Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack strategies have been a source of debate amongst pro players for decades, with some swearing their personal strategy is the only one worth using and others delving deep into the mathematics behind blackjack in a bid to beat the dealer. But we’re disregarding the complicated and stripping blackjack strategy back to the basic 3: Pair Splitting, Doubling Down and Hit or Stand.

You may know how to play blackjack, but the basic rules of casino can be different and knowing how to employ a strategy are two completely different kettle of fish. Often, players think that because they know the basic ‘how to’ when it comes to blackjack, they are automatically blackjack black belts. However, this isn’t always the truth. When it comes to gameplay, it’s important to know what your strategic options are and when is the best time to employ them. Arm yourself with the correct knowledge of the game plus a basic strategy, and you stand a much higher chance of winning against the online blackjack pros and dealers.

The beauty of a basic strategy is just that, it’s basic. Unlike other guides would have you believe, it doesn’t have to be super difficult to understand, and the simplest of techniques can help players tenfold when playing blackjack.

Deciding When to Hit and When to Stand in Blackjack

If you’re familiar with blackjack, you’ll know that when you’ve been dealt a hand, you have two options - to ‘hit’ or ‘stand’. Before you start playing, you need to know when to use them to give yourself the best chance of maximising your hand.

If you ask to hit, you are just asking the dealer for another hand - to try and help you get closer to 21 without going over it. On the other hand, you can stand (stay) - which means you don’t want any more cards. Obviously, if you are happy with what you’ve been dealt and think you have a good chance of winning, this would be your option.

However, deciding when to hit and stand in blackjack can be tricky as not all hands are obvious. You also need to consider not only your initial hand but questions like ‘When does the dealer have to hit?’ and ’When is he likely to hit based on his upcard?’ as this will also impact your decisions.

When are you best deciding to hit?

First, let’s take a look at some of the scenarios where hitting would potentially be your best option:

• When you have a hand of 8 or less
• When you have a hand of 9 and the dealer’s upcard is between 3 and 6
• When you have a hand of 10 and the dealer’s upcard is between 2 and 9
• When your hand adds up to 11 and the dealer has an upcard between 2 and 10
• When your hand is 12 and the dealer’s upcard is either 2 or 3
• When you have a hand between 13 and 16 and the dealer’s upcard is between 7 and Ace
• When you have a soft hand (an Ace in your hand) of between 13 and 18, and the dealer has an upcard between 2 and 6
• When you have a soft 17, and the dealer’s upcard is between 2 and 6

So, let’s take a look at why you’d hit in each of these scenarios…

When your hand is 8 or lower: In this situation, you’ve no chance of busting with one card at least - and hitting is a must as you’ll need a better hand if you want to have a fighting chance against the dealer.

When you have a hand of 9 and the dealer’s upcard is between 3 and 6: The dealer in this scenario has a pretty bad hand and will likely hit, often leading to a bust. Hitting on 9 will give you a decent chance to improve your hand - while the dealer could end up with a weaker hand.

When you have a hand of 10 and the dealer’s upcard is between 2 and 9: With this hand, you have a great chance of getting a strong hand (20) with just one single hit. The dealer’s upcard means that they potentially won’t end up with a very strong hand - making it a great time to hit.

When you have a hand of 11 and the dealer’s upcard is between 2 and 10: You’re in an excellent position because any 10-value card will give you a 21.

When you have a hand of 12 and the dealer’s upcard is either 2 or 3: Although 12 can be a risky hand, the dealer’s 2 or 3 upcard means that the dealer is also at risk of busting. Hitting could potentially improve your hand - while the dealer could end up with a weaker hand.

When your hand is between 13 and 16 and the dealer’s upcard is between 7 and Ace: These totals are tricky - as they can easily lead to a bust if you hit. However, the dealer’s upcard means they’ll likely have a strong hand - so you’re more likely to base your next move on the value of the hand the dealer likely has.

When you have a soft hand between 13 and 18 and the dealer’s upcard is between 2 and 6: Soft hands are a lot more flexible because you can use the Ace as either 1 or 11. This means you can try to improve your hand without the risk of busting. The dealer has a weak upcard - which means you have a better chance of ending up with a stronger hand.

When you have a soft hand of 17 and the dealer’s upcard is between 2 and 6: The flexibility of having the soft 17 means you can hit without worrying about busting. The dealer’s weak upcard means that they are likely to bust or have a weak hand - which gives you a strategic opportunity to strengthen your hand.

Ultimately, when you choose to hit in blackjack is based on a couple of factors - your hand versus the dealer’s upcard.

When are you best deciding to stand?

It’s also imperative that you know when not to hit in blackjack.

• When your hand is between 13 and 16 and the dealer’s upcard is between 2 and 6
• When your hand is 12 and the dealer’s upcard is between 4 and 6
• When you have a hard 17 or higher
• When you have a soft 19 or higher
• When you have a soft 18 and the dealer’s upcard is either 7 or 8

Here are the reasons why you’d stand in these scenarios:

When you have a hand between 13 and 16 and the dealer’s upcard between 2 and 6: These hands are awkward - because they aren’t particularly strong… but the dealer’s upcard means that they are at risk of going bust. Standing is basically just taking advantage of the dealer’s potentially weak hand - as hitting could put you over 21.

When your hand is 12 and the dealer has an upcard between 4 and 6: A 12 hand can be precarious - but the dealer’s upcard makes it more likely that the dealer will bust. Standing on 12 lets you take advantage of this.

When you have a hard 17 or higher: Hard hands of 17 or higher are pretty strong hands - and hitting can be pretty risky as there’s a strong chance of busting. Standing means you can keep your hand strong - especially if the dealer’s initial card suggests they don’t have a high hand.

When you have a soft 19 or higher: Soft hands of 19 or more are strong hands - and standing on these hands is usually the best option because hitting will likely not improve your hand, but rather there are more chances for it to weaken your hand.

When you have a soft 18 and the dealer’s upcard is 7 or 8: A soft 18 is a pretty versatile hand, but if the dealer has an upcard of either 7 or 8, it’s better to stand. The dealer’s odds of making a strong hand are lower - but your 18 is already strong enough to compete. Hitting could potentially turn your strong hand into a weaker one and put you at a disadvantage.

So, if you have a strong hand - or the dealer looks likely to bust then standing is generally the better option.

Nothing is Guaranteed

However, stand or hit, it's important to remember that nothing in blackjack is guaranteed. Ultimately, advice on when to hit or stay in blackjack is all based on statistical probabilities - and are generally considered to be the best moves for each situation, but this is ultimately a casino game, a game of chance where anything can happen.

So, while following these guidelines can give you a better chance with the hand you are dealt, they won’t guarantee a win every time.

Other Basic Blackjack Strategies

In some scenarios, you may choose a different approach to simply “hitting” or “standing”. This includes the options of “doubling down” and splitting”, which, in some instances, can offer better chances of improving your hand.

Pair Splitting

If you’re unaware of what we mean by the term ‘pair splitting,’ it’s simply a blackjack technique which allows players who are dealt a pair (e.g. two 8’s) to split them, playing each card as a separate hand. To do this, you must place a wager on the second hand equal to your original bet, and you must play the hand to your right first.

When should you use this tactic? There are certain pairs that it wouldn’t be wise to split. If you are dealt a pair of 10s, do not split. Although it may seem like you have a better chance of winning, there is no need to split a hand totalling 20 to potentially lose with two separate hands. You should also never split on a pair of 5s for similar reasons. If you’re going to split, you're most likely to split aces or 8s. Having an Ace in your hand already puts you at an advantage - two even more so. Being dealt a pair of 8s already brings your total to 16. Suddenly hitting with this amount would provide lower chances of winning.

Doubling Down

When making the decision to double down or not, there are a couple of points you should consider: your hand value and the value of the dealer's up-card.

How far away from the value of 21 is your hand? If it falls into the late teens or hits 20, it’s best to avoid the doubling down option. You should also take into account hard and soft hands.

A soft hand is any hand where an Ace acts as an 11 rather than a 1. Should your hand value be a hard 8, 9, 10 or 11, or a soft 13 to 18, then you might want to consider doubling down. With these hands, you’re least likely to go bust when doubling down. If you do decide to double down with a soft hand, the Ace will automatically convert from an 11 into a 1, lowering your chances of busting and upping your chance to hit 21.

This decision can be an important one as doubling down will require you to place another bet worth the value of your initial bet.

Other Factors to Consider

Soft Totals

Being dealt an Ace alongside an 8 or 9 means you should stand, regardless of the dealer's up-card (unless the dealer has a 6). At this point, it would be smart to double down. Whereas if you’re dealt an Ace alongside a 2 or a 3, it’s better to hit unless the dealer’s up-card is a 5 or 6. In this case, you should double down.

Hard Totals

Most live blackjack games require the dealer to stand at 17 as part of their game rule. You should take a leaf from their book and also stand should your hand be a hard 17, regardless of the dealer's up-card. You should also stand with hard hand values from 13 to 16, providing the up-card for the dealer isn’t a 5 or a 6 - in this case, you should double down.

Blackjack Variations

Depending on the version of blackjack you choose, the basic strategy can change. For example, if you choose a 4-deck game over single-deck blackjack, the strategy you decide to follow can be adjusted as the odds of certain cards being drawn will change in a single-deck game.

Some versions will also incorporate the Soft 17 rule, and this can impact your strategy if the dealer stands on soft 17 or is required to hit.

Basic Blackjack Strategy Summarised

Hit on:

• Soft 17 or lower
• Hard hand of 8-16, if the dealer has a face-up card of 7-10 or an ace
• Soft 18 when the dealer has an ace, 9 or 10

Stand on:

• Soft 20
• Hard 17-20
• Soft 19

Split on:

• Two aces
• Two eights

Potential to double down on:

• Soft hands of 13-18
• Hard hand of 8-11

Putting Theory Into Action

These strategies are all about making smarter moves to put you in a better position against the house. Getting to grips with the basic strategies is the first step you take towards becoming more informed about what the best decisions are for each possible hand.

The best part about the popular blackjack game is that you hold some element of control in regard to gameplay. Of course, you can’t control the cards you are dealt, but you can utilise the strategies you have learned to make informed movements and lean the odds in your favour.

There is always a way to play which will optimise your chances of winning when you take time to consider the card in front of you. Try not to make irrational, rushed decisions or be tempted to follow unnecessary risks.

Unlike a game of online roulette, where players have zero influence on the outcome of the round, blackjack puts a degree of control into the player's hands. That said, there is no perfect blackjack strategy, as you can't determine the next card that will be drawn from the deck. To begin, you could start with one of our live blackjack tables to find your footing.

Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart

Using a blackjack basic strategy chart can make it simple to determine what moves you should make in certain situations, which is aligned with basic blackjack strategy. For example, depending on the hand you are dealt, the card will show whether you should hit, stand, double down or split. Before playing blackjack, you can memorise aspects of a blackjack strategy card to understand which moves might be the best for you in certain situations.

Below, you can find an example of what basic strategy charts look like, along with the recommended moves players could make with the hand they are dealt. As is the case with basic strategy, these are just recommendations and do not guarantee a specific outcome.

How to use the Basic Strategy Chart

The strategy chart above can look complex upon first glance, but its really simple to use and apply once you understand what everything means.

Down the left column, you will find the different hands you might receive with your first two cards. The top row represents the value of the dealer’s visible card. With that said, how do you use this information to work out your next move?

1. Take the value of your hand, i.e. a hand totalling 16.
2. Then, find the column that is underneath the value of the dealer’s face-up card. This might be 6.
3. Once you have this information, you can find the square on the chart that is aligned with your hand and the dealer’s face-up card.
4. Across the chart, you will find initials for the following “H” (Hit), “S” (Stand), “Sp” (Split) and “D” (Double Down). The initial that is in your square will determine your next move, which is likely to be the best option in that scenario with the information you have available.