Basic strategy

The chart.

Blackjack is solved: for each of your hands against each dealer card, one move loses the least over time. This chart shows that move.

Find your hand on the left and the dealer's face-up card along the top. Then practise it at the table, where the coach checks every move.

6 decks · dealer stands on soft 17 · blackjack pays 3:2 · double after split · late surrender. Playing this chart perfectly, the house keeps about 0.43% of what you bet.

H HitS StandD Double, or hit if you can'tDs Double, or standP SplitR Surrender, or hit

Hard totals

You2345678910A
8 or less
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17+

Soft totals (with an ace counting 11)

You2345678910A
A,2
A,3
A,4
A,5
A,6
A,7
A,8
A,9

Pairs

You2345678910A
2,2
3,3
4,4
5,5
6,6
7,7
8,8
9,9
10,10
A,A

Columns are the dealer's face-up card. Tap any cell to see why.