BlackJack Strategy

Blackjack Basic Strategy

This chart is for blackjack games using four to eight decks. The dealer stands on soft 17 and double after splitting is allowed.

Dealer's Hand is on top
Player's Hand on left side.

Action: H = Hit   S = Stand   D = Double   P = Split

 

Strategy for Hard Hands
Hard hands include any hands without an ace and any hands with an ace where the ace must be counted as a 1 in order to avoid busting.

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	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	D	D	D	H
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

Strategy for Soft Hands
Soft hands are hands that include an ace. They're called "soft hands" because you're a lot less likely to go bust with a soft hand, since you can always decide that the ace counts as 1 instead of 11.
 

Strategy for Pairs

If you use Basic Strategy you are minimizing the casino edge but you will still lose 0.5 % of your turnover on average. To beat the casino in the long run you have to use a card counting system.

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Card Counting

Counting cards is a means by which a blackjack player can change the odds in blackjack in the player's favor. Counting cards is based on the premise that high cards (cards ranked 10 or aces) are better for the player's expectation than low cards (two's through six's). When there are more high cards in the deck, the player will receive more blackjacks, and since blackjack pays out at 3 to 2 odds, this changes the odds dramatically in the player's favor when the deck is rich in ten's.
By assigning a value such as +1 for high cards and -1 for low cards, you can roughly determine the ratio of high cards to low cards remaining in the deck at anytime during play. When the deck contains more high cards and the odds are in his favour, you increase the amount you bet to win more. When the deck isn't favourable, you bet the minimum so you lose less. The count also affects your decisions on when to hit, stand, double and split.
You can learn more about card counting in  The World's Greatest Blackjack Book by Lance Humble and Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston.
Note that online casinos shuffle the cards after each round. This prevents players from using their computer to keep a count, and get an edge on the house. At online casinos, your best bet is to stick with basic strategy. If you use deposit bonus offers and play perfect basic strategy it is possible to win at online blackjack in the long run.
 

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