Blackjack Basic Strategy Explained

Basic strategy is the mathematically best way to play every hand of blackjack, based on your cards and the dealer's upcard. It was worked out using computer simulations of millions of hands. Following it does not guarantee a win, but it reduces the house edge to the lowest level possible without counting cards. This page explains how it works.

What basic strategy does

In blackjack you make decisions: hit, stand, double down, split or surrender. For every combination of your hand and the dealer's upcard, one of these choices has the best expected result over the long run. Basic strategy simply lists those choices. Under typical rules, perfect basic strategy brings the house edge down to roughly half a percent. Playing on instinct usually costs a lot more.

How to read a strategy chart

A strategy chart is a grid. The rows show your hand, the columns show the dealer's upcard from 2 to ace. Each cell tells you what to do. Charts are usually split into three sections:

• Hard hands: hands without an ace, or where the ace must count as 1.
• Soft hands: hands with an ace counting as 11, such as ace-6.
• Pairs: whether to split.

Key decisions to remember

• Always split aces and eights.
• Never split tens or fives.
• Stand on hard 17 or higher.
• With hard 13 to 16, stand against a dealer 2 to 6 and hit against 7 to ace.
• With hard 12, stand against a dealer 4 to 6 and hit otherwise.
• Double down on 11 against most dealer upcards.
• Do not take insurance.

Why the dealer's upcard matters

The dealer must follow fixed rules, usually drawing until 17. When the dealer shows a weak card such as 5 or 6, there is a good chance they will bust. That is why basic strategy often tells you to stand on a weak hand and let the dealer take the risk. Read more about these probabilities on our page about blackjack odds.

Rules change the chart

Small rule differences, such as whether the dealer hits soft 17 or whether you may double after splitting, change some decisions. Always use a chart that matches the rules of the table. See how rules affect the game on our page about house edge and rule variations.

Responsible play

Basic strategy reduces the house edge, but the casino still has an advantage. Treat blackjack as paid entertainment, set a budget and stop when you reach it. Tips on budgeting are on our page about bankroll and session planning. Gambling is for adults (18+) only.