Blackjack basic strategy chart and trainer
With 3:2 blackjack, the dealer standing on soft 17 and double after split, perfect basic strategy (also called standard or optimal strategy) leaves a house edge of about 0.57%. If blackjack pays 6:5, it rises to 1.92%. Pick your table's rules to redraw the chart, or enter a hand to see the value of every play.
Checked 2026-11-07. Source: calculation method below.
Basic strategy trainer
Practise until the chart is automatic. The trainer deals a random hand, you choose a move, and it tells you the right play and what a mistake costs per $100 bet. Pick hard totals, soft totals or pairs to drill one part of the chart.
Pick a move.
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Printable strategy card
The button under the chart prints the three tables for the rules you picked on one page, with a legend, or saves them as a PDF. Many players keep a strategy card at hand while learning; casinos set their own rules on using one at the table, so ask first. Online, you can keep this page open next to the game.
How the chart is calculated
For each hand and dealer upcard the calculator works out the exact expected value of hitting, standing, doubling, splitting and surrendering, then picks the highest. It uses an infinite deck: each card has a fixed chance (1 in 13 for each rank, 4 in 13 for a ten-value card), and the dealer has already checked for blackjack with a ten or an ace showing, as in US casinos.
EV(stand) = P(dealer busts) + P(you beat the dealer's total) − P(dealer beats yours)
EV(hit) = Σ P(card) × best of stand or hit on the new total · EV(double) = 2 × Σ P(card) × EV(stand on the new total)
Two simplifications: a split hand is not re-split, and split aces get one card each. Both make the house edge here a little higher than in a real casino game that allows re-splitting.
Worked example: 16 against a dealer 10
Standing on hard 16 wins only when the dealer busts. Against a 10 that happens 23.0% of the time once the dealer has no blackjack, so standing returns −$54.04 per $100. Hitting busts you often but sometimes makes 17 to 21, and returns −$53.98. Hitting is better by 6 cents per $100, so hit. Where late surrender is offered, giving up half the bet (−$50.00) beats both.
House edge by rule
| Rules | House edge | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 3:2, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split, no surrender | 0.57% | base |
| Dealer hits soft 17 | 0.79% | +0.22 pts |
| No double after split | 0.69% | +0.12 pts |
| Late surrender allowed | 0.48% | −0.09 pts |
| Blackjack pays 6:5 | 1.92% | +1.35 pts |
| 6:5 and dealer hits soft 17 | 2.14% | +1.57 pts |
Infinite deck, perfect basic strategy for each rule set, no re-splitting. A 6:5 table with the dealer hitting soft 17 costs 2.14% of every bet, against 0.57% at a good 3:2 table. Download: blackjack-house-edge-by-rule.csv (free to use with a link to this page).
How often the dealer busts
| Dealer upcard | Busts (stands on soft 17) | Busts (hits soft 17) | Has blackjack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 35.4% | 35.7% | – |
| 3 | 37.4% | 37.7% | – |
| 4 | 39.4% | 39.7% | – |
| 5 | 41.6% | 41.8% | – |
| 6 | 42.3% | 43.9% | – |
| 7 | 26.2% | 26.2% | – |
| 8 | 24.5% | 24.5% | – |
| 9 | 22.8% | 22.8% | – |
| 10 | 23.0% | 23.0% | 7.7% |
| A | 16.7% | 20.1% | 30.8% |
Bust chances are after the dealer has checked for blackjack (with a ten or an ace showing). The "has blackjack" column is the chance the hole card makes a natural.
The closest calls
| Hand | Best play | Per $100 | Next best | Per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 v 10 | hit | −$53.98 | stand | −$54.04 |
| 12 v 3 | hit | −$23.37 | stand | −$25.23 |
| A,7 v 9 | hit | −$10.07 | stand | −$18.32 |
| 11 v A | hit | +$14.30 | double | +$10.91 |
| 9,9 v 7 | stand | +$39.96 | split | +$37.00 |
| A,2 v 5 | hit | +$13.34 | double | +$12.60 |
Rules: dealer stands on soft 17, double after split, no surrender, blackjack pays 3:2. Some charts for 6- and 8-deck shoes double A,2 against 5 and A,4 against 4. With an infinite deck hitting is better by less than a dollar per $100, so either play costs almost nothing. When the dealer hits soft 17 the chart changes in 4 cells: 11 against A (H to D), A,4 against 4 (H to D), A,7 against 2 (S to Ds), A,8 against 6 (S to Ds).
Questions
What is insurance in blackjack, and should you take it?
When the dealer shows an ace you can bet up to half your stake that the dealer has blackjack; it pays 2 to 1. The hole card is a ten-value card about 30.8% of the time, so insurance loses 7.7% of what you put on it. Basic strategy never takes insurance (card counters do when the count is high).
Is basic strategy the same as standard or optimal strategy?
Yes. Basic, standard and optimal strategy are names for the same thing: the best play for every hand against every dealer upcard, without counting cards. The exact chart depends on the table rules, which is why this one redraws when you change them.
How do I learn blackjack basic strategy?
A short guide: learn the pairs and soft totals first, since they are where most mistakes happen, then drill random hands with the trainer above until you answer without the chart. Print the strategy card to keep next to you while you practise.
What is blackjack basic strategy?
The play with the highest expected value for every two-card hand against every dealer upcard. With 3:2 blackjack, dealer standing on soft 17 and double after split, it brings the house edge down to about 0.57%.
Should you hit 16 against a dealer 10?
Yes, if surrender is not offered, but it is the closest call in the game: hitting returns −$53.98 per $100 bet and standing −$54.04. With late surrender, surrendering is better (−$50.00).
How much does 6:5 blackjack cost?
It raises the house edge from 0.57% to 1.92% with otherwise the same rules, so you lose about 3.4 times as much per hour of play.
Do I always split aces and eights?
Yes. Splitting aces and eights is the best play against every dealer upcard under the rules on this page. Never split tens or fives.
Does basic strategy beat the casino?
No. It reduces the house edge to its lowest point, but the edge stays above zero (0.57% under good rules). Over time you still lose about that share of what you bet.