Blackjack Basic Strategy Charts

6-deck · Dealer stands on soft 17 · Late surrender allowed

Basic strategy is the mathematically correct play for every hand in blackjack. Follow these three charts and the house edge drops to around 0.5% — lower than any other table game. Each chart covers a specific hand type.

Hard Totals

A hard hand has no ace, or an ace that must count as 1. The most important rules: double on 10 or 11 against most dealer cards, stand on 17+, and surrender 16 vs. 9/10/Ace before hitting.

Blackjack hard totals basic strategy chart — 6 deck, dealer stands on soft 17

Soft Totals (Ace + X)

A soft hand contains an ace counted as 11. Always double A-7 vs. 2–6; stand on soft 18+ and hit soft 17 or lower when the dealer shows 7 or higher.

Blackjack soft totals strategy chart — ace hands, when to double with an ace in blackjack

Pair Splitting

Always split aces and 8s. Never split 10s or 5s. Split 9s against dealer 2–6 and 8–9 but stand vs. 7, 10, or Ace. P* cells mean split only if re-splitting is allowed.

Blackjack pairs splitting strategy chart — when to split pairs, 6 deck rules

Complete Strategy Chart

All three tables in one image — save or print this for a full reference. Memorizing this chart cuts the house edge to roughly 0.5%, the lowest of any standard casino game.

Complete blackjack basic strategy chart — all hard totals, soft totals, and pairs in one printable chart

Color Key

HHit
SStand
DDouble (else Hit)
D*Double (else Stand)
PSplit
P*Split (else Hit)
RSurrender (else Hit)

Practice the Strategy

Seeing the chart is one thing — drilling it until it's automatic is another. The free trainer on this site deals hands and tells you instantly if your decision matches basic strategy, so you can build the reflex before you sit at a table.

Open the Trainer →Learn Card Counting →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is blackjack basic strategy?

Basic strategy is the mathematically correct action (hit, stand, double, split, or surrender) for every possible combination of your hand and the dealer's up card. Following it perfectly reduces the house edge to around 0.5% in a 6-deck game.

Is this chart for 6-deck blackjack?

Yes. These charts are optimized for 6-deck shoes where the dealer stands on soft 17 and late surrender is available — the most common rules in Las Vegas and online casinos.

When should you surrender in blackjack?

Surrender 16 vs. dealer 9, 10, or Ace, and surrender 15 vs. dealer 10. These are the only surrender plays in the basic strategy for 6-deck soft-17 rules.

Should you always split Aces and 8s?

Yes — always split aces and 8s regardless of the dealer's card. Splitting aces gives you two strong starting hands; splitting 8s turns a terrible 16 into two hands starting at 8.

When should you double down in blackjack?

Double down on hard 11 against any dealer card except Ace, on hard 10 against dealer 2–9, and on hard 9 against dealer 3–6. For soft hands, double A-7 vs. dealer 2–6 and A-2 through A-6 against the dealer's weaker cards.

Does basic strategy guarantee winning?

No — basic strategy minimizes the house edge but doesn't eliminate it. It tells you the play with the highest expected value given the information available. You will still lose sessions; basic strategy just makes those losses as small as possible over time.