Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack is often called a basic game. That's a strange thing, as there's not so much about it that's basic, except the strategy you must employ. The must enamored 'basic blackjack strategy' truly is an important base set of rules to get your head around. But more than memorization, the basic strategy involves a healthy dose of intuition. Blackjack is a game where distraction is king (one of the advantages of playing online) - its simple, you hit when it would have been statistically more advantageous of you to stick. How do you know when the math isn't on your side? Usually it simply involves paying a little more attention to the dealer's hand. A good grasp of the process a dealer must follow to complete his hand lets you know if he is 'showing busting cards'. The strategy of choice then, is to look at what the dealer is showing, look at what your total is, and take a wild guess! Just kidding. Usually its enough to recognize if the dealer has a 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2 showing. You have to presume (this is the easy part of the math… but there really is no hard part) that the card your not seeing in the dealer's hand is worth 10, as there are a larger number of face cards than anything else. This means, if the dealer shows 2, 3, 4 5, or 6, there is a good chance they will have a ten for a total of a low teen, then, following the rules the dealer must hit until they reach at least 17. So if your sitting there with a 13, but the dealer is showing a 6, what should you do? You should stick, because the dealer will most likely bust. Remember, if you have a 13 and the dealer initially has a 16, it doesn't mean the dealer wins, they still have to draw another card as they have not reached 17 yet. Chances are it will be a 10, and the dealer will bust.

The statistics could be worked out by hand without too much trouble, but of course they get more complicated the more decks you're dealing with. Fortunately, to help you get in the right frame of mind to make these decisions on your own, on the fly (which you need to do in a real casino, but you have all the time in the world to look up options on charts if you play from home), we have a free in browser blackjack game you can try.

The important thing to remember is that nearly all basic strategy rules are indisputable in the long run, but it is the long run that defines them. Only in the long run will the stats work out with any consistency, and basic blackjack strategy can only be said to be truly beneficial if you're playing for an extended period. Is this true? How can math only be valid over time? The finite nature of mathematical science dictates that a particular playing decision, based on the player's cards and the dealer's exposed card, will yield a predictable outcome after millions of hands of play. But at the same time, the prediction it makes is always applicable to the 'next' hand played. So following this basic strategy truly is your best decision.

It is imperative as a blackjack player to learn this basic strategy, because by using it, you will eliminate the normal 5 or so percent advantage the casino has over the unskilled player. With perfect basic strategy play, the house advantage can dip as low as 0.5 percent! That is less than a 1 percent disadvantage to the player. This is why blackjack can be one of the most profitable games to play in a casino. But be wary of games such as this where the house edge is a variable, it means you have to be a smart player, and pay attention. And the casinos are experts at distraction.

Basic strategy varies according to the type of playing conditions that you are exposed to. Namely, how many decks that are in the shoe you are playing. Below I have listed the basic strategy rules for single deck games and for multiple deck shoes. So I urge you to study the rules below and practice them until they do not require any thought on your part. There are many places to play blackjack for free on the net, including right here at online-blackjack.com. You can also find interactive tutorials around the net, for an example check out Enjoy Blackjack.com.

In the charts below, the left hand column is the total of the cards you have in your hand and the right column is the proper playing strategy based on the dealers up card. It may seem like a lot to remember, but its not about memory, its about learning to react. Each move can be thought out and is logical.

Single Deck - Basic Blackjack Strategy

Your Hand Dealer's Upcard
8 Double on 5 to 6. Otherwise hit
9 Double on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
10 Double on 2 to 9. Otherwise hit.
11 Always double.
12 Stand on 4 to 6. Otherwise hit.
13-16 Stand on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
17-21 Always stand.
A,2 - A,5 Double on 4 to 6. Otherwise hit.
A,6 Double on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
A,7 Double on 3 to 6. Stand on 2,7,8 or A. Hit on 9 or 10.
A,8 Double on 6. Otherwise stand.
A,9 Always stand.
A,A Always split.
2,2 Split on 3 to 7. Otherwise hit.
3,3 Split on 4 to 7. Otherwise hit.
4,4 Same as 8 above.
5,5 Same as 10 above.
6,6 Split on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
7,7 Split on 2 to 7. Stand on 10. Otherwise hit.
8,8 Always split.
9,9 Split on 2 to 9 except 7. Stand on 7,10 or A.
10,10 Always stand.

The above chart assumes the casino doesn't allow doubling down after pair splitting. If the casino allows doubling down after pair splitting then use the following pair splitting rules.

Your Hand Dealer's Upcard
2,2 Split on 2 to 7. Otherwise hit.
3,3 Split on 2 to 7. Otherwise hit.
4,4 Split on 4,5 or 6. Otherwise hit.
6,6 Split on 2 to 7. Otherwise hit.
7,7 Split on 2 to 8. Stand on 10. Otherwise hit.


Four, Six, and Eight Deck Basic Strategy

Your Hand Dealer's Upcard
5 to 8 Always Hit.
9 Double on 3 to 6. Otherwise hit.
10 Double on 2 to 9. Hit on 10, A.
11 Double on 2 to 10. Hit on A.
12 Stand on 4 to 6. Otherwise hit.
13 Stand on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
14 Stand on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
15 Stand on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
16 Stand on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
17 Always stand.
18 Always stand.
A,2 Double on 5,6. Otherwise hit.
A,3 Double on 5,6. Otherwise hit.
A,4 Double on 4 to 6. Otherwise hit.
A,5 Double on 4 to 6. Otherwise hit.
A,6 Double on 3 to 6. Otherwise hit.
A,7 Double on 3 to 6. Stand on 2,7 or 8. Hit on 9,10 or A.
A,8 - A,10 Always stand.
A,A Always split.
2,2 Split on 2 to 7, Otherwise hit.
3,3 Split on 2 to 7. Otherwise hit.
4,4 Split on 5,6. Otherwise hit.
5,5 Never split. Treat as 10 above.
6,6 Split on 2 to 6. Otherwise hit.
7,7 Split on 2 to 7. Otherwise hit.
8,8 Always split.
9,9 Split on 2 to 6, 8 or 9. Stand on 7,10, or A.
10,10 Always stand.

The above multiple deck basic strategy is valid if the players are allowed to double down after pair splitting. If doubling down is not allowed after pair splitting, then use the following pair splitting rules.

Your Hand Dealer's Upcard
2,2 Split on 4 to 7.Otherwise hit.
3,3 Split on 4 to 7. Otherwise hit.
4,4 Never split. Always hit.
6,6 Split on 3 to 6. Otherwise hit



 
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