This is the complete basic strategy cheat sheet for 6-deck blackjack with the dealer standing on soft 17 — the most common rule set in Vegas and online. Every decision is listed with a plain-English explanation so you understand the rule, not just memorize it. Casinos allow strategy cards at the table, so there is no reason to guess.
If you only learn four things, learn these. They prevent the most expensive mistakes players make and cover the hands you will see most often.
A hard hand has no ace, or an ace that must count as 1 to avoid busting. Hard totals are the most common situation you face.
You cannot bust and there is no value in doubling.
Only double against weak dealer upcards.
Strong hand; don't double into a dealer 10 or ace.
Best doubling hand in the game in most situations.
Only stand against the three weakest dealer cards.
Let the dealer bust. Against 7+, you must try to improve.
Bust risk is too high regardless of dealer upcard.
Think of dealer upcards as two zones: bust zone (2–6) and strong zone (7–A). In the bust zone, be conservative — stand on stiff hands and let the dealer destroy themselves. In the strong zone, be aggressive — you must hit to improve because the dealer will likely make a strong hand.
A soft hand contains an ace counted as 11. You cannot bust by drawing one card, which makes doubling profitable in more situations than with hard hands.
Only the two weakest dealer cards justify doubling.
Slightly stronger — can double against 4 as well.
Soft 17 is never a standing hand against strong upcards.
The trickiest soft hand. Standing on soft 18 vs 9 is a common expensive mistake.
You have 19 or 20. No upcard justifies risking it.
Soft hands are about doubling against weak dealer upcards (4–6 mostly, sometimes 3). The one exception is soft 18 (A,7): stand against 7–8, hit against 9–A. Never treat soft 18 as a standing hand against strong upcards.
When dealt two cards of the same rank, you can split into two separate hands. Splitting is only profitable in specific situations. Assumes double after split is allowed.
Two chances at 21. Non-negotiable.
Weak pairs that benefit from splitting when dealer is vulnerable.
Only split if double after split is allowed.
Pair of 5s is hard 10, one of the best doubling hands. Never destroy it.
Weak pair; only split against bust cards.
Hit against 8+; you will likely lose either way.
Hard 16 is the worst hand. Two 8s are each a reasonable starting point.
Your 18 beats the dealer's likely 17 on a 7 — stand.
You have 20. Stand. Always.
Start with the two absolutes: always split A,A and 8,8. Never split 10,10 or 5,5. Everything else splits against weak dealer cards and hits or stands against strong ones.
Late surrender lets you give up half your bet after the dealer checks for blackjack. Most players never use it because it feels like quitting — but for these hands it is mathematically better than playing out.
| Your hand | Surrender against | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hard 16 | 9, 10, Ace | Win rate below 25% — surrendering is better than playing. |
| Hard 15 | 10 | Clearly losing vs dealer 10; marginal vs 9 and ace. |
Important: always split 8,8 even against a dealer 10. Do not surrender 8,8. The expected value of splitting is better than the guaranteed loss of surrendering.
Most casinos explicitly allow basic strategy cards. You can bring a laminated card, pull up a chart on your phone, or buy one at the gift shop. The house edge is low enough that casinos do not object — most players still make errors under pressure even with the chart in hand.
The Blackjack GTO trainer checks every decision you make against this exact strategy and explains your mistakes in plain English. Once you can play 100 hands without an error, you will not need the cheat sheet anymore.
Open the trainer →