Blackjack basic strategy
For every hand and every dealer upcard, the play that returns the most on average: hit, stand, double or split. Each cell is calculated, not copied, and its calculation is one click away.
Pairs
Soft hands (ace counted as 11)
Hard totals
Practice
Hand simulator
Pick your two cards and the dealer’s up card from a real 52-card deck, or deal at random: the simulator shows the basic strategy advice for the table rules, then you play the hand out against the dealer.
Table rules: dealer stands on soft 17, single-deck shoe.
Enable scripts in your browser to use the simulator; the strategy chart above works without them.
Dealer
Basic strategy advice
Pick your two cards and the dealer’s up card, or deal at random.
Practice without money: the simulator draws from a single 52-card deck and records nothing. Even perfect strategy leaves the house an edge.
The dealer by upcard
Probability of each final dealer total under the selected rules.
| Upcard | Bust | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Blackjack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 35.4% | 14.0% | 13.5% | 13.0% | 12.4% | 11.8% | — |
| 3 | 37.4% | 13.5% | 13.0% | 12.6% | 12.0% | 11.5% | — |
| 4 | 39.4% | 13.0% | 12.6% | 12.1% | 11.6% | 11.1% | — |
| 5 | 41.6% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 11.8% | 11.3% | 10.8% | — |
| 6 | 42.3% | 16.5% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 10.2% | 9.7% | — |
| 7 | 26.2% | 36.9% | 13.8% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 7.4% | — |
| 8 | 24.5% | 12.9% | 35.9% | 12.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% | — |
| 9 | 22.8% | 12.0% | 12.0% | 35.1% | 12.0% | 6.1% | — |
| 10 | 23.0% | 12.1% | 12.1% | 12.1% | 37.1% | 3.7% | 7.7% |
| Ace | 16.7% | 18.9% | 18.9% | 18.9% | 18.9% | 7.8% | 30.8% |
Totals assume the dealer has no blackjack (checked before your turn). Blackjack column: its probability before the check.
How to read the chart
Find the row of your hand, then the column of the dealer upcard: the cell gives the play. With a pair, check the pairs chart first; with an ace counted as 11, the soft hands chart; otherwise, the hard totals chart.
After a third card, read your hand again in the hard totals or soft hands chart. Doubling is usually allowed on the first two cards only: a "Double, otherwise hit" cell then means Hit, and a "Double, otherwise stand" cell means Stand.
Cells marked with a dot are close calls: less than 1% of the bet separates the best play from the second best. Following them is still the best play, but a mistake there costs little.
How each cell is calculated
For every starting hand and every dealer upcard, we calculate the expected value of each play, meaning the average return per bet: all your next cards, played as well as possible, and every way the dealer can complete a hand up to 17 are counted, each with its probability. The play shown is the one with the highest expected value.
The calculation assumes an infinite shoe: every card has the same probability on every draw (4 in 13 for a ten-value card, 1 in 13 for each other rank). It is the reference model for 4- to 8-deck shoes and for online tables that shuffle after every hand; with a real shoe, only a few close calls can change.
Example: with 16 against a dealer 10, standing loses 54.04% of the bet on average and hitting 53.98%. Hitting is therefore the best play, by a very small margin: it is a close call.
Why table rules change the chart
Select your table rules above the chart: it is recalculated, together with the matching house edge.
- Dealer hits soft 17 (H17): the house edge goes up. You also double 11 against an ace, A,4 against 4, A,7 against 2 and A,8 against 6.
- No double after split: you split small pairs less often (2,2 and 3,3 against 2 and 3, 4,4 against 5 and 6, 6,6 against 2).
- No hole card (European rule): a dealer blackjack also takes doubled and split bets. You no longer double 11 against a 10, split 8,8 against a 10 or an ace, or split A,A against an ace.
What the chart does not do
Basic strategy is the best way to play without counting cards. It brings the house edge down to the minimum the rules allow; it does not remove it: over time, every bet loses the percentage shown on average.
Insurance is not in the chart: it pays 2 to 1, while the dealer holds blackjack only 4 times in 13 with an ace showing, an average loss of 7.7% of the insurance bet. Basic strategy never takes it. Side bets (pairs, 21+3) are not covered either: they have their own rules and a much higher house edge.
Play responsibly
Blackjack is still gambling. Set a budget and a time limit before you play, and stop when you reach it. If gambling is no longer fun, see the responsible gambling page: it lists helplines for each country.
