Blackjack is one of the casino games where you can rely on skill to beat the house edge. Mastering the blackjack chart of probabilities is an excellent place to start.
This guide gives you the basics this classic online card game and practical tips on how to use a blackjack strategy chart to your advantage.
But first, here’s a brief overview of how to play blackjack.
How to Read Blackjack Basic Strategy Charts
Blackjack strategy cards can be read by looking for the column or row that shows your current cards that have been dealt, and finding the column or row for the dealer’s upcard. The cell where these rows/columns intersect will provide the advice on what move you should make next.
Example Strategy Card
Below this list is an example of a strategy card. It may seem complex at first sight, so follow the instructions below on how to read it.
- Along the top you need to find what cards you have been dealt.
- It’s been divided into three sections.
- The first section is for hard hands (the total of your two cards when no Ace is present)
- The middle section is for soft hands – where you have an Ace and another card
- The third section on the right is for when you get dealt a pair of the same card
- Along the left (the Y axis) is the dealer’s upturned card.
- Find your hand along the top, and move down until you find the square that intersects with the line for the dealer’s hand.
- The square on the card where your column intersects with the dealer’s row has a color.
- Check the key below to see the advice that correlates with a color.
For example if you had a hand totaling 19, you will look for the 19 along the top of the card. If the dealer has an 8, you would find the square where your 19 and their 8 intersect. In this example, it’s yellow, which means the advice would be to stand on this card.
4-to-8-Deck Blackjack Strategy
4-8 Deck, Dealer Stands on Soft 17
PLAYER'S CARD
* If the first option is not available, take the second
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Nowadays, it’s rare for casinos to offer single-deck blackjack games. In cases where it’s available, the cards are reshuffled multiple times. You’ll therefore require a different strategy when playing multi-deck blackjack variants.
Below are various decisions that apply for 4-deck-to-8-deck blackjack strategy.
Surrender
- On hard 16 unless it’s a hard 15 against dealer’s 10, or it’s a pair of 8 against dealer’s 9,10, or ace.
Split
Ace-ace and 8-8 pairs.
2-2 and 3-3 against dealer’s 4-7, and 2 or 3 if double after split is allowed.
4-4 only if double after split is allowed, and against dealer’s 5 or 6.
6-6 against dealer’s 3-6, and 2 if double after split is allowed.
7-7 against dealer’s 2-7.
9-9 against dealer’s 2-6 or 8-9.
Never split 5-5 or 10-10.
Double
Doubling is optimal on:
Hard 9 against dealer’s 3-6.
Hard 10 unless dealers up-card is 10 or an ace.
Hard 11 unless dealer’s up-card is an ace.
Soft 13 or 14 against dealer’s 5-6.
Soft 15 or 16 against dealer’ 4-6.
Soft 17 or 18 against dealer’s 3-6.
Hit
On hard 11 or less.
On soft 17 or less.
Stand
On hard 17 or more.
On soft 19 or more.
On soft 18 unless it’s against dealer’s 9, 10, or ace.
On hard 13-16 against dealer’s 2-6, otherwise Hit.
On hard 12 against dealer’s 4-6, otherwise Hit.
The blackjack strategy chart uses the following abbreviations to represent the actions described above.
- H– Hit
- S – Stand
- Dh – Double if allowed, otherwise Hit
- Ds – Double if allowed, otherwise Stand
- P – Split
- Ph – Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise Hit
- Rh – Surrender if allowed, otherwise Hit
- Rs – Surrender if allowed, otherwise Stand
- Rp – Surrender if allowed, otherwise Split
In addition to the above actions, here are additional rules you should observe on your blackjack strategy.
- Avoid insurance or “even money” bets.
- Treat your hand a hard total of 10 or 20 if splitting fives and tens isn’t allowed.
- If you have exhausted your splitting limit, treat your hand as a hard total, but for aces. If you have a pair of aces, and the casino allows drawing to split aces, double against dealer’s 6, otherwise hit.
Single-Deck Blackjack Strategy
Single Deck, Dealer Hits on Soft 17
PLAYER'S CARD
* If the first option is not available, take the second
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As the name suggests, this strategy is applicable for single-deck blackjack with h52 cards. Here, every card has a big impact on the game’s outcome.
The following rules apply in a single-deck blackjack strategy:
The dealer shuffles a 52-card deck once at the beginning of the game.
You can split a blackjack hand up to three times.
Dealer must hit soft 17.
You can split ace pairs, and get an additional card for each but aren’t allowed to split the hands further.
If a split ace gets a 10, it’s not a blackjack card.
The dealer shuffles a 52-card deck once at the beginning of the game. You can split a blackjack hand up to three times. Dealer must hit soft 17 You can split ace pairs, and get an additional card for each but aren’t allowed to split the hands further. If a split ace gets a 10, it’s not a blackjack card. The bets in single-deck blackjack payout as follows – Blackjack 3:2, Insurance bet 2:1, and other winning hands 1:1.
The single-deck blackjack strategy offers the following actions for various play decisions.
Hitting
Hit on all pairs except for aces, 8,9, or 10.
Hit on soft hands except for A-10, A-9, and A-8.
Hit on hard hands except for 17 through 21.
Standing
Stand on soft hands of A-9 and A-10.
Stand on hard hands of 17-21.
Stand on 2, 7, and 8 if the player’s hand has A-7 and dealer’s up-card shows 3-6.
Stand on 10-10 pair.
Doubling
After determining the dealer’s up-card, double your bet in the following scenarios:
If the dealer’s up-card shows 2 through 9, and you have a 5-5 pair.
On soft hands if player and dealer show 2-6, 3-6, 4-6, and a 6.
On hard hands except for 5-7 and 17-21, which you should Hit and Stand, respectively.
Pair Splitting
Pair splitting is a blackjack strategy that can be highly rewarding. However, you must know the best time make this decision.
We recommend the following rules for pair splitting:
Always Split on ace-ace and 8-8 pairs
Always Stand on 10-10 pair
Split on 9-9 pair if the dealer’s up-card shows 2-6, 8-9, otherwise stand
Split on 7-7 pair if the dealer’s up-card shows 2-7, Hit on A, 8, and 9, and Stand on 10
Split on 6-6 pairs if the dealer’s up-card shows 2-7, otherwise Hit
Double on 5-5 pair if the dealer’s up-card shows 2-9, and Hit on 10 and aces
Split on 4-4 pairs if the dealer’s up-card shows 4-6, otherwise Hit
Split on 3-3 pairs if the dealer’s up-card shows 4-7, otherwise Hit
Split on 2-2 pairs if the dealer’s up-card shows 3-7, otherwise Hit
A single-deck blackjack chart has abbreviations for various actions as listed below:
- H – Hit
- S – Stand
- Dh – Double if allowed, otherwise Hit
- Ds – Double if allowed, otherwise Stand
- P – Split
- Ph – Split if “double after Split” is allowed, otherwise Hit
- Pd – Split if “double after Split” is allowed, otherwise Double
- Rh – Surrender if allowed, otherwise Hit
- Rs – Surrender if allowed, otherwise Stand
Rules of Online Blackjack
The aim of the game is to beat the dealer and win a return on your wager by scoring a total card value as close as 21 (called “blackjack”) without going over. Twenty-one is a perfect score, but anything 22 and over is a “bust,” or an automatic loss in blackjack. Since you’re playing against the dealer for the best score possible, you also can win automatically if the dealer’s hand busts.
Each turn, the player chooses to either:
- Hit — request an additional card
- Stand — receive no further cards
At some point, you’ll either achieve a winning hand or go over 21.
If you’re playing in person or in a live-dealer blackjack lobby, a typical table features 5-7 player seats on one side and a dealer on the other. It’ll have the game payout, bet limits, and hitting rule printed on it. (This info should be readily available at online casinos as well. If not, just keep our page open!)
How a Typical Blackjack Game Works
A blackjack table has designated “hitting rules” the dealer must observe. For instance, you’ll often see “Dealer Must Hit Soft 17.” Here, a dealer will hit if the total score of their cards is 16 or lower. They will keep doing so until they get 17 or higher.
The dealer will deal each guest two cards face-up. They will also deal themselves two cards, with the second card face-down.
The gamblers will now take turns. If your total score is 21, then you win automatically and the dealer pays you.
Otherwise, you can either, A) opt to stand if you feel you’re close to 21, or B) hit if you feel you need another card to get closer to 21.
If your new total exceeds 21, you lose. Otherwise, you wait until your next turn. Either way, the other players (if any) take their turns next.
There are other play options available if:
- You have a pair. You can split your cards and add a second bet. The dealer will deal a card for each hand, where you’ll opt to hit or stand if the score isn’t 21+.
- You want insurance. If you feel the dealer has blackjack, you can take a side bet equal to your original bet. If the dealer has blackjack, you lose your original bet but win a blackjack insurance bet that pays 2:1. Overall, you won’t lose or gain.
After the gamblers have taken their turn, the dealer will reveal their card. The following scenarios can occur:
Blackjack Basic Strategy
You’ll need more than lady luck to beat professional blackjack players. That’s where blackjack strategy charts come in.
A blackjack chart outlines for you exactly what action you should take against the dealer’s up-card. This way, you make decisions that statistically increase your chances of higher hand totals without going over 21.
A blackjack strategy chart outlines a series of decisions you should make when you receive the first two cards. Below is a quick outline of your options in basic strategy. You can learn other blackjack strategies once you advance beyond these basics.
Advanced Blackjack Strategy
You can still improve your blackjack basic strategy by incorporating card counting techniques. This move allows you to reduce the house blackjack advantage and improve your chances of winning.
One of the popular card counting techniques is Hi-Lo. This card counting system allows you to compute the player’s edge over the casino. A higher player’s edge means that your chances of winning are high. It’s okay to raise your bet at this point.
The Hi-Lo card counting system assigns high-value cards (A, J, K, and Q) +1, low-value cards (2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) -1, and mid-value cards (7,8, and 9) 0. A player must count all the cards dealt by the dealer by adding their individual values to obtain the running total.
Now, divide the running total by the number of remaining decks to get the True Count. This value helps you determine the player’s edge over the casino. Your chances of winning are high when the True Count is a 2 or higher.
It’s important to note that you’ll need to practice this card counting strategy and master it before you take a seat at a blackjack table to wager for money. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a rude shock since some dealers are fast.
Tips for Using Your Blackjack Strategy Chart
Where You Can Play Blackjack Online
Most land-based casinos offer blackjack tables. But you don’t have to leave your home to play live blackjack.
The advent of smartphone blackjack apps has made it easier than ever to play anytime, anywhere. Such software allows you to access blackjack tables online and play on your computer or mobile device, including with a live dealer.
When not using a live dealer, standard web-based blackjack games use RNG (random number generator) algorithms to dole out cards. Here you play against the computer and not the dealer. The advantage of this style of play is that you can bet low wagers anytime without the fear of missing a spot at the tables. The downside is that the software automatically reshuffles after each round, so you can’t use blackjack card-counting strategies.
One way to get started is by choosing a casino with table limits you can afford. If you’re new to blackjack, you shouldn’t feel pressured to bet above your budget and skill level.
