Blackjack Strategy
Blackjack has a basic strategy that is not difficult to master. you
simply need to understand the best way to play each of a number of different
situations, even though you don't know how the rest of the pack of cards is
distributed. Here is an outline of basic blackjack strategy for four card deck
sor more, when the dealer is standing on soft 17 (a very common setup).
You'll also find links to view more basic explanatory rules and charts.
The table below is a very useful one to remember because it can be used
effectively in a number of blackjack game types with differing rules.
On the table below, look up and the dealer's up card along the top and your
hand along the left vertical edge.
"A" stands for ace. Soft totals, hard totals and splittable hands
are listed from top to bottom. Some borderline situations are affected by
rule variations. The most flexible rules are the number of decks in
the game, whether doubling is allowed after splitting and whether the dealer
hits or stands on a soft 17.
Key to table:
H Hit
S Stand
D Double if allowed, otherwise hit
Ds Double if allowed, otherwise stand
P Split
H/P Split if allowed to double after a split, otherwise hit
H/R Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
The chart excludes some obvious situations (in order to keep it as small
and compact as possible). There are simpler and more basic strategy charts
for European blackjack and for other numbers of decks.
The most effective way to memorize the basic strategy is observe patterns and
to actually understand the strategy behind why you should play every situation
as the chart dictates. Memorise them, use flash cards if you like, to help
you commit them to memory. You don't need to deal out cards to yourself because
pairs and soft totals won't occur often enough to properly test your
recall.
There are those who don't subscribe to the basic strategy, because they lost
a hand or two when using it. But no strategy is foolproof. No
strategy will offer 100% guarantees. Don't even expect to win 50% of your
hands. But using the basic strategy over the longer term will almost
certainly see you roughly breaking even.
Using the basic strategy in a Single Deck game:
Look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along
the top. (A stands for ace).
From top to bottom are the soft totals, hard totals and splittable hands.
Below are two charts - one depicting the sitauation when the dealer hits, and
the other showing the situation when the dealer stands on soft 17.
 
Key to table:
H Hit
S Stand
D Double if allowed, otherwise hit
Ds Double if allowed, otherwise stand
P Split
H/P Split if allowed to double after a split, otherwise hit
D/P Split if allowed to double after a split, otherwise double
S/P Split if allowed to double after a split, otherwise stand
H/R Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
S/R Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand
Using the basic strategy in a Double Deck game:
Look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along
the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the soft
totals, hard totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on
whether the dealer chooses to hit or stands on soft 17.
 
Key to table:
H Hit
S Stand
D Double if allowed, otherwise hit
Ds Double if allowed, otherwise stand
P Split
H/P Split if allowed to double after a split, otherwise hit
H/R Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
S/R Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand
Four or More Decks:
Look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along
the top. (A stands for ace).
From top to bottom are the soft totals, hard totals and splittable hands.
Below are two charts - one depicting the situation when the dealer hits, and
the other showing the situation when the dealer stands on soft 17.
Key to table:
H Hit
S Stand
D Double if allowed, otherwise hit
Ds Double if allowed, otherwise stand
P Split
H/P Split if allowed to double after a split, otherwise hit
H/R Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
P/R Surrender if allowed, otherwise split
S/R Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand
European Blackjack:
The basic strategy for European blackjack (the variety played in Hamburg and
Berlin) is slightly different from that played elsewhere, as European blackjack
has some specific rules that differ from other games. These include:
Six decks are used (this chart is also accurate for 4 or 8 decks)
The Dealer stands on soft 17
A Player may double after a split
A player may only double on hard totals of 9-11
No-peek rule (ie a player loses his total bet, including after doubling or
splitting, if the dealer has blackjack)
The house edge under this rules is 0.62%.
Look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along
the top (A stands for ace). From top to bottom are the soft totals, hard totals
and splittable hands.
Key to table
H Hit
S Stand
D Double if allowed, otherwise hit
P Split
In games of blackjack played in the UK, you are not allowed to split fours,
fives and tens. This only affects the basic strategy player with fours. So in
the UK always hit two fours. This increases the house edge by 0.003%.
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