Blackjack Strategy: The Best Way to Win Consistently

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Written by Ian Mac
Ian Mac
Ian Mac is a dedicated content writer and editor with consistent 5-star feedback when it comes to creating high-quality gambling content. He writes about casino bonuses, casino destinations and casino games including slots, roulette and blackjack.
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Blackjack may be a skill-based game, but unless players use an advanced technique such as card counting, the game still favors the house. Because blackjack is played with a fixed set of rules and uses standard 52-card decks, mathematically correct moves have been determined for every possible hand. This is the key to successful blackjack play: rather than relying on luck, players should follow the correct strategy for the particular version of 21 they are playing.

Blackjack strategy is the best way to get as close as possible to the incredibly low house edge of around 0.50% in most variations of the game. However, even perfect strategy does not guarantee winnings, and blackjack fans should know that the only way to gain an advantage over the casino is to count cards. Because card counting is a difficult technique that requires advanced skills and is not tolerated by casinos, most patrons prefer to memorize the basic strategy instead.

In this article, we describe the basic strategy common to most blackjack variations. Nevertheless, even the slightest change in the standard rules typically requires an adjustment to that strategy. Before players take a seat at the blackjack table, they need to consider the specific rules under which they will be playing.

What is Basic Strategy for Blackjack?

1Basic Strategy Intro

The simplest and most fundamental system for playing blackjack is known as “basic strategy.” It relies on predetermined probabilities for every possible scenario to provide mathematically correct recommendations. In other words, basic strategy helps players decide when to draw another card, stand, surrender, or double their bets based on the most likely outcome.

2Maximize Your Chances of Winning

For some players, this may not seem like a reliable or sound way to guarantee a profit. In fact, it does not guarantee a win every time. It does, however, maximize the chances of long-term success by identifying the best possible moves against the dealer. The strategy includes several core recommendations: players should always stand on totals of 19 or higher and hit on weak hands of 8 or less. Only two hands should be surrendered, namely 15 against a dealer 10 and 16 against a dealer 9 through Ace. Players should always split Aces and 8s and never split pairs of 5s or 10s. Bets should be doubled when holding a hard 11.

3Exceptions

There are, however, plenty of exceptions to consider. Basic strategy is typically presented as a chart that shows the correct play for every possible player hand and dealer upcard. Moreover, each variation of blackjack requires slight adjustments. For this section of our blackjack guide, we have selected a basic strategy that applies to most versions of the game. It is based on the following rules: the game uses 4 to 8 decks, the dealer hits on soft 17, surrender is allowed, and players can split up to four hands.

Player Hand Dealer’s Up Card
Hard 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
5-8 H H H H H H H H H H
9 H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
10 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
11 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
13-14 S S S S S H H H H H
15 S S S S S H H H SU/H SU/H
16 S S S S S H H SU/H SU/H SU/H
17 S S S S S S S S S SU/S
18-20 S S S S S S S S S S
Soft 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
13-14 H H H D/H D/H H H H H H
15 H H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
16 H H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
17 H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
18 D/S D/S D/S D/S D/S S S H H H
19 S S S S D/S S S S S S
20-21 S S S S S S S S S S
Pairs 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
2-2, 3-3 SP/H SP/H SP SP SP SP H H H H
4-4 H H H SP/H SP/H H H H H H
5-5 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
6-6 SP/H SP SP SP SP H H H H H
7-7 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
8-8 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SU/SP
9-9 SP SP SP SP SP S SP SP S S
10-10 S S S S S S S S S S
A-A SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
Legend
H Hit
S Stand
SP Split
SU/H Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
SU/S Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand
SU/SP Surrender if allowed, otherwise split
SP/H Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise hit
D/H Double if allowed, otherwise hit
D/S Double if allowed, otherwise stand

Tips for Basic Strategy Players

Practice Play
blank Decision Hands
blank Action Order
blank Short Pays Blackjack
blank Insurance

Practice Play

To be effective, basic strategy must be executed perfectly, without mistakes. Many players memorize the color-coded strategy charts, but they can also learn the correct moves by playing free online blackjack. This should not take long, as the strategy is much easier to follow in practice than it appears when shown as a chart.

Decision Hands

It covers several core lessons, such as hitting weak hands and standing on strong ones. More importantly, basic blackjack strategy helps when players are dealing with the so-called “decision hands.” Typically, totals from 2 through 18 are considered decision hands because they require specific actions. Players should generally stand on strong totals of 18 or higher. The guidance for totals from 2 to 8 is fairly intuitive, so players should concentrate on the rules for hands valued from 9 through 17.

Action Order

Players should also understand that there is a proper order for evaluating the available actions. First, they should decide whether to surrender the hand. If surrender is not advised, they should check whether the hand is a pair that can be split. If neither option applies, they should consider standing or taking another card, with the possibility of doubling the wager. A few additional factors may also come into play.

Short Pays Blackjack

Some casinos now offer alternative payouts for a player blackjack, such as 6:5 or even 1:1. The traditional 3:2 payout, or 1.5 times the wager, is much more favorable. Moreover, the basic strategy was developed specifically for the standard pay table, which includes 3:2 for a natural 21 and 1:1 for a regular win against the dealer.

Lower payouts make certain strategy moves less worthwhile, even if they remain mathematically correct. For that reason, short-pay blackjack variations should be avoided whenever possible.

Insurance

A glance at the basic strategy chart shows that taking insurance is never recommended, and that omission is intentional. Insurance is a side bet, independent of the original wager, that the dealer has blackjack. It is offered when the dealer’s upcard is an Ace and assumes that the hole card is a 10, Jack, Queen, or King.

The dealer will have a 10-value card in approximately 31.37% of cases, and the likelihood is even lower if any 10-value cards are already in players’ hands. Furthermore, even when the dealer has blackjack, the player merely breaks even by losing the original wager and winning the insurance bet, which pays 2:1 and usually costs exactly half of the main bet.

Composition-Based Strategy

Basic Strategy Adjustments

Composition-Based Strategy Examples

All blackjack players start with basic strategy charts, and there may be quite a few because both online and brick-and-mortar casinos offer an enormous range of blackjack variations. However, basic strategy alone is not enough for players who want a reliable income from blackjack. Those who wish to play professionally eventually learn to adjust basic strategy according to the specific composition of their hand and the cards that have already been dealt or “burnt.”

This approach is called composition-based strategy, while the familiar strategy charts are used for total-dependent strategy. The dynamic nature of the game requires players to consider not only the total of their hand but also the individual cards that compose it. Composition-based strategy techniques are most beneficial in games that use one or two decks. When applied correctly, they can further reduce the house edge and lower the game’s variance.

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How to Play Tricky Hands

Many recreational blackjack players find several hands particularly difficult to master. Players who have memorized basic strategy and understand composition-based strategy can usually spot the correct move right away. Nevertheless, some blackjack hands remain tricky.

blank 8-8 vs Dealer 10
blank 16 vs Dealer 7
blank 11 vs Dealer 10
blank 12 vs Dealer 3
blank Soft 18 vs Dealer 9

8-8 vs Dealer 10

A hard 16 against the dealer is one of the worst situations in blackjack. The player is expected to win only about 23% of the time. The outlook is nearly as bad when facing a dealer 9 or Ace. When that 16 consists of two 8s, however, players can improve the situation by breaking up the pair.

Many players fear that splitting 8-8 may result in losing both hands. Although that can happen, splitting is still the correct move. Over the long term, the mathematics shows that this choice is more profitable. Short-term variance will always exist, but players should stick with the split in this situation for consistent basic strategy play.

16 vs Dealer 7

Most blackjack beginners struggle with hard totals between 12 and 16. These hands are challenging because they can bust easily, yet they can also improve to strong totals such as 18, 19, 20, or 21. When dealt a 16 against a dealer 7, many players try to avoid busting by standing.

However, hitting and hoping for a low card is the better play because cards from 2 through 5 are still plentiful in the shoe. A hard 16 might consist of 9-7 or 6 plus a 10-value card. It is better to draw and hope for a low card than to leave the outcome to the dealer.

11 vs Dealer 10

Players should always double a hard 11 against any dealer upcard, even a 10. The reason is straightforward: the player is more likely to turn 11 into 21 than the dealer is to draw an Ace for blackjack. In fact, with one card, the player will make 20 or 21 roughly 60% of the time, while the dealer is less likely to reach 20. By doubling down, players can win twice as much in this favorable situation.

In most blackjack variations, the dealer hits soft 17, and doubling a hard 11 against a dealer 10 is the correct move. If the dealer stands on all 17s, however, the player should hit instead.

12 vs Dealer 3

Many inexperienced players who receive a hard 12 against a dealer 3 prefer to stand, believing it is better to leave the potential bust card to the dealer. This is a mistake. A total of 12 busts only if a 10-value card is drawn, which occurs roughly 4 times in 13.

With a hard 12, drawing a 10-value card, of which there may be 15 or 16 depending on the deck, results in a bust. However, cards from 5 through 9 produce a solid hand of 17 through 21, and around 20 such cards may remain in the shoe. The exact mix of “good” and “bad” cards depends on the initial combination, whether it is 10-2, 9-3, 8-4, or 7-5.

Soft 18 vs Dealer 9

Standing on totals of 18 or higher is generally recommended because these are strong hands. When a player holds a soft 18 (A-7) against a dealer 9, however, the situation changes. The dealer’s 9 is a strong card that can easily become 19 with a 10-value card. Since 10-value cards are the most common in the deck, a potential dealer 19 will beat the player’s soft 18.

In this matchup, the player wins about 8 out of 20 hands by standing. By hitting, the player wins roughly 9 out of 20 hands. Because the odds are slightly better, hitting is the preferred play.

Blackjack Strategy Charts

Once players master the basic strategy for multi-deck blackjack in which the dealer hits soft 17 (H17), they can make small adjustments tailored to the specific variation they are playing. There is a wide variety of blackjack games, each with slightly different rules that can alter the odds for certain hands.

The basic strategy above is designed for a four- to eight-deck game where the dealer hits soft 17. While this format is most common in land-based casinos, other versions offer better odds and a different house edge, so their basic strategies vary in some situations.

blank Multi-Deck Blackjack, Dealer Stands on all 17s
blank European Blackjack
blank Single-Deck Blackjack

Multi-Deck Blackjack, Dealer Stands on all 17s

This strategy chart is helpful for players of traditional Vegas Rules blackjack. The game uses four to eight 52-card decks, and the dealer stands on all 17s.

Player Hand Dealer’s Up Card
Hard 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
5-8 H H H H H H H H H H
9 H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
10 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
11 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
13-14 S S S S S H H H H H
15 S S S S S H H H SU/H H
16 S S S S S H H SU/H SU/H SU/H
17-20 S S S S S S S S S S
Soft 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
13-14 H H H D/H D/H H H H H H
15 H H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
16 H H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
17 H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
18 S D/S D/S D/S D/S S S H H H
19-20 S S S S S S S S S S
Pairs 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
2-2, 3-3 SP/H SP/H SP SP SP SP H H H H
4-4 H H H SP/H SP/H H H H H H
5-5 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
6-6 SP/H SP SP SP SP H H H H H
7-7 SP SP SP SP SP SP H 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
10-10 S S S S S S S S S S
A-A SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
Legend
H Hit
S Stand
SP Split
SU/H Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
SU/S Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand
SP/H Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise hit
SU/SP Surrender if allowed, otherwise split
SP/D Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise double
SP/S Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise stand
D/H Double if allowed, otherwise hit
D/S Double if allowed, otherwise stand

European Blackjack

European blackjack has no hole card, which slightly alters the game’s rules and strategy. More importantly, the player loses all bets if the dealer has blackjack, including any additional wagers from splits or doubles. This variation is usually played with four to eight decks, and the dealer stands on all 17s. Players may double only on hard totals of 9, 10, or 11 and after a split.

Player Hand Dealer’s Up Card
Hard 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
5-8 H H H H H H H H H H
9 H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
10 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
11 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
13-16 S S S S S H H H H H
17-20 S S S S S S S S S S
Soft 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
13-17 H H H H H H H H H H
18 S S S S S S S H H H
19-20 S S S S S S S S S S
Pairs 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
2-2, 3-3 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
4-4 H H H SP SP H H H H H
5-5 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
6-6 SP SP SP SP SP H H H H H
7-7 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
8-8 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP H H
9-9 SP SP SP SP SP S SP SP S S
10-10 S S S S S S S S S S
A-A SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP H
Legend
H Hit
S Stand
SP Split
D/H Double if allowed, otherwise hit

Single-Deck Blackjack

Only a handful of casinos offer single-deck blackjack, and the rules can vary slightly between venues. The chart below outlines the strategy for a single-deck game in which the dealer hits soft 17.

Player Hand Dealer’s Up Card
Hard 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
4-7 H H H H H H H H H H
8 H H H D/H D/H H H H H H
9 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
10 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
11 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
13-14 S S S S S H H H H H
15 S S S S S H H H H SU/H
16 S S S S S H H H SU/H SU/H
17 S S S S S S S S S SU/S
18-21 S S S S S S S S S S
Soft 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
13-16 H H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
17 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H H H H
18 S D/S D/S D/S D/S S S H H H
19 S S S S D/S S S S S S
20-21 S S S S S S S S S S
Pairs 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
2-2 SP/H SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
3-3 SP/H SP/H SP SP SP SP SP/H H H H
4-4 H H SP/H SP/D SP/D H H H H H
5-5 D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H D/H H H
6-6 SP SP SP SP SP SP/H H H H H
7-7 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP/H H SU/S SU/H
8-8 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
9-9 SP SP SP SP SP S SP SP S SP/S
10-10 S S S S S S S S S S
A-A SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
Legend
H Hit
S Stand
SP Split
SU/H Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
SU/S Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand
SP/H Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise hit
SP/D Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise double
SP/S Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise stand
D/H Double if allowed, otherwise hit
D/S Double if allowed, otherwise stand
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