Blackjack Basic Strategy
Basic strategy is easy to use. Just find your card combination on the left and the dealer’s upcard at the top. Follow the upcard column down and your card combination row across until the two intersect. That’s how you should play the hand. This version of blackjack strategy works best in single- and multiple-deck games when the dealer stands on soft seventeen and doubling is not allowed after splitting.
The Unofficial Guide to Casino Gambling includes the table below and it also has basic strategy variations for dealers hitting soft seventeen, doubling after splits, early surrender, and other common blackjack rule combinations.
Dealer's Upcard |
||||||||||
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
A |
|
Player’s Hand |
||||||||||
A-A |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
10-10 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
9-9 |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
NC |
sp |
sp |
NC |
NC |
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 |
h |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
5-5 |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
h |
h |
4-4 |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
3-3 |
h |
h |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
h |
h |
h |
h |
2-2 |
h |
h |
sp |
sp |
sp |
sp |
h |
h |
h |
h |
Soft 19 - 21 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
Soft 18 |
NC |
dbN |
dbN |
dbN |
dbN |
NC |
NC |
h |
h |
h |
Soft 17 |
h |
db |
db |
db |
db |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
Soft 16 |
h |
h |
db |
db |
db |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
Soft 15 |
h |
h |
db |
db |
db |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
Soft 14 |
h |
h |
h |
db |
db |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
Soft 13 |
h |
h |
h |
h |
db |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
Hard 17 - 21 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
Hard 16 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
h |
h |
sr |
sr |
sr |
Hard 15 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
h |
h |
h |
sr |
h |
Hard 14 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
Hard 13 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
NC |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
Hard 12 |
h |
h |
NC |
NC |
NC |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
11 |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
h |
10 |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
db |
h |
h |
9 |
h |
db |
db |
db |
db |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
8 |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
7 |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
6 |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
5 |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
h |
sr = surrender
sp = split
NC = stand
db = double
dbN = double, stand if double not possible
h = hit
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