Learn Blackjack Strategy

 Learn Blackjack Strategy

This is important before you memorize any charts.

It is not enough to have a basic strategy!

People send us emails all the time describing how they downloaded our Blackjack charts, went to a casino and won some cash. This is great news for them but it could have easily turned the other way. The house edge is not something you can overcome with a simple strategy, even if it works occasionally. You can think of it as a spacecraft. It is a rocket booster that provides basic strategy. It raises the shuttle sufficiently in the atmosphere that the shuttle can do the rest. The rocket booster never reaches space. Blackjack is a game that requires you to know how to play it.

Keep it in your mind!

This is where you can beat blackjack. Vegas was created by men who only looked at the basic strategy in their wallets a few times after buying it in the gift shop during their last vacation. To commit this information to your memory, it takes practice. It wouldn't be possible to learn this information if it were easy.

You should not start with the same chart that you end up with.

This chart will help you to understand the blackjack rules and deviations. You will find it easier to learn the basic strategy and then move onto the specific rules-specific charts.

Perfect means perfect!

A game in which you have a 1% chance of winning over the house is not worth a 99 percent game. These strategy charts should be familiarized with both the backwards and the forwards.

Blackjack Strategy Chart

Basic Strategy Includes An Order Of Operations

Can/should I Surrender

If a casino offers surrender, also known as late surrender or LSC, you can surrender only on the cards you have been dealt. If you have taken a hit card, surrender will not be possible. You should always surrender when you're playing your hand. If the answer to these questions is no, or you don't want to surrender, then you need ....

Is it possible to/should I split?

The second most important decision to make is whether or not you want to split. If your first two cards were a pair, or if you have two ten value cards (such as a jack or a queen), this option will not be available. If the answer to this question is no, you shouldn't be able or should split.

Do I have to/Should i double?

Basic strategy calls for doubling. It's a great thing! This will increase your chances of winning the hand. Doubles are not allowed in all casinos. If you get a NO, then you should question your ability to double.

Should I hit? Or should I stand?

The last thing that you should consider when it comes down to basic strategy is whether or to take another hand. You can either hit or stand if the alternatives are not suitable for you hand.

Here's a complete list of basic strategies in 30 easy phrases:

These simple phrases can help visual learners retain the rules. You want to be able look at your hands total and instantly recite the rule without looking at the dealer. When you get to the table, and you glance up at the dealer's hands, you will know exactly how they relate to your hand so you can quickly make your decision. You'll be able to recall these phrases faster and make fewer errors.

Surrenders:

16 surrenders to dealer 9 through Ace.

15 surrenders to dealer 10 otherwise, don't give up (reverting to hard totals).

Splits:

Always split aces.

Never split tens.

A pair 9's to dealer 2 through 9, with the exception of 7, stand.

Always split 8's

Otherwise, hit.

Otherwise, hit.

A pair of 5's will double the dealer 2 through 9. Otherwise, it is hit.

A pair of 4's that split against dealer 5 and 6 otherwise hit.

Otherwise, hit.

Otherwise, hit with a pair of 2.

Soft totals are hands that have an Ace among the first two cards. To start, the ace counts 11 as a soft total.

Soft 20 (A.9) stands always.

Soft 19 (A.8) doubles the dealer 6 otherwise, stand.

Soft 18 (A.7) Doubles against dealer 2 through 6. Hits against dealer 9 through Ace.

Soft 17 (A.6) doubles against dealer 3, 6, and 6.

Soft 16 (A.5) doubles against dealer 4-6, otherwise hit.

Soft 15 (A.4) doubles against dealer 4, 6, and 6.

Soft 14 (A.3) doubles against dealer 5-6, otherwise hit.

Soft 13 (A.2) doubles against dealer 5-6, otherwise hit.

Hard totals are hands that do not have an ace or that have been dealt an ace that is only 1 instead.

Always stand 17 and over

16 stands against dealer 2-6, otherwise hit.

15 against dealer 2-6, otherwise hit.

14 is against dealer 2 through 6 otherwise it will be hit.

13 stands against dealer 2-6, otherwise it is hit.

12 is against dealer 4 through 6. Otherwise, it will be hit.

11 always doubles.

10 doubles against the dealer 2 through 9. Otherwise, hit.

9 doubles against dealer 3, 6 and 7 otherwise hit.

8 always hits.

Blackjack Charts

There are many questions we get on our forum regarding basic strategy. Here are some common ones with their answers:

What is the foundation of basic strategy? Why didn't the casino authors "the book" about basic strategy? How can we trust the basic strategy?

The computer simulation provided the basis for basic strategy. Someone taught a computer how blackjack was played. Then, they told it to play several hundred million hands of blackjack and to record the results. It learned from trial and error what decisions were the best for the player based on every combination of starting hands and dealer up cards. The best decisions for the player are those that cost the casino the least over time. Card counting can make it more difficult for basic strategies to defeat the casino's house advantage. If you are super geeky or simply need to know more, Mike Shakleford has a video that shows him building basic strategy from scratch with excel. You can also watch his other video in which he determines how the house edge is determined.

Why is this site's strategy chart different than those I saw on another website?

TL:DR - This chart is based upon the more popular "H17" game. After memorizing our chart, learn card counting as well as the deviation chart for each game you'll be playing.

Longer answer

A 6 deck game is different from a single-decker game. There are slight variations in strategy. We decided not to teach you 9 different strategy charts for every variation of blackjack that you'll ever see. Instead, we ran our simulation against the most popular games people see and taught one basic strategy that was sufficient against all of them. When it comes down to learning card counting, our mentality is Keep it Simple Stupid. Our charts might look slightly different to sites with a different philosophy.

Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong would be a good choice for you if you are anal-retentive and want to learn hyperspecific strategies. The numbers show that learning hyper-specific strategies is not only more fun, but also makes you feel smarter. We recommend learning only those strategies, regardless of what you decide to do. You are more likely to be confused if you have multiple sources of information. We have collected more than $4,000,000 in casino winnings and trained a whole army of card-counters, who have earned millions more. You can rest assured that we have scoured the muck and are well-versed in what it takes to win this game.

How can I learn all this information?

Great question! You're in the right place. In our premium video course, we have tips to help you approach the blackjack charts more efficiently. We can also email you a mini-course that will give you step-by step instructions on how to make your training serious. For practice, we also offer blank strategy sheets which you can download and complete every day. Our basic strategy drills will help you get the basics down in your head.

I usually miss one hand when I do basic strategy drills. Are you ready for the casino?

If you believe that missing one every now or then is "perfect", then you are prepared! [sarcasm] How many people listen when musicians get every single note out of tune. Michael Jordan claims that you won't play better in a casino than you did in practice. We want to be like Mike. Therefore, we tell you that you will probably make 2 or 3 mistakes at the casino for every 1 mistake you make in your own home. Perfect means perfect. Don't compromise. Don't compromise. While it may not happen immediately, if you keep at it, you'll eventually be able to understand these blackjack charts as well as the back of your hand.

Next steps

Once you are confident with the basic strategy charts, you will need information on the count indexes required to differ from the chart. The rules of the game, as well as the rules for the region, can affect the deviations. Some games require that the dealer stand on a Soft 17 card, which is an Ace and any combination of cards equaling 6. This is called "Stand 17" games. In other games the dealer must hit any Soft 17. This is called a Hit 17 game. The dealers in Europe and Canada do not have a hole cards. This is "European" (or "European No-Hole") blackjack. Blackjack - A Few Tips For Splitting Your Cards