Complete Guide to Blackjack Basic Strategy
Master the fundamental blackjack basic strategy chart that can reduce the house edge to less than 0.5%.
December 4, 2025•8 min read
What is Basic Strategy?
Blackjack basic strategy is a mathematically calculated set of rules that tells you the optimal play for every possible hand combination against every dealer upcard. Following basic strategy reduces the casino's edge to approximately 0.5%, making it the foundation of successful blackjack play.
Hard Totals Strategy
Hard totals are hands without an Ace (or where the Ace counts as 1). Here's the complete strategy chart:
| Your Hand | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-8 | 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 | D |
| 12 | H | H | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 13-16 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 17+ | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
Key Takeaways
- • Always split Aces and 8s
- • Never split 10s or 5s
- • Double 11 against any dealer card
- • Stand on 17+ against any card
- • Hit soft 17 (A,6) against dealer 2-6