Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

This chart shows the correct play for every starting hand against every dealer upcard. We computed it rather than copying it from a book: the expected value of every action (hit, stand, double, split, surrender) for every situation, using the same engine that grades your play in our free play table. Change the rule variants below and the chart recomputes.

How to read the chart

Find your hand on the left (hard totals, then soft totals with an ace counted as 11, then pairs) and the dealer's upcard along the top. The cell is the correct play. “Double (else hit)” means double if the table allows it, otherwise hit; “else stand” likewise.

Why the variants matter

Whether the dealer hits soft 17 (H17) or stands (S17) changes a handful of plays. With H17 you double 11 against an ace and soft 19 against a 6. Double-after-split (DAS) makes several pair splits profitable that aren't otherwise, like 2s and 3s against a 2. Late surrender adds an escape hatch for the worst hands: 16 against 9, 10, or ace, and 15 against 10. Each toggle above recomputes the expected values under those rules.

The chart is the floor, not the ceiling

Basic strategy is the best you can do from the two cards in front of you. It cuts the house edge to roughly half a percent, but it doesn't make blackjack a winning game. Getting further means counting cards, which we teach separately. Train the chart until it's automatic. That alone plays better blackjack than almost everyone at the table.

Chart computed for 4–8 deck shoes with dealer peek. Values verified against independently published basic strategy tables.