Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

Basic strategy is the mathematically optimal way to play every hand in blackjack. Developed through computer simulations of millions of hands, this chart shows the decision that minimizes the house edge to approximately 0.5%. It's the foundation that the MIT Blackjack Team built upon before adding card counting techniques.

Quick Strategy Lookup

Select your cards and the dealer's upcard to see the optimal play.

Your First Card:

Your Second Card:

Dealer's Upcard:

Select your two cards and the dealer's upcard to see the recommended play.

H = Hit

S = Stand

D = Double (hit if not allowed)

P = Split

R = Surrender (hit if not allowed)

Hard Totals

A "hard" hand contains no Ace counted as 11, or contains an Ace that must be counted as 1 to avoid busting.

Your Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A

Soft Totals

A "soft" hand contains an Ace counted as 11. These hands are flexible because the Ace can become a 1 if needed.

Your Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A

Pair Splitting

When dealt a pair, you may have the option to split into two separate hands. This chart shows when splitting is mathematically advantageous.

Your Pair	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A

Understanding Basic Strategy

Basic strategy isn't a betting system or a "trick" to beat the casino. It's the result of rigorous mathematical analysis that determines the optimal decision for every possible combination of player hand and dealer upcard. The strategy was first developed in the 1950s by mathematicians including Edward O. Thorp, whose 1962 book "Beat the Dealer" revolutionized blackjack.

Did You Know? According to research from the UNLV Center for Gaming Research, the average blackjack player who doesn't use basic strategy faces a house edge of around 2%. Perfect basic strategy reduces this to about 0.5%—a four-fold improvement.

Why These Decisions Are Optimal

Each cell in the strategy chart represents the decision that produces the highest expected value (or smallest expected loss) based on probability. For example:

Always split Aces: Two hands starting with 11 are far stronger than one hand of 12 or 2
Never split 10s: 20 is already an excellent hand; splitting gives you two weaker starting points
Double on 11: With 11, you can't bust with one card, and there's a high probability of making a strong hand
Stand on 12-16 against dealer 2-6: The dealer has a high probability of busting when showing weak cards

The Mathematics Behind the Chart

Basic strategy is derived from probability theory and expected value calculations. Each decision is evaluated by simulating millions of hands and calculating the average outcome. The "correct" play is simply the one with the highest expected return (or lowest expected loss).

For instance, when you have 16 against a dealer's 10, hitting loses less money on average than standing—even though both options usually result in a loss. Basic strategy doesn't promise wins; it minimizes losses.

Important: Basic strategy assumes a fresh deck (or shoe) with no knowledge of which cards have been played. Card counters like the MIT Blackjack Team modified their play based on the remaining card composition—but they started by mastering perfect basic strategy.

Strategy Variations by Rules

The chart above is optimized for the most common casino blackjack rules. However, strategy can vary slightly depending on:

Rule Variation	Effect on Strategy
Number of decks (1, 2, 4, 6, 8)	Single deck slightly favors doubling and splitting more aggressively
Dealer hits or stands on soft 17	H17 rules slightly favor more player aggression
Double after split allowed	DAS rules favor splitting more pairs
Surrender available	Surrender is optimal for a few specific hands (16 vs 9/10/A)

For detailed rule-specific charts, the Wizard of Odds provides excellent resources for generating custom strategy charts.

Common Strategy Mistakes

Even experienced players often make these basic strategy errors:

Standing on 12 Against a 2 or 3

Many players think "never bust" and stand on any 12. But against a dealer 2 or 3, hitting is actually the better play because the dealer's bust probability is lower with these upcards.

Not Splitting 8s Against a 10

16 is the worst hand in blackjack. While splitting 8s against a 10 isn't fun, it's mathematically better than playing a 16—you lose less money on average.

Taking Insurance

Insurance is a side bet that pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack. Mathematically, it's almost always a bad bet—the house edge on insurance is about 7.4%. The only exception is for card counters who know the deck is rich in 10s.

Did You Know? Casinos don't mind if you use basic strategy—it's completely legal. What they do mind is card counting, which uses basic strategy as a foundation but adds information about remaining cards. Learn more about how casinos detect advantage players.

Why Casinos Still Win

If basic strategy is so effective, why do casinos still make money at blackjack? Several reasons:

Most players don't use it: The average player makes many suboptimal decisions, giving the casino a bigger edge
The house edge still exists: Even perfect basic strategy faces about 0.5% house edge—the casino still has an advantage
Side bets: Games often include high house edge side bets that boost casino profits
Psychological factors: Players may abandon strategy when on winning or losing streaks

Explore our Casino Odds Calculator to see exactly how the house edge translates to expected losses over different numbers of bets, or use the Bankroll Simulator to visualize how variance affects results even when using optimal strategy.