Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

Pick your table's rules and get the exact optimal-play chart for that rule set — hard totals, soft totals, and pairs — generated live, not served as a one-size-fits-all image. Want a specific recommendation for one hand instead of the full chart? Use the blackjack calculator.

Hard Totals

Hand2345678910A
9HDDDDHHHHH
10DDDDDDDDHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
12HHSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
14SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHHH
16SSSSSHHHHH

Soft Totals

Hand2345678910A
A,2HHHDDHHHHH
A,3HHHDDHHHHH
A,4HHDDDHHHHH
A,5HHDDDHHHHH
A,6HDDDDHHHHH
A,7SDDDDSSHHH
A,8SSSSSSSSSS
A,9SSSSSSSSSS

Pairs

Hand2345678910A
2,2PPPPPPHHHH
3,3PPPPPPHHHH
4,4HHHPPHHHHH
5,5DDDDDDDDHH
6,6PPPPPHHHHH
7,7PPPPPPHHHH
8,8PPPPPPPPPP
9,9PPPPPSPPSS
10,10SSSSSSSSSS
A,APPPPPPPPPP

H = Hit, S = Stand, D = Double, P = Split, R = Surrender (falls back to Hit if surrender isn't allowed under the selected rules).

How this chart is generated

Every cell comes from table-driven hard-total, soft-total, and pair matrices — the canonical multi-deck, dealer-stands-on-17 basic strategy — with real fallback logic applied per rule: no double-after-split falls back to hit instead of split on 4,4, no surrender falls back to hit instead of surrender. The chart is checked cell-for-cell against an independently published strategy reference before shipping, not hand-typed from memory.

FAQ

Why is this basic strategy chart different from a printed cheat sheet?
Most published charts assume one specific rule set. This chart is generated live from the same engine as the calculator and simulator, so it updates correctly when you change decks, dealer soft-17 behavior, double-after-split, or surrender availability.
What do H, S, D, P, and R mean on the chart?
Hit, Stand, Double, Split, and Surrender (Surrender falls back to Hit if your selected rules don't allow it).
Is basic strategy the same as card counting?
No. Basic strategy is the fixed, mathematically optimal play for every hand assuming no knowledge of the remaining shoe. Card counting is a separate skill layered on top of basic strategy and isn't covered by this chart.