|
STRATEGIES
Blackjack basic strategy the best way to play your hand without
counting cards and cuts the house edge, card counting will then
reduce the casino edge further and depending on how good you are
put the odds of success in your favor.
The strategy is derived by using a computer simulation which
analyses
millions of hands and plays all combinations to come up with the
best strategy with the best odds over time. By following this
strategy you immediately cut the casino edge.
What does the basic strategy get you in terms of cutting the
casino edge? The casino's initial edge in the game of blackjack
is about 5.75%, but by using a basic strategy it is possible to
reduce the casino edge to around 0.5%.
Here is an illustration of how the casino edge is reduced
|
Initial casino
Advantage
|
5.75%
|
|
Hitting and
standing
|
-3.25%
|
|
Doubling
|
-1.5%
|
|
Pair splitting
|
-0.5%
|
|
Casino's advantage
basic strategy
|
0.5%
|
The basic playing strategy is dependent on the number of decks
used.
Below we have used examples for single decks and for decks of
4 - 8.
You can also cut the casino edge further by playing at casinos
with favorable house rules You can increase your advantage using
basic strategy by picking a casino with favorable rules.
The enclosed chart gives you an overview of the advantages gained
in relation to specific rule variations
|
RULE
VARIATIONS
|
PLAYERS
ADVANTAGE
|
|
Early Surrender
|
+ 0.62
|
|
Late Surrender
(single deck)
|
+ 0.02
|
|
Late Surrender
(multi deck)
|
+ 0.07
|
|
Double Down
after splitting
|
+ 0.13
|
|
Drawing to split
aces
|
+ 0.14
|
|
Re-splitting
of aces
|
+ 0.03
|
|
Double Down
any number of cards
|
+ 0.20
|
|
2:1 pay-off
for blackjack
|
+ 2.32
|
|
No doubling
on hard 11
|
- 0.89
|
|
No doubling
on hard 10
|
- 0.56
|
|
No doubling
on hard 9
|
- 0.14
|
|
No doubling
on hard 8
|
- 0.00
|
|
No doubling
on soft hands
|
- 0.14
|
|
Dealer hits
soft 17
|
- 0.20
|
|
Dealer takes
no hole card
|
- 0.13
|
|
Two deck (vs.
single deck)
|
- 0.35
|
|
Four deck (vs.
single deck)
|
- 0.51
|
|
Six deck (vs.
single deck)
|
- 0.60
|
|
No re-splitting
of pairs
|
- 0.05
|
Dealer's
Hand Top - Player's Hand Left.
The chart below is for playing blackjack with single decks
Play :
H
= Hit
S
= Stand
D
= Double
P
= Split
HARD
TOTALS
|
Hard
Totals
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
T
|
A
|
|
8
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
9
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
10
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
|
11
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
|
12
|
H
|
H
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
13
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
14
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
15
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
16
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
17-20
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
| Soft
Totals |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
T |
A |
|
A2
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
A3
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
A4
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
A5
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
A6
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
A7
|
S
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
A8
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
D
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
|
A9
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
PAIR
SPLITTING
|
Pairs
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
T
|
A
|
|
2 2
|
H
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
3 3
|
H
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
4 4
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
5 5
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
|
6 6
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
7 7
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
8 8
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
S
|
P
|
|
9 9
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
S
|
P
|
P
|
S
|
S
|
|
10's
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
|
A's
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
Play :
H
= Hit
S
= Stand
D
= Double
P
= Split
Basic
Strategy Dealers Hand Top - Players Hand Left
This chart is for using four to eight decks.
The dealer stands on soft 17 and double after spitting
is allowed
Play :
H
= Hit
S
= Stand
D
= Double
P
= Split
|
Hard
Totals
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
T
|
A
|
|
8
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
9
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
|
10
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
|
11
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
| | 
