YE

🃏 Blackjack Basic Strategy

Perfect basic strategy cuts the casino's edge to roughly 0.5%. Follow these charts every hand without deviation and you'll always be making the mathematically optimal play. Charts assume multi-deck, dealer stands on soft 17.

Pair Splitting
Dealer Upcard →
Your Pair2345678910A
A — A YYYYYYYYYY
T — T NNNNNNNNNN
9 — 9 YYYYYNYYNN
8 — 8 YYYYYYYYYY
7 — 7 YYYYYYNNNN
6 — 6 Y/NYYYYNNNNN
5 — 5 NNNNNNNNNN
4 — 4 NNNY/NY/NNNNNN
3 — 3 Y/NY/NYYYYNNNN
2 — 2 Y/NY/NYYYYNNNN
Y
Split the Pair
Y/N
Split only if Double After Split (DAS) is offered
N
Don't Split
Soft Totals (Hand Contains an Ace Counted as 11)
Dealer Upcard →
Your Hand2345678910A
A, 9 — Soft 20SSSSSSSSSS
A, 8 — Soft 19SSSSDsSSSSS
A, 7 — Soft 18DsDsDsDsDsSSHHH
A, 6 — Soft 17HDDDDHHHHH
A, 5 — Soft 16HHDDDHHHHH
A, 4 — Soft 15HHDDDHHHHH
A, 3 — Soft 14HHHDDHHHHH
A, 2 — Soft 13HHHDDHHHHH
H
Hit
S
Stand
D
Double if allowed, otherwise Hit
Ds
Double if allowed, otherwise Stand
Hard Totals (No Ace, or Ace Counts as 1)
Dealer Upcard →
Your Total2345678910A
17 or moreSSSSSSSSSS
16 SSSSSHHSurSurSur
15 SSSSSHHHSurH
14 SSSSSHHHHH
13 SSSSSHHHHH
12 HHSSSHHHHH
11 DDDDDDDDDD
10 DDDDDDDDHH
9 HDDDDHHHHH
8 or less HHHHHHHHHH
H
Hit
S
Stand
D
Double if allowed, otherwise Hit
Sur
Surrender if allowed, otherwise Hit
Late Surrender — When to Give Up Half Your Bet
Dealer Upcard → (Surrender only in these exact spots, otherwise follow Hard Totals above)
Your Total2345678910A
16———————SurSurSur
15————————Sur—
14——————————
Sur
Surrender — forfeit half your bet. If surrender isn't offered, Hit instead.
—
Don't surrender — use the Hard Totals chart above
🚫

Insurance & Even Money — Never Take It

When the dealer shows an Ace, the casino offers an "insurance" side bet. It looks like protection but it carries a house edge of around 7%. Even if you have a blackjack and they offer "even money," turn it down every single time. Long-term the math never works in your favor.

Key Rules to Memorize First

Always Split Aces & 8s

Aces give you two shots at 21. 8s turn a 16 (worst hand) into two strong starting points. No exceptions.

Never Split 10s

20 wins almost every hand. Don't break a near-certain winner into two uncertain ones. Stand and collect.

Never Split 5s

A pair of 5s is 10 — perfect for doubling. Treat them as hard 10 and double down against dealer 2 through 9.

Double Down on 11

Hard 11 is your best doubling hand. You have the highest probability of hitting 21. Only skip vs dealer Ace.

Hard 17 — Always Stand

The risk of busting on hard 17 is too high to justify hitting. Lock it in and let the dealer take the risk.

Soft 17 Is Not a Pat Hand

Ace + 6 cannot bust on the next card. Don't stand — hit or double according to the soft totals chart above.

Stand on Stiff vs Dealer Bust Card

Dealer showing 2–6? That's a bust card. Stand on 12–16 and let them dig their own grave. Don't risk your hand.

Surrender 16 vs 9, 10, Ace

Hard 16 against a strong dealer card is a mathematical loser. Surrendering saves you half your bet vs likely losing all of it.