This guide is about blackjack basic strategy charts. It covers the entire basic playing strategy for all blackjack games.
Within this blackjack guide, you’ll find extensive insider tips and examples of how to apply the blackjack basic strategy charts to blackjack hands.
In blackjack games, there are two basic playing strategy chart formats:
- A set of playing rules in a black-and-white table.
- A summary of the strategy in a color-coded matrix chart.
Identifying a blackjack strategy chart
This guide includes both basic strategy chart formats. You can study each blackjack chart independently and then as a set. The different sets of charts relate to different blackjack game rules.
Blackjack chart rules for basic strategy
Every blackjack basic strategy chart rules are highlighted by headings. You’ll know what the main rules are as soon as you know the title of each blackjack chart.
So, depending on the blackjack game you want to play, simply study the correct blackjack basic strategy chart.
Blackjack charts based on number of decks
As you go through this blackjack basic strategy guide, you’ll come across 12 sets of blackjack basic strategy charts. As explained above, each set contains a black-and-white table and color-coded matrix.
The 12 sets of blackjack charts consist of three groups based on the number of decks and blackjack rules as follows:
- Single-deck
- Double-deck
- Four or more decks
To play blackjack using basic strategy, there are four strategy tables and four color-coded matrix charts for each deck size. Throughout this guide I refer to them as ‘table’ and ‘chart.’
Download Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart
You will be able to find an accurate basic strategy for any set of rules for the following games:
SINGLE-DECK BLACKJACK GAME
The following abbreviations are used in the blackjack strategy charts. As you study the strategy charts, you’ll begin to recognize the abbreviations.
(Note: The abbreviations also appear below each blackjack chart or table for all deck sizes.)
HOW TO USE THE STRATEGY TABLES
Note: The blackjack strategy charts list:
- The player’s two-card hand total.
- A possible multi-card hand total — as a result of hitting a previously different hand one or more times.
In other words, play the multi-card hand as if it were an original two-card holding.
For example, suppose you are dealt a 9-3 against a dealer’s 2 upcard, in a six-deck game, with Soft 17 and DAS. The strategy charts and tables state “hit.” You draw a 3 and you now have 15 against a dealer’s 2. If you look up the strategy for 15 against a 2 (table or chart), it states to “stand” against a dealer’s 2. And so, you should stand.
For soft hands, since you can’t double down on more than two cards, any total that would have resulted in a double down — were it only two cards — now must become a hit or stand decision.
For example, suppose you are dealt an A-3 against a dealer’s 4 upcard. You hit (per the blackjack chart or table) and draw a 4. You now have A-3-4, which you should consider as A-7. If it were a two-card A-7, you would double down against a 4. However, since the A-7 consists of three cards, you’re not allowed to double down, so you stand.
Here’s another situation that could occur with pairs if the casino rules either:
- Don’t allow resplits.
- Or if they do, but you have split up to a maximum of four hands.
For example, suppose you are dealt a pair of 6s, the dealer’s upcard is a 6, and the rules don’t allow resplits. You split the 6s and on one 6 you draw another 6.
Because you can’t resplit, you once again have to consider just the total of the hand (12) against the dealer’s 6 upcard and decide whether to stand or hit (for which, in this example, the blackjack strategy charts and tables state to stand).
Suppose instead the casino rules allow resplits, and you draw two more 6s, giving you four hands, each one starting with a 6. On one (or more) of the 6s you draw yet another 6 (which could occur in a multi-deck game).
Since you can’t split again, you must consider this hand as a 12 against a dealer’s 6 to determine how to play it.
Another point to keep in mind is that the strategy in the following tables and charts (also known as blackjack strategy card) doesn’t consider the composition of the cards in the hand.
For example, the strategy charts and tables state you should hit hard 16 against a dealer’s 10 (assuming surrender is not offered), regardless of whether your 16 is composed of 10-6 or 8-4-4. (I’ll have more to say about composition-dependent strategy in Chapter 5.)
BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHARTS
The color-coded strategy chart contains the same information as the black-and-white table except it presents the strategy in the form of a color-coded strategy chart matrix. (The reason is that some players find it easier to learn the basic strategy with a blackjack strategy chart.)
The dealer’s upcard (2 though Ace) appears along the top of the chart and the player’s hand can be found down the first column (grouped in order by hard hands, soft hands, followed by pairs).
For example, if you’re dealt, say, a 12 and the dealer’s upcard is a 2, the next steps are to:
- Go down the first column to 12.
- Then go across the top (dealer's upcard) to the 2.
- At the intersection of the 12 and the 2 is the letter H, meaning the correct strategy is to hit.
Let’s practice another hand. Suppose you’re playing a single-deck, h27, NDAS game and you’re dealt an A-7 against the dealer’s upcard of 6. To find the correct strategy:
- Go down the first column to A-7.
- Then go across the row until it intersects with the column labeled 6 (i.e., dealer’s upcard). You’ll notice the letters Ds at that intersection. The abbreviation Ds means double down (if the rules allow it) otherwise, you should stand.
ONE FINAL TIP: Notice that the charts are color coded. The background colors for each decision are:
INSIDER TIPS FOR PLAYING SINGLE-DECK GAMES
Tip 1 – In most single-deck blackjack games, dealers pitch the cards face down to players and a discard tray is not used (although a few casinos have used them). It’s rare when a casino will deal the cards face up to players in a single-deck game.
Be sure you know the correct etiquette for holding your cards and signaling your playing decision to the dealer when playing in a single-deck blackjack game.
Tip 2 – The basic strategy for pair splitting changes slightly when the rules specify NDAS vs. DAS. If you look at the pair splitting strategy in the blackjack strategy charts for NDAS vs. DAS, you’ll see that you will split more times when the rules specify DAS vs. NDAS. That’s because you want to be more aggressive in splitting when you have the opportunity to double down after you split.
For example, with NDAS, you split 3s against a dealer’s 4, 5, and 6 upcard, but with DAS, you extend the pair splitting to include the dealer’s 2 and 3 upcards.
Tip 3 – Many single-deck games in land-based casinos pay only 6 to 5, instead of 3 to 2, for a winning blackjack. When the casino pays only 6-5 for a blackjack, the house edge increases by 1.4% (ouch!). I’ll have more to say about these dastardly 6-5 games, but for now, remember to avoid blackjack games that only pay 6-5 on a blackjack.
Tip 4 – The house edge against a basic strategy player in a 3-2 single-deck game is a function of the mix of playing rules. The table below summarizes the relationship of typical rules you’ll find in a 3-2 single-deck game, and the corresponding house edge against a basic strategy player. You’ll be hard pressed to find a multiple-deck game with house edges as low as a single-deck, 3-2 game, with h27 and RSA (0.16%) or just h27 (0.19%).
(Note: The house edges are from the respected book: ‘Blackjack Attack’: Playing the Pros’ Way (Donald Schlesinger, 1997). The edges were computed for a basic strategy that considers just the total of all the cards in your hand, such as the basic strategy in the Tables and Charts in this chapter, without consideration of the individual cards that comprise that total.)
This basic strategy is known as Total-Dependent basic strategy. (I’ll have more to say about this later)
Tip 5 – You can find which land-based casinos in the USA offer good 3-2 single-deck blackjack games (i.e., lowest house edge) in the monthly Current Blackjack News. This subscription-based newsletter is emailed to subscribers every month and lists the rules and house edge for blackjack games in casinos all over the U.S. and Canada.
Tip 6 – It’s rare for a casino nowadays to offer a single-deck game with S17 and DAS because a basic strategy player would have a tiny edge. Most single-deck blackjack games are h27 (or h27 with no doubling on soft hands). Surrender is rarely offered in a single-deck game (but I included it in the strategy charts and tables for the sake of completeness.)
Tip 7 – You can always find out if a local casino offers a 3-2 single-deck game by calling the main casino number, asking the operator to connect you with the blackjack pit, then asking the person that answers (usually the floor supervisor) if they offer a single-deck game, and what the rules and payoffs for a blackjack are. In most cases, they’ll provide you with the information.
DOUBLE-DECK BLACKJACK GAME
HOW TO USE THE BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHARTS AND TABLES
Below are some sample hands for a double-deck game.
Suppose you’re playing a S17, DAS game and:
- You’re dealt A-7.
- The dealer shows a 9 upcard.
- If you refer to the double-deck, S17, DAS table, you’ll find the following rule for A-7:
- Double on 3 through 6.
- Stand on 2, 7, 8; Hit on 9, 10, A.
Since the dealer’s upcard is a 9, the correct basic strategy play is to hit.
If you refer to the Double Deck, Soft 17, DAS chart, you’ll see that at the intersection of the A-7 and dealer’s 9 upcard is the letter H, meaning hit.
Let’s practice one more hand. You’re dealt 4-4 and the dealer’s upcard is a 5. The rules are Hard 17, DAS. What does the strategy table or chart tell us how we should play it?
The answer is to split.
INSIDER TIPS FOR PLAYING DOUBLE-DECK GAMES
Tip 1 – In most double-deck games, dealers pitch the cards face down to players, although a few casinos use a dealing shoe, but that’s rare. Be sure you know the correct blackjack etiquette for holding your cards and signaling your playing decision to the dealer when playing in a double-deck pitch game.
Tip 2 – Just like I wrote in tip three for single-deck games regarding reduced payouts for blackjacks, causing an unfavorable house edge — the same advice holds true for double-deck blackjack games that only pay 6-5, instead of 3 to 2 on a blackjack.
Tip 3 – The house edge against a basic strategy player in a 3-2 double-deck game is a function of the mix of playing rules.
The following table summarizes the relationship of typical rules that you’ll find in a 3-2 double-deck game and the corresponding house edge against a basic strategy player. Notice that the best double-deck blackjack games offer S17 and DAS (with or without RSA).
The house edge is only 0.14% to 0.19%, which is quite good. If your local casino offers only an h27 double-deck game, make sure they allow DAS, and better yet, with RSA and/or LS.
As in tip 4 above in respect of single-deck blackjack games, I also obtained the house edges for double-deck blackjack games from Schlesinger’s Blackjack Attack book.
FOUR OR MORE DECKS BLACKJACK GAME
HOW TO USE THE BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHARTS AND TABLES
Suppose you’re playing a S17, DAS game and you’re dealt 10-6 and the dealer shows a 10 upcard. If you refer to the Four-or-More Decks, S17, DAS Table, you’ll find the following rule for hard 16:
- Surrender on 9, 10, A***
- Stand on 2 through 6;
- Hit on 7 and 8
Since the dealer’s upcard is a 10, the correct basic strategy play is to surrender. If the casino rules for surrender don’t allow you to do so, then you should hit. When you check the asterisks: *** at the bottom of the table, they explain what to do if surrender is not offered.
If you refer to the Four-or-More Decks, Soft 17, DAS chart, you’ll see that at the intersection of the 16 and dealer’s 10 upcard, the box states “Suh.” This means surrender if allowed; otherwise, hit.
Let’s practice one more hand. You’re dealt 7-7 and the dealer’s upcard is a 7. The rules are Hard 17, DAS. How does the strategy chart or blackjack strategy card say to play it?
The answer is to split.
INSIDER TIPS FOR PLAYING FOUR OR MORE DECKS
Tip 1 - The cards are dealt face up from a dealing shoe. Be sure you know the correct playing etiquette and how to signal your playing decision to the dealer when the cards are dealt face up.
Tip 2 – Most shoe-dealt games in land-based casinos use six-decks of cards. Next most common is an eight-deck game; the four-deck game, once quite popular, is now rather rare.
Tip 3 – Again, as in my tips for single-deck and double-deck blackjack games where some land-based casinos pay only 6 to 5, instead of 3 to 2, for a winning blackjack, if this is the case with four or more decks you should avoid playing in 6 to 5 payout games.
Tip 4 – The house edge against a basic strategy player in a 3-2 four-, six-, or eight-deck blackjack game is a function of the mix of playing rules. The following table summarizes the relationship of typical rules that you’ll find and the corresponding house edge against a basic strategy player.
As a general rule, the best six-deck game has S17, DAS, RSA, and LS (house edge 0.26%). If the casino offers S17, DAS, and either RSA or LS, but not both, the house edge is still respectable (0.34% and 0.33% respectively).
The house edge will increase if the rules are h27. If you must play a six-deck, h27 game, be sure the rules allow at least:
- DAS, LS, and RSA (0.46%) or
- h27, DAS, and either;
- LS (0.53%) or RSA (0.55%).
For eight-deck games, you want, at a minimum, S17, DAS, and LS (0.36%). If the game is h27, you want at least DAS and RSA (0.58%).
(Note: As in the tips I gave in respect of single-deck and double-deck blackjack games, I also obtained the house edges for the four-deck game from Schlesinger’s Blackjack Attack book.)
Blackjack basic strategy chart guide: KEY TAKEAWAYS
Never play any blackjack game (regardless of deck size) that pays 6-5 (or worse, even money) for a blackjack. Always check the playing rules before you play, in particular that a blackjack pays 3-2.
You must learn the basic playing strategy for any size deck if you want to achieve the lowest house edges.
The single-deck basic strategy is rule dependent, meaning it’s slightly different depending on if the rules are S17 or h27 with DAS or NDAS.
A single-deck game with h27 and RSA or just h27 has the lowest house edge of any blackjack game (0.13% and 0.19% respectively).
There are some good double-deck blackjack games with a very low house edge against a basic strategy player (as low as 0.14%).
The double-deck basic strategy is rule dependent, meaning it’s slightly different depending on if the rules are S17 or h27 with DAS or NDAS.
Your goal is to play a multi-deck game with a favorable mix of rules so that the house edge is 0.5% or lower — vthe lower the better.
The mostly common shoe-dealt blackjack game uses six-decks of cards. The house edge is rule dependent, with the best being S17, DAS, LS, and RSA, house edge only 0.26%.
The eight-deck blackjack game has a slightly higher edge than a six-deck game with the same rules. The best eight-deck games have S17, DS, and LS (0.36%).
A four-deck game is rare. The best rules are S17 and DAS (0.35% house edge).
Q&As to test yourself on blackjack basic strategy
Try answering the following questions based on the information in Chapter 3.
- Q1: The basic playing strategy presented in the charts and tables consider the composition of the cards in the player’s hand. True or false?
- Q2: The house edge against a player is solely a function of the number of decks of cards used in the game. True or false?
- Q3: For a given set of rules, the house edge against a basic strategy player is the same whether it’s a single-, double-, or multi-deck game. True or False?
- Q4: What dastardly rule should you avoid at all costs when you play blackjack?
Test questions: How should you play these blackjack hands?
You’re playing a six-deck game, with S17, DAS, LS, and RSA. How should you play these hands against the indicated dealer’s upcard?
- A-7 vs. 9
- 4-4 vs. 5
- 10-6 vs. 9
- 7-7 vs. 7
- 6-3 vs. 2
- 8-8 vs. A
You’re playing a double-deck game with h27, DAS, and RSA. How should you play these hands?
- A-8 vs. 6
- A-3 vs. 4
- 4-4 vs. 4
- 5-5 vs. 10
- 8-3 vs. A
- 12 vs. 3
You’re playing a single-deck game with h27 and NDAS. How should you play these hands?
- 5-3 vs. 5
- 2-2 vs. 2
- A-6 vs. 2
- 11 vs. A
- 16 vs. 7
- A-7 vs. 8
Blackjack basic strategy test: Correct answers
- A1: False. The strategy in the tables and charts lists only the player’s two-card hand total or holding and, therefore, does not consider multi-card holdings or the composition of the cards in the hands.
- A2: False. The mix of playing rules also affects the house edge.
- A3: False. All else equal, the house edge increases as the number of decks increases.
- A4: Player’s untied blackjack hand pays 6-5 (or worse, even money).
How should you play these blackjack hands: Test answers
Six-deck answers:
- a. Hit
- b. Split
- c. Surrender
- d. Split
- e. Hit
- f. Split
Double-deck answers:
- a. Double Down
- b. Double Down
- c. Hit
- d. Hit
- e. Double Down
- f. Hit
Single-deck answers:
- a. Double Down
- b. Hit
- c. Double Down
- d. Double Down
- e. Hit
- f. Stand
BLACKJACK CHARTS
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK, S17, DAS TABLE
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK, S17, DAS CHART
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK, S17, NDAS TABLE
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK, S17, NDAS CHART
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK, h27, DAS TABLE
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK, h27, DAS CHART
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK, h27, NDAS TABLE
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK, h27, NDAS CHART
DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK, S17, DAS
BLACKJACK STRATEGY TABLE
DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK, S17, DAS
BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHART
DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK, S17, NDAS
BLACKJACK STRATEGY TABLE
DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK, S17, NDAS
BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHART
DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK, h27, DAS
BLACKJACK STRATEGY TABLE
DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK, h27, DAS
BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHART
DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK, h27, NDAS
BLACKJACK STRATEGY TABLE
DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK, h27, NDAS
BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHART
