Basic Strategy
The mathematically optimal play for every hand
What Is Basic Strategy?
Basic strategy is the set of decisions that minimizes the house edge in blackjack. For every combination of your hand and the dealer's upcard, there is exactly one action (hit, stand, double, split, or surrender) that gives you the highest expected value. Following basic strategy perfectly reduces the house edge to around 0.5%, depending on the rules.
How It's Derived
Traditional basic strategy is calculated analytically using combinatorial analysis. Our basic strategy charts are derived from Monte Carlo simulation — billions of hands played for each ruleset. For each hand/dealer combination, we measure the average outcome (expected value) of every possible action. The action with the highest EV is the basic strategy play.
This simulation-based approach naturally accounts for all rule interactions (like how DAS affects pair splitting decisions) without needing separate analytical formulas for each rule combination.
How to Read the Chart
A basic strategy chart has three sections: hard totals, soft totals, and pairs. Find your hand on the left, the dealer's upcard across the top, and the intersection tells you the optimal play. Some cells show conditional actions like “Dh” (double if allowed, else hit) for when the table rules restrict doubling.
View the full interactive charts for every ruleset:
View Strategy ChartsKey Principles
Never take insurance
Without counting cards, insurance is always a losing bet. The house edge on insurance is over 7%. Card counters take insurance only at high counts.
Always split aces and eights
Two aces make a soft 12 — a weak starting hand — but splitting gives you two chances at 21. Two eights make 16 (the worst hand), but each 8 is a decent starting card.
Double on 10 and 11 against weak dealers
With 10 or 11, you have a great chance of making 20 or 21 with one card. When the dealer shows a weak upcard (2–6), doubling maximizes your profit.
Stand on 13–16 against dealer 2–6; hit 12 against 2 or 3
When the dealer shows a weak card, they're likely to bust. Standing with a stiff hand lets the dealer take the risk. The exception is 12 against 2 or 3 — the bust risk from hitting is low enough that it's worth taking a card.