Blackjack Basic Strategy: The Complete Guide (2025)

Basic strategy is the mathematically optimal way to play every blackjack hand. It's not about luck or hunches—it's about making the decision that gives you the best expected outcome based on millions of simulated hands. Master it, and you'll reduce the house edge to under 0.5%.

What Is Basic Strategy?

Basic strategy is a set of rules that tells you the best action for every possible hand combination. For each situation—your cards versus the dealer's upcard—there's one mathematically correct play.

It accounts for:

• Your hand total
• Whether you have a "soft" hand (containing an Ace counted as 11)
• Whether you have a pair
• The dealer's visible card
• Table rules (number of decks, dealer hits/stands on soft 17, etc.)

What it doesn't account for:

• Card counting or remaining deck composition
• Your "gut feeling" or lucky streaks
• Previous hands or results

Why Basic Strategy Works

Every blackjack decision has an expected value (EV). Basic strategy always chooses the highest EV option.

Example:

• Your hand: 16
• Dealer shows: 10
• Options: Hit or Stand

Standing loses about 54% of the time (dealer makes 17+ often). Hitting loses about 53% of the time (yes, you'll bust often, but slightly less negative).

Neither option is good—but hitting is less bad. Basic strategy tells you to hit.

The House Edge With Basic Strategy

The difference between "winging it" and basic strategy can be 2-3% of every dollar wagered. Over thousands of hands, that's real money.

Hard Hands Strategy

Hard hands contain no Ace (or an Ace that must count as 1 to avoid busting).

Hard Totals Chart

Key: H = Hit, S = Stand, D = Double (hit if can't double), R = Surrender (hit if can't surrender)

Hard Hand Explanations

8 or less: Always hit. You can't bust, and any card improves your hand.

9: Double against dealer 3-6 (weak cards). Otherwise hit.

10-11: These are premium doubling hands. Double almost always, except 10 vs dealer 10/A and 11 vs A (in some rule sets).

12-16: The "stiff" hands—most frustrating in blackjack. Stand against dealer bust cards (2-6), hit against dealer strong cards (7-A). You'll bust often, but the dealer's strong cards mean standing is worse.

17+: Always stand. You have a made hand.

Soft Hands Strategy

Soft hands contain an Ace counted as 11. They're flexible—if you bust, the Ace becomes 1.

Soft Totals Chart

Key: H = Hit, S = Stand, D = Double (hit if can't double), Ds = Double (stand if can't double)

Soft Hand Explanations

Soft 13-17: These hands should be aggressive. Double against dealer weak cards, hit otherwise. You can't bust with one card, and you might improve significantly.

Soft 18: Tricky hand. Double against 3-6, stand against 2, 7, 8. Hit against 9, 10, A—yes, hit your 18. Against strong dealer cards, soft 18 isn't good enough.

Soft 19-20: Stand. You have a strong hand.

Pair Splitting Strategy

When dealt two cards of the same value, you can split them into two separate hands.

Pair Splitting Chart

Key: SP = Split, H = Hit, S = Stand, D = Double, R* = Surrender if allowed, otherwise split

Pair Explanations

Always split Aces: Two chances at 21 beats one hand of 12.

Always split 8s: 16 is the worst hand in blackjack. Two 8s give you better chances.

Never split 10s: 20 is an excellent hand. Don't ruin it.

Never split 5s: 10 is a great doubling hand. Don't turn it into two weak 5s.

Split 2s, 3s, 7s against dealer 2-7: Creating two hands against dealer weakness.

Split 9s against most cards, except 7, 10, A: 18 is good against 7, and you're not improving against 10/A.

When to Double Down

Doubling means taking exactly one more card and doubling your bet. It's aggressive but profitable in the right spots.

Best doubling situations:

• 11 against any dealer card except A
• 10 against dealer 2-9
• 9 against dealer 3-6
• Soft 16-18 against dealer 4-6

Don't double when:

• You have a hard 12 or higher (risk of busting)
• Dealer shows A or 10 (except with 11)
• Table doesn't allow it (hit instead)

When to Surrender

Surrender lets you give up half your bet before playing. Not all casinos offer it.

Surrender (if available):

• 16 against dealer 9, 10, or A
• 15 against dealer 10

Why surrender 16 against 10? You lose about 77% of these hands. Getting half your bet back is better than losing 77%.

Rule Variations That Affect Strategy

Basic strategy changes slightly based on table rules:

Dealer Hits Soft 17 (H17)

• Slightly worse for players
• Double 11 vs A
• Surrender 15 vs A
• Surrender 17 vs A

Dealer Stands Soft 17 (S17)

• Slightly better for players
• Don't double 11 vs A
• Don't surrender 17 vs A

Number of Decks

Single/double deck:

• Double 8 vs 5-6
• Double A,8 vs 6
• More surrender adjustments

6-8 decks:

• Standard strategy as shown above

Double After Split (DAS)

When allowed:

• Split 2s, 3s vs dealer 2
• Split 4s vs 5-6
• Split 6s vs 2

Common Strategy Mistakes

Mistake: Standing on 12 against dealer 2 or 3

Correct play: Hit. The dealer busts less often with 2 or 3 than with 4-6. Your 12 isn't strong enough to stand.

Mistake: Hitting soft 18 against dealer 9, 10, or A

Correct play: Hit (or double against some cards). Soft 18 feels like a strong hand, but against dealer 9-A, it's an underdog. You need to try for better.

Mistake: Splitting 10s against dealer 6

Correct play: Stand. Yes, dealer 6 is weak. But 20 wins way more than two hands starting with 10 each. Never split 10s.

Mistake: Taking insurance

Correct play: Never take insurance (without card counting). Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has blackjack. It pays 2:1 but only wins 30.8% of the time. Expected value is negative.

Mistake: Not doubling soft hands

Correct play: Double soft 13-18 against appropriate dealer cards. Many players are afraid to double "made" hands. But soft hands are flexible—doubling is often correct.

How to Memorize Basic Strategy

Learn in Groups

Hard hands pattern:

• Always hit 8 or less
• Double 9-11 against weak dealers
• Hit 12-16 against 7+, stand against 2-6
• Always stand 17+

Soft hands pattern:

• Soft 13-17: Aggressive doubling against 4-6
• Soft 18: Complicated—memorize separately
• Soft 19-20: Stand

Pairs:

• Always split Aces and 8s
• Never split 10s and 5s
• Most others split against 2-7

Use Strategy Cards

Most casinos allow strategy cards at the table. Buy one, use it until you've memorized the plays.

Practice Online

Free blackjack games let you practice without risking money. Some apps highlight incorrect plays.

Advanced Considerations

Composition-Dependent Strategy

Basic strategy considers only hand totals. Advanced players note specific cards:

• 16 as 10-6 vs dealer 10: Hit
• 16 as 9-7 vs dealer 10: Stand

These composition adjustments matter most in single/double deck.

Deviations for Card Counting

Card counters modify basic strategy based on remaining cards. Common deviations:

• Insurance when count is high
• Stand 16 vs 10 at higher counts
• Double 10 vs A at higher counts

But this goes beyond basic strategy into advantage play.

The Bottom Line

Basic strategy is the foundation of smart blackjack play. It won't guarantee wins—the house still has an edge—but it minimizes that edge to under 0.5%.

Every deviation from basic strategy costs you money. The player who "always stands on 16" or "never doubles soft hands" is giving away edge that proper play would keep.

Learn it, practice it, and use it every single hand. Basic strategy is the difference between a knowledgeable player and an ATM for the casino.