Blackjack strategy charts are designed to lower the casino’s house edge to around 0.5%, making it one of the best-odds casino games to play. When followed precisely, it provides the optimal move for every possible hand based on your initial two cards and the dealer’s upcard.
But how does it work? And how do you apply it in online blackjack? These and many other questions are answered in this comprehensive guide on how to play blackjack the right way. However, before explaining the strategy, we will discuss how a standard game plays out.
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How to play blackjack
Blackjack is a simple card game where the aim is to reach a hand total as close to 21 as possible while beating the dealer’s score. If your total surpasses 21, you bust, resulting in an automatic loss. However, if the dealer busts and your hand is still active, you win.
The card values are as follows:
- Ace: Counted as 1 or 11, whichever suits the hand more
- Number cards 2 to 10: Worth their face value
- Jack, Queen, and King: Counted as 10
As for the gameplay, here’s how a round plays out in relation to the classic or American blackjack variation:
- You select your stake and place your bet: a minimum of $5 is usually required at online casinos.
- The dealer gives you two face-up cards and deals themselves two cards — one face up and one face down.
- You can Hit take another card to improve your hand and repeat this indefinitely, as long as you don’t Bust.
- Once you are happy with your total, you can Stand, which means you keep your current hand and end your turn.
- There are a few more betting options, and some games incorporate side bets; we’ll discuss those later.
- The dealer reveals their face-down card. They must Hit until their total reaches above 16.
The winner is determined as follows:
- • You win if your hand total is closer to 21 than the dealer’s.
- • You lose if the dealer’s hand is closer to 21 than yours.
- • If you Bust (exceed 21), you automatically lose.
- • If the hand totals are the same, the game is settled as a Push, and your stake is returned.
- • The payout for a winning hand is 1:1.
Some blackjack variations may use slightly different rules, such as whether the dealer must Hit on a soft 17, but most of the gameplay is the same as above.
It’s important to note that the best hand is called a ‘blackjack,’ which comes after being dealt an Ace and 10-value card. If you achieve this, the payout is 3:2 and cannot be beaten. However, if the dealer also achieves this, the hand results in a Push.
Additional blackjack bets
Besides deciding whether to Hit or Stand, here are other actions you can take that will help execute basic strategy in blackjack.
Split: If your two initial cards are a pair (the same rank), you can decide to split them into two hands. This costs an additional bet equal to your original wager. You’ll then play the two hands separately. Note that you can’t achieve a ‘blackjack’ this way (your score is only counted as 21).
Double down: After the first two cards are dealt, you can double your initial bet to receive one more card only.
Insurance: You can place an insurance bet when the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace, meaning having ‘blackjack’ is possible. If you take the insurance and the dealer’s face-down card is a 10, the insurance pays out at 2:1, essentially covering the original stake.
Surrender: Some games let you surrender your hand after the initial deal has been completed. Half your stake is returned, but you don’t play out the rest of the hand.
You’ll likely spot side bets when playing at an online blackjack site for real money. These provisions add excitement as their payouts are much higher than you can achieve in the main game. However, they should be used sparingly, as their house edge is high.
Blackjack odds
Blackjack is a game of chance, but skill is also a factor.
The odds of you winning a hand are around 42-44%, while the dealer’s are around 48-49%. A push happens roughly 9% of the time, while the odds of being dealt a blackjack are 4.8%.
The house edge in a standard game is around 2%, but by following the blackjack basic strategy chart, you can reduce it to approximately 0.5%.
To help you visualize the odds of a typical blackjack game, here’s an overview of the dealer’s final hand probabilities after playing a game through. For example, you’ll see that the chance of them drawing cards to reach 21 has a probability of just over 7%.
| Final hand value of the dealer | Chances of getting | Cumulative percentage total |
| 16 | 28.36% | 100.00% |
| 17 | 14.58% | 71.64% |
| 18 | 13.81% | 57.06% |
| 19 | 13.48% | 43.25% |
| 20 | 17.58% | 29.77% |
| 21 (with 3 or more cards) | 7.36% | 12.19% |
| Blackjack | 4.82% | 4.83% |
Blackjack basic strategy
As always, bankroll management and patience are key to success in any casino game. But you can also do a few simple things as part of the basic blackjack strategy. Since this is partly a game of skill, you can improve your odds and lower the house edge if you play your cards right. Here are our top 10 tips to follow:
Always hit on 11 or lower
It’s impossible to bust with 11 or less since no card is worth more than 10. The only logical course of action is to Hit.
Always stand on a hard 17 or higher
A hard 17 is a hand with a fixed value of 17, so there’s no reason to risk going bust by taking another. Standing is thus the best option, no matter what the dealer has.
Double down on a 10 or 11 if the dealer’s up card is a 5 or 6
With these upcards, the chance of the dealer going bust is increased (since they have to keep drawing if their total is less than 17). Therefore, it’s wise to double down here to win two bets instead of one.
Consider standing on a 12 if the dealer’s up card is 5 or 6
These cards are considered ‘bust cards.’ Even though you’re not in a good position either, the dealer’s higher probability of going bust makes it preferable to Stand.
Be wary if the dealer has a 2
A 2 gives the dealer increased permutations for eventually reaching a high score. Be cautious of this upcard by not ‘doubling down’ or ‘splitting’ when facing it.
Assume that the dealer’s face-down card is worth 10
10-value cards make up a significant portion of the deck, typically around 30%, so this can be a helpful assumption to make.
Hit if you have a hand value of 12 to 16 and the dealer’s card is a 7 or higher
These cards put you in a tough position against a strong dealer upcard. It’s best to try and improve your hand, even though you’re at risk of going bust.
Never split 5s or 10s, but always split Aces and 8s
A pair of 5s is worth 10, meaning it’s better for doubling down. A pair of 10s is an excellent hand and a likely winner, so it’s best to Stand. Splitting Aces gives you two chances of hitting 21, and two 8s are worth 16, which should be split.
Never accept insurance
Paying extra for insurance is usually not worth it. Even if the dealer doesn’t reveal a blackjack, they still have a high probability of achieving a good tally and beating your total. You’ve essentially paid extra for a losing hand.
Surrendering is only recommended when chances of winning are low
Surrender when holding a hard 14 against a dealer’s 9, 10, or Ace, as your chances of winning are very low in these situations.
Using a blackjack strategy chart
A blackjack chart is a visual guide and representation of the basic strategy. It tells you which course of action has mathematically the highest chances of paying off for a specific hand (taking into account both your cards and the dealer’s up card).
Using these charts correctly, you can lower the house edge significantly. However, note that it doesn’t guarantee a win. For example, the chart instructs you to Hit on a 13 against a dealer’s 7. While this could always lead to a Bust, it’s the best strategy for long-term play.
As you can see in the image below, the charts can be complicated to memorize. However, there is nothing illegal about referring to them in land-based US casinos. Of course, there is nothing to stop you from using them when playing live or virtual blackjack online, either.
How can we trust blackjack strategy charts?
Strategy charts were created using computers and technologies like machine learning. The computers were taught to play blackjack and to develop the best courses of action for specific situations.
The computer calculated, through trial and error, which action led to a favorable outcome more often than any other. It did this for every possible combination of players’ and dealers’ hands.
After that, the only thing left was to present the results in an easy-to-follow table format, like the one shown in the image above.
Should you play side bets in blackjack?
Side bets exist in various blackjack games that offer boosted payouts. However, as expected, they have a higher house edge and a lower probability of winning.
You need to bet on them separately, meaning they play out independently of the main game, although their minimum bet requirement is usually just $1. Some of the most common side bets you’ll encounter are:
Perfect pairs: Wins if your two initial cards form a pair. It can be a Mixed Pair (two cards of the same rank), Colored Pair (two cards of the same rank and color), or Perfect Pair (two cards of the same rank and suit). They usually pay 5:1, 12:1, and 25:1, respectively.
21+3: Wins when your two initial cards and the dealer’s upcard form a three-card poker hand. A flush leads to the lowest payout of 5:1, while a suited three-of-a-kind has a 100:1 payout.
Bust It: Wins if the dealer goes Bust. The payout increases the more cards the dealer draws. It typically starts with a 1:1 payout when they Bust with three cards and rises to 250:1 with 8 cards.
Using side bets brings an element of excitement to the game, but their house edges are too high to play consistently as part of a strategic approach. It’s thus best to avoid them or play them occasionally for fun, like when you’ve already secured a profit after a good winning streak.
Does counting cards help with blackjack strategy?
Counting cards has long been a method of predicting the outcome of card casino games like blackjack. Dr. Edward Thorp was the first person to mathematically prove that the system beat blackjack dealers and published a book about it.
The most accessible method is the Hi-Lo system, where you keep a running count of the cards that are dealt. You divide them into high cards (10-value cards and Aces), which are good for you; low cards (2–6), which are good for the dealer; and 7s, 8s, and 9s, which are neutral. Then, you assign values to them: -1 for high cards, +1 for low cards, and 0 for neutral cards.
You add or subtract values based on what’s dealt. For example, you are dealt a King and a 2, while the dealer draws a 7. The running total would be 0 – 1 + 1 = 0. What’s left is to divide the count by the total decks left in the shoe. For example, 0 / 4 = 0.
But what do you do with that? Well, a positive count means that there are more high cards left, giving you more confidence to Hit, split, or double down in specific situations in the hope that high cards are likely to come next. Conversely, if it’s a negative count, more low cards are likely to come, which reduces the dealer’s chances of going Bust.
A system like this one is handy in games with a low number of decks and is more suited for in-person blackjack. Since card counting is a legal way to decrease the house edge, most online casinos started featuring live games with eight decks and even systems like constant automatic shuffling.
Can you increase the odds using a blackjack strategy?
Yes, you can increase the odds using the blackjack basic strategy. This is because the outcomes in the game can be influenced by skillful play; in other words, you can slightly improve your odds by following the basic strategy to the letter.
Like every game, there’s always a house edge that ensures the casino makes money. However, applying a basic strategy can reduce that house edge to as low as 0.50% and even lower in more player-friendly versions, such as single-deck blackjack. Overall, this makes blackjack one of the highest-odds casino games.
What are the best live casino blackjack games to play?
With countless live casino blackjack games available, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most innovative adaptations found at top casinos. Each game allows unlimited players to join simultaneously using the same cards while making independent decisions.
Free Bet Blackjack (Evolution)
Free Bet Blackjack allows you to ‘split’ and ‘double down’ for free, whereas you must pay twice your stake in standard versions. Any win effectively gives you double the winnings with no extra risk involved.
You can double down for free if you have a hard total of 9, 10, or 11. The situation is even better for splitting, as the option is free for any pair except for 10s.
However, there is one potential drawback. If the dealer goes Bust with a score of 22, this results in a Push (except when you have been dealt a ‘blackjack’). This could be frustrating if you have a total of 21 yet still don’t make any profit at the end of the game.
You can still follow the basic strategy here. It’s important to note that just because you can split and double down for free doesn’t mean you should always use these options. You should still follow the strategy, as the odds remain the same for all outcomes.
Early Payout Blackjack (Visionary iGaming)
This interesting ViG blackjack variant adds a twist you can sense from the game’s name — you can cash out at any point during the round, even before the dealer reveals their second card. In other words, the insurance bet is always available to you, regardless of the dealer’s upcard.
This means taking the early payout on offer will always be better if you have a bad hand. Otherwise, the basic strategy will do the trick.
ONE Blackjack (Pragmatic Play)
ONE Blackjack is a live dealer blackjack game from Pragmatic Play where an unlimited number of people can play simultaneously. The rules are still the same otherwise, except the game has four optional side bets, one of which is the unique Crazy 7. This bet pays out if any of the three initial cards (your two and the dealer’s up card) is a 7.
The base payout is 5:1, but it increases depending on the number of 7s and whether they share the same suit. The maximum payout of 2,000:1 is awarded for three suited 7s. However, the house edge on this side bet remains steep at 5.74%.
Lightning Blackjack (Evolution)
Lightning Blackjack by Evolution adds a twist to the standard blackjack play in the form of multipliers. In every round, one or more cards are randomly assigned a multiplier of 2x to 25x to become Lightning Cards. If you win the game after being dealt one of these cards, your payout is multiplied by the obtained multiplier value.
However, you need to pay a 100% fee on your main bet to participate, meaning you’re effectively wagering double the stake you wanted to invest.
The same blackjack strategy applies since the rules remain the same as in the standard version.
Conclusion
Even though blackjack is a game of chance, it also involves an element of skill because you decide when to Hit or Stand depending on your score. Therefore, by knowing which decisions are best to make – as outlined with strategy charts – you’ll increase your odds and lower the house edge to as little as 0.50%.
FAQ
What does “r” mean on a blackjack strategy card?
Can you bring a blackjack strategy card to the table?
Should I hit or stand on 16?
Why are blackjack strategy charts different from site to site?
Should I go for a Six-Card Charlie in blackjack?
References:
- Learn Blackjack Strategy (Blackjack Apprenticeship)
- 4-Deck to 8-Deck Blackjack Strategy (The Wizard of Odds)
- 15 of the Best Blackjack Strategies (888casino)
- Blackjack Splitting: A Complete Guide (WinStar)
- Official Blackjack Guide + Strategy (Official Game Rules)
- Live Multiplier Blackjack Games: A Comparison Guide (Live Casino Comparer)
