BlackJackBetOnline.com // Learn to Use the Basic Blackjack Strategy

The things that will always influence the outcome of the game are the decisions the player will make. Blackjack is a game of skill and decisions. Making the right decision will increase your advantage, but making the wrong one will lower it. The strategy that you are using must see that you always make the most profitable decision. Remember that strategies are based on statistical chances. A good strategy will lower the house advantage to less than 1%, but will not guarantee a win.

The basic strategy charts presented here work for blackjack games that follow these rules:

The dealer will always stand if his card total is 17;
Only one deck of cards is used;
Doubling down a split hand is allowed;
Doubling down is allowed regardless of what initial cards you have;
Surrender is not allowed.

Using this chart when the rules vary is still better than going by instinct alone. But do not worry, there are charts out there for every rule variation possible.

Hard Totals

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card (face-up)
Player's Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	T	A
8	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
9	D	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

A hard card total cannot be modified. For example a hand containing a 5 and an 8 has a hard total of 13. This total cannot be changed, as opposed to a hand containing an Ace a 3. This hand can be counted as 13 or as 4, depending whether we think of the Ace as 1 or 11.

The options when faced with a hard total are: stand, hit, or double down. If the house allows it you can also surrender.

Soft Totals

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card (face-up)
Player's Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	T	A
A , 2	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A , 3	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A , 4	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A , 5	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A , 6	D	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A , 7	S	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	S	S	H	H	S
A , 8	S	S	S	S	Ds	S	S	S	S	S
A , 9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

A soft card total means that you have an Ace in your hand. Because of that your card total varies depending on how we count that Ace. Aces are either 1 or 11, as is best for the player.

When you have a soft total you can: hit, stand, double down. If the casino allows it you may surrender, but that is rarely the case when you have an Ace.

Splitting Pairs

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card (face-up)
Player's Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	T	A
2 , 2	H	H	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H
3 , 3	H	H	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H
4 , 4	H	H	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H	H
5 , 5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
6 , 6	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H
7 , 7	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H
8 , 8	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP
9 , 9	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	S	SP	SP	S	S
T , T	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A , A	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP

You may split your hand into two different hands only when you are dealt a pair. You can then play each hand separately. Splitting pairs means that you have to place another wager equal to your initial one.

When faced with a splitting situation you can: hit, stand, double down and obviously split pairs. You can surrender if the rules allow it, but that would be a bad decision.