There are a basic set of rules that apply to all blackjack games:
General blackjack strategy
Always stand on 17 or better.
Always hit on 12-16 when dealer shows 7 or higher.
Always hit on 8 or less.
Doubling Down
Always double down on 11.
Double down on 10 when dealer shows 9 or lower.
Double down on 9 when dealer shows 6 or lower.
Soft Hands
Always stand on soft 19 and 20.
Always double down on soft 13-18 when dealer shows 4,5, or 6.
Splits
Always split aces and 8’s.
Never split 10-face cards and never split 5’s.
Always split 3’s and 2’s when the dealer shows 4,5,6, or 7.
Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart
Hit or Stand on hard hands
HARD | Dealer shows: |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Your Cards | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | T | A |
17 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
16 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
15 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
14 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
13 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
12 | H | H | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
11 | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | H |
10 | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | H | H |
9 | H | D | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
8 | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H |
Key: | H | Hit | ||||||||
S | Stand | |||||||||
D | Double if allowed; If not, hit. |
Hit or Stand on hard hands?
SOFT | Dealer shows: |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Your Cards | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | T | A |
(A,9) | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
(A,8) | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
(A,7) | S | Ds | Ds | Ds | Ds | S | S | H | H | H |
(A,6) | H | D | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
(A,5) | H | H | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
(A,4) | H | H | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
(A,3) | H | H | H | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
(A,2) | H | H | H | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
Key: | H | Hit | ||||||||
S | Stand | |||||||||
D | Double if allowed; If not, hit. |
|||||||||
Ds | Double if allowed; If not, stand. |
Should I split?
PAIRS | Dealer shows: |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Your Cards | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | T | A |
(A,A) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
(T,T) | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
(9,9) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N |
(8,8) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
(7,7) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
(6,6) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
(5,5) | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
(4,4) | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
(3,3) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
(2,2) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
Key: | Y | Yes, split ! |
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N | No, don’t split ! |