Make decisions, not guesses
- Find a strategy chart that matches the number of decks, dealer rules and available actions.
- Separate hard totals, soft totals and pairs. A pair can call for a different decision from the same numeric total.
- A correct decision can still lose. Judge a strategy over many comparable hands rather than one dramatic result.
Updated 25 October 2026 by Online Blackjack Odds.
Start with the game, then the hand
Basic strategy selects the best available decision for the rules and the information in your hand and the dealer’s upcard. Sometimes that decision still has a negative expectation. “Best” can mean losing less over repeated comparable situations.
Our chart uses six decks, dealer stands on soft 17, a dealer peek, doubling after splits and late surrender. Use a different chart when those assumptions do not fit.
A useful decision order
- Check whether surrender applies to the initial hand.
- Check the pair strategy, rather than treating a pair as an ordinary total.
- With an ace counting as eleven, use the soft-hand table.
- Otherwise use the hard-hand table.
- If doubling is unavailable, use the chart’s stated fallback.
Three hands that challenge your instincts
A + 7 against a dealer 9: surely 18 is enough?
For the stated six-deck S17 rules, hit. Soft 18 is not the same decision as hard 18. The ace gives the hand flexibility.
5 + 5 against a dealer 6: split the pair?
No. Treat the pair as hard 10 and double if permitted. If doubling is unavailable, hit.
10 + 2 against a dealer 3: stand and wait?
Hit under the stated rules. “Always stand against a small upcard” is an unreliable shortcut.
Separate decisions from results
For practice, write down three things before revealing the next card: your hand, the upcard and your selected action. Score the decision against the chart. A good play can lose; a poor one can win. Recording only wins and losses hides what you actually need to learn.
What strategy cannot promise
There is no universal blackjack house edge. Deck count, payouts, dealer rules and available actions all affect it. Nor does increasing a bet after a loss turn an unfavorable game into a favorable one. Treat card counting as a separate, more demanding topic, with its own assumptions and uncertainty.
Next: what card counting can and cannot tell you.
Sources and further reading
- Four-to-eight-deck basic strategy — Wizard of Odds
- Blackjack rules and variations — Wizard of Odds
- Why betting progressions do not remove the house edge — Wizard of Odds
Examples are educational. Match the rules to your game; no strategy guarantees a winning session.
What would you check before using this information at a table?