 2 through 6, and 4s only against 5 and 6. Split 9s against everything except 7, 10 and Ace. When the chart says not to split, play the hand by its hard total.

Practice it

Reading the chart is the easy part. The trainer deals you hands and tells you when you get one wrong, and why.