Basic strategy

Blackjack –Basic strategy

Blackjack has a set of rules that must be observed by dealers. A dealer cannot make any choices in the game. He hits with 16 or less, stands with 17 or more (this can vary from one casino to another). As a consequence, a mathematically correct strategy can be designed to maximize the chance that you win. This is known as the basic strategy. A player will adjust his play according to his hole cards and the dealer´s exposed one.
If you are new to Blackjack, you may want to follow this basic strategy. It will later help you to learn how to count cards, and how to take to practice some other more sofisticated strategies as well.
Of course you will have to start by learning the basic terms used in Blackjack like stand, hit, double down and split, check our basic rules article for an explanation.

This is how it works: find your hand in the first column and the dealer´s up card in the top row, then do as shown. 

See below for two tables for the two most common used rules at online casinos!

Good luck on the tables!

hit = hit (take another card)

D= double (hit if not allowed)

DS= Double (stand if not allowed)

S= stand

P= split

Table 1: Dealer stands on soft 17, no surrender

Table 2: Dealer hits on soft 17, no surrender