Blackjack: Basic Strategy
The idea of basic strategy in blackjack goes back to the early-mid eighties, when computers first started to become commonplace. Math researchers like money just like anyone else, so it is no surprise that eventually one or two of them applied their brian to the math beind casino games. If you know how many decks are in a shoe, and a couple of rules that the table follows, you know enough about the game to play smart.
These math researchers took some time to program a computer to play blackjack. They let the computer run through every concieveable decision you could have to face with your two card total against a dealers upcard. The computer let them know which decision (hit, stand, double, split, surrender, whatever) would be the most profitable in the long run, and basic strategy was born. So basic blackjack strategy is a set of suggestions for what decision to make on your hand. It is usually expressed in the form of a chart like the ones below. To use the chart, follow the column on the left down until you come across the two-card total that represents your hand, and then follow that row over to the right until you reach the column with the dealers up-card printed at the top. The contents of this table cell will let you know exactly what to decide.
The following basic strategy chart is for Tony's own free blackjack game (click that graphic in the top right, you'll be playing in no time). The game features just one deck, dealer stands on all 17s, you can double down on any two cards, you can double after a split, and there is no surrender.
| Pair Splitting |
| PAIRS |
Dealer's Upcard |
|---|
| 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 |
Y |
N |
S |
N |
| (6,6) |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
N |
| (5,5) |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
| (4,4) |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
| (3,3) |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
| (2,2) |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
N |
| | | Key: | Y |
Yes, Split the pair. | | N |
No, Don't split the pair. | | S |
Stand |
| Soft Totals |
| SOFT TOTALS |
Dealer's Upcard |
|---|
| 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 |
Ds |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| (A,7) |
S |
Ds |
Ds |
Ds |
Ds |
S |
S |
H |
H |
S |
| (A,6) |
D |
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 |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| (A,2) |
H |
H |
D |
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. |
| Hard Totals |
| HARD TOTALS |
Dealer's Upcard |
|---|
| 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 |
D |
| 10 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 9 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 8 |
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. |
|
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