Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

How to read the chart

Work out which table your hand belongs in, in this order:

1. Pairs: two cards of the same value, such as 8,8 or A,A. Use this table first.
2. Soft hands: hands with an Ace counted as 11, such as A,6 (soft 17).
3. Hard hands: everything else, including any hand where the Ace has to count as 1.

Rules this chart is for: 6 decks, dealer hits soft 17, double on any first two cards, double after split allowed, no surrender. These are the rules in Perfect Pair Blackjack.

Hard totals

Soft totals

“Ds” means double if you can. If you’ve already taken a card, or can’t afford it, stand instead.

Pairs

A pair of 5s is never split. Play it as a hard 10. A pair of 10-value cards (10, J, Q or K) is a hard 20, so stand.

The rules worth remembering

• Always split Aces and 8s. Never split 10s or 5s.
• Stand on hard 17 or more. Always hit hard 8 or less.
• Dealer showing 2 to 6? Stand on hard 13 to 16. Those up cards bust most often, so let the dealer take the risk. (Hit 12 against a 2 or 3.)
• Dealer showing 7 or higher? Hit until you reach hard 17.
• Double on 11 against anything, on 10 against 2 to 9, and on 9 against 3 to 6.
• Soft 18 is a hit against 9, 10 or Ace. It feels wrong, but it’s right.
• Never take insurance. Insurance pays 2:1 but the dealer has blackjack less than a third of the time, so it loses money in the long run, even when you hold a blackjack.

Practise basic strategy

Perfect Pair Blackjack has Strategy Hints built in. A bubble above your buttons shows the basic strategy play for your current hand, and the game asks you to confirm before a clear mistake such as hitting hard 17 or splitting 10s. Turn hints on or off any time in Settings.

Basic strategy FAQ

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