Blackjack table: what is it and how to use it?

Updated October 2026.

The blackjack table (or basic strategy chart) tells you what to do with every hand based on the dealer's up card: hit, stand, double, split or surrender. It is not a superstition or a betting system: it is the result of calculating, for each situation, the play that loses the least money in the long run. Follow it and the house edge drops to around 0.5% at a table with normal rules; play "by feel" and it rises to 2% or more. It is the difference between the best game in the casino and one of the worst.

Here is the full chart for the most common online variant (multiple decks, dealer stands on soft 17, doubling after a split allowed), how to read it and what changes with different table rules.

How to read the blackjack chart

Rows are your hand; columns are the dealer's up card (2 through ace). Find the intersection and do what the letter says:

• H = Hit.
• S = Stand.
• D = Double; if the table does not allow it, hit.
• Ds = Double; if not allowed, stand.
• P = Split the pair.
• R = Surrender; if the table does not allow it, hit.

There are three charts because there are three kinds of hand: hard (no ace, or an ace that can only count as 1), soft (an ace counting as 11) and pairs.

Hard hands

The logic: against a 2 to 6 the dealer has a "weak" card (will bust often), so you stand on 12 to 16 and double on 9 to 11. Against a 7 or higher you have to improve your hand even at the risk of busting.

Soft hands (ace counting as 11)

With a soft hand you cannot bust by taking one card, which is why you hit and double far more than with a hard hand of the same value. The most common beginner mistake is standing on soft 17 (A-6): you always improve it.

Pairs

Three rules worth memorising: aces and eights are always split; tens and fives are never split (a 20 stands and a 10 doubles); the rest depends on the dealer's card.

What changes with the table rules

• Dealer hits soft 17 (H17). Slightly worse for you (about two tenths more house edge). Chart changes: with 11 also double against the ace, with A-8 double against the 6, and with A-7 double against the 2.
• Blackjack pays 6:5 instead of 3:2. Adds about 1.4 points to the house edge. Avoid those tables: no chart compensates for it.
• Single deck. Favours the player and changes a few decisions (for example, 9 also doubles against a 2). Single-deck tables online are rare and usually offset by other rules.
• European blackjack (no hole card: the dealer takes a second card only after everyone has played). If the dealer makes blackjack you also lose any doubles or splits, so against a 10 or ace you double and split less: 11 against 10, hit; 8-8 against 10 or ace, hit; A-A against ace, hit.
• No surrender. Where it says R, hit.
• Insurance. Never take it: it pays 2 to 1 when fair odds would be about 2.25 to 1. It is the worst bet at the table.

How much the chart reduces the house edge

With common rules (4 to 8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, doubling after split allowed, blackjack pays 3:2), basic strategy leaves the house edge at around 0.5%. That makes blackjack the best casino game for the player, as you can see in our comparison of the best casino games by house edge. Going beyond that requires card counting, which gives no real advantage in online blackjack with continuous shufflers or in live games with frequent shuffles.

How to practise the chart

1. Print it or keep it open in another tab: in online blackjack nobody forbids it.
2. Play in demo mode until the decisions become automatic. Almost all the casinos in our list of online casinos allow it.
3. Memorise the most frequent cases first: 12 to 16 against a low card you stand, against a high card you hit; 11 always doubles except against an ace; aces and eights always split.
4. Once you have the hard hands down, move on to soft hands and pairs.

Frequently asked questions about the blackjack chart

Does the blackjack chart guarantee a win?

No. It reduces the house edge to the minimum possible without counting cards (about 0.5%), but it is still a house edge. What it guarantees is losing as little as possible in the long run.

Does the same chart work for every table?

The one above is correct for the vast majority of online tables (multiple decks, dealer stands on soft 17). If the table hits soft 17, is European or pays 6:5, apply the adjustments in the previous section.

When should you double in blackjack?

Always with 11 (except against an ace where the dealer stands on soft 17), with 10 against 2 to 9, with 9 against 3 to 6, and with soft hands from A-2 to A-7 against low dealer cards as the chart shows.

Should you always split aces?

Yes. Two aces add up to 12 or 2, a poor hand; split, they are two hands starting on 11. The same goes for eights: a 16 is the worst hand in the game and two eights are two playable hands.

Can you use the chart in a land-based casino?

Yes. Many casinos sell basic strategy cards in the gift shop. What they do not allow is electronic devices at the table.

Responsible gambling. Even with the chart, the house has the edge. Set a budget, do not chase losses and stop when it is gone. 18+ only.