How to read the chart
Find your hand down the left edge and the dealer’s up card across the top, then read the colour where they meet. Use the Pairs table first if you were dealt two of a kind, then the Soft totals table if your hand has an ace counted as 11, otherwise the Hard totals table. The letters mean: S stand, H hit, D double if allowed (otherwise hit), Ds double if allowed (otherwise stand) and P split.
The rules this chart assumes
This is the standard multi-deck card: 4–8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, blackjack pays 3:2, double after split allowed, no surrender. Those are the most common shoe-game rules, so the chart transfers directly to most tables. Playing it perfectly drops the house edge to roughly 0.5% — the lowest of any casino game.
Four ideas that explain most of the chart
Stand on stiff hands against a weak dealer. When the dealer shows 2–6 they bust often, so with a 12–16 you usually stand and let them break. Hit stiff hands against a strong dealer (7–Ace) — you must try to improve. Double when you’re a favourite — 9, 10 and 11, and many soft hands, against weak dealer cards. Always split Aces and 8s; never split 5s or 10s.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read the basic strategy chart?
Your hand down the left, the dealer’s up card across the top; the coloured cell shows S/H/D/Ds/P. Check pairs first, then soft totals, then hard totals.
What rules does this chart assume?
4–8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, blackjack pays 3:2, double after split allowed, no surrender — the standard strategy-card rules.
Does basic strategy guarantee I win?
No. It minimises the house edge to about 0.5% but the game still favours the house over time. It is the best you can do without counting cards.
Can I print this or save it as a PDF?
Yes — press Print (or Ctrl/Cmd+P) and pick your printer, or choose “Save as PDF”. The chart prints clean without the site navigation.
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