Rules

I overhear a lot of bad gambling advice in the casinos. Perhaps the most frequent is this one, 'The object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible, without going over.' No! The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. To beat the dealer the player must first not bust (go over 21) and second either outscore the dealer or have the dealer bust. Here are the full rules of the game.

1. Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks.
2. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points.
3. The value of a hand is the sum of the point values of the individual cards. Except, a 'blackjack' is the highest hand, consisting of an ace and any 10-point card, and it outranks all other 21-point hands.
4. After the players have bet, the dealer will give two cards to each player and two cards to himself. One of the dealer cards is dealt face up. The facedown card is called the 'hole card.'
5. If the dealer has an ace showing, he will offer a side bet called 'insurance.' This side wager pays 2 to 1 if the dealer's hole card is any 10-point card. Insurance wagers are optional and may not exceed half the original wager.
6. If the dealer has a ten or an ace showing (after offering insurance with an ace showing), then he will peek at his facedown card to see if he has a blackjack. If he does, then he will turn it over immediately.
7. If the dealer does have a blackjack, then all wagers (except insurance) will lose, unless the player also has a blackjack, which will result in a push. The dealer will resolve insurance wagers at this time.
8. Play begins with the player to the dealer's left. The following are the choices available to the player:
   • Stand: Player stands pat with his cards.
   • Hit: Player draws another card (and more if he wishes). If this card causes the player's total points to exceed 21 (known as 'breaking' or 'busting') then he loses.
   • Double: Player doubles his bet and gets one, and only one, more card.
   • Split: If the player has a pair, or any two 10-point cards, then he may double his bet and separate his cards into two individual hands. The dealer will automatically give each card a second card. Then, the player may hit, stand, or double normally. However, when splitting aces, each ace gets only one card. Sometimes doubling after splitting is not allowed. If the player gets a ten and ace after splitting, then it counts as 21 points, not a blackjack. Usually the player may keep re-splitting up to a total of four hands. Sometimes re-splitting aces is not allowed.
   • Surrender: The player forfeits half his wager, keeping the other half, and does not play out his hand. This option is only available on the initial two cards, and depending on casino rules, sometimes it is not allowed at all.
9. After each player has had his turn, the dealer will turn over his hole card. If the dealer has 16 or less, then he will draw another card. A special situation is when the dealer has an ace and any number of cards totaling six points (known as a 'soft 17'). At some tables, the dealer will also hit a soft 17.
10. If the dealer goes over 21 points, then any player who didn't already bust will win.
11. If the dealer does not bust, then the higher point total between the player and dealer will win.
12. Winning wagers pay even money, except a winning player blackjack usually pays 3 to 2. Some casinos have been short-paying blackjacks, which is a rule strongly in the casino's favor.

Wizard's Simple Strategy

The basic strategy for Multiple-Action blackjack (and similar games) is the same as regular blackjack. READING THE BASIC STRATEGY CHART(S) Dealer’s up-card is shown along the top of the chart. Player’s hand is shown vertically on the left side of the chart. Always hit hands less than 9 unless otherwise indicated. Always stand on A,9 or higher. Blackjack Basic Strategy. A full basic strategy is quite complex since there are countless situations you could face during a blackjack hand that must be accounted for. There are several factors the player must take into account on each hand: The rules of the blackjack game they are playing; The score of their hand; The dealer’s up card.

I've been preaching for years that to play blackjack properly requires memorizing the basic strategy. However, after pitching the basic strategy for 20 years, I've learned that few people have the will to memorize it. In my book, Gambling 102, I presented a 'Simple Strategy,' which is seven simple rules to playing blackjack. The cost due to incorrect plays with the Simple Strategy is 0.53%, under liberal Vegas Strip rules.

Ever since my book was published it has bothered me that the cost in errors to my Simple Strategy was too high. So in September 2009 I developed the following 'Wizard's Strategy.' The cost due to imperfect plays is 0.14% only, relative to liberal Vegas Strip rules. That is the cost of one hand for about every 12 hours of play. Compared to the 250 cells in the Basic Strategy, the Wizard's Strategy has only 21, as follows.

Let me be perfectly clear that this strategy is not right 100% of the time. I continue to get Emails saying that when this strategy was used with my practice game, the player was corrected for following it. For example, my simple strategy says to stand on 12 against a 2, when it is mathematically better to hit. If you want to learn a strategy that is correct all the time you should use the appropriate basic strategy for the set of rules you are playing.

Rules Of Blackjack Strategy

Here are some comments of clarification.

Basic Rules Of Blackjack Card Game

• A 'hard' hand is one that either has no aces, or has aces that are forced to count as point, lest the hand bust. A 'soft' hand is one with at least one ace, which may still count as one or eleven points.
• With a hard 10 or 11, double if you have more points than the dealer, treating a dealer ace as 11 points. Specifically, double with 10 against a 2 to 9, and with 11 against 2 to 10.
• If the strategy says to double, but you have three or more cards, or table rules don't allow soft doubling, then hit, except stand with a soft 18.
• If the strategy says to surrender (16 vs. 10), but you can't for whatever reason, then hit.
• If the strategy says to 'not split,' then treat the hand has a hard total of 8, 10, or 20, according to the pair in question.

A reader named Jeff provided another table of my simple strategy, with exceptions in small print. Details about the Wizard's Simple Strategy can be found in my Blackjack appendix 21.

Basic Strategy

For the appropriate basic strategy for just about any set of rules, please visit my basic strategy calculator. I still have my traditional charts too:

House Edge

See my Blackjack House Edge Calculator to determine the house edge under 6,912 possible rule combinations.

Rule Surveys

Las Vegas: I'm proud to feature up date blackjack rules for every casino in Las Vegas. The list is updated monthly, based on Stanford Wong's Current Blackjack Newsletter. Effective November 2009 the survey has been moved to my companion site, WizardOfVegas.com.

Rule Variations

Following is a list of some common rule variations and the effect on the player's expected return compared to standard U.S. rules (8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split allowed).

Rule Variations

Rule	Effect
Single deck	0.48%
Early surrender against ten	0.24%
Player may double on any number of cards	0.23%
Double deck	0.19%
Player may draw to split aces	0.19%
Six-card Charlie	0.16%
Player may resplit aces	0.08%
Late surrender	0.08%
Four decks	0.06%
Five decks	0.03%
Six decks	0.02%
Split to only 3 hands	-0.01%
Player may double on 9-11 only	-0.09%
Split to only 2 hands	-0.10%
European no hole card	-0.11%
Player may not double after splitting	-0.14%
Player may double on 10,11 only	-0.18%
Dealer hits on soft 17	-0.22%
Blackjack pays 7-5	-0.45%
Blackjack pays 6-5	-1.39%
Blackjacks pay 1 to 1	-2.27%

I also have a longer list of rule variations.

Beware Short Pays on a Blackjack

More and more tables are showing up that pay less than the full 3 to 2 on a blackjack. Most of these tables pay 6 to 5, but some even money and 7 to 5 tables are known to exist. I would estimate that 10% of '21' tables in Las Vegas now pay less than 3 to 2. In my opinion, only games that pay 3 to 2 deserve to be called 'blackjack,' the rest fall under '21' games, including Super Fun 21 and Spanish 21. Regardless of the other rules, you should demand nothing less than 3 to 2 blackjack. You should always check the felt to be sure, and if the felt doesn't say, look for a sign. If nothing says the win on a blackjack, then ask.

Articles about 6-5 Blackjack:

• Taking a hit: New blackjack odds further tilt advantage toward the house, Las Vegas Sun, Nov. 13, 2003.
• Tighter blackjack rules would hurt players' bankroll, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Feb. 4, 2011.

Bad Strategies

Three popular bad strategies encountered at the blackjack table are: never bust, mimic the dealer, and always assume the dealer has a ten in the hole. All three are very bad strategies. Following are my specific comments on each of them, including the house edge under Atlantic City rules (dealer stands on soft 17, split up to 4 hands, double after split, double any two cards) of 0.43%.

Never bust: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would never hit a hard 12 or more. All other decisions were according to correct basic strategy. This 'never bust' strategy results in a house edge of 3.91%.

Mimic the dealer: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would always hit 16 or less and stand on17 or more, including a soft 17. The player never doubled or split, since the dealer is not allowed to do so. This 'mimic the dealer' strategy results in a house edge of 5.48%.

Assume a ten in the hole: For this strategy I first figured out the optimal basic strategy under this assumption. If the dealer had an ace up, then I reverted to proper basic strategy, because the dealer would have peeked for blackjack, making a 10 impossible. This 'assume a ten' strategy results in a house edge of 10.03%.

Play Blackjack

Practice your blackjack game using my two training tools.

Practice Basis Strategy

Practice Card Counting

Written by: Michael Shackleford

Blackjack offers one of the lowest house edges you can find on the casino floor but if you insist on winning at this game, you will need to master perfect basic strategy which helps you cut the casino’s advantage to around 0.50%. Basic blackjack strategy was pioneered by Roger Baldwin, Herbert Maisel, Wilbert Cantey, and James McDermott. The four men hammered it in the early 1950s during their service in the US Army using nothing but their brains and desk calculators.

Blackjack Rules Chart

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They went on to publish their conclusions in the 1957 book Playing Blackjack to Win but it failed to gain traction among the broader public. The strategy was perfected by Edward Thorp and Julian Braun in the 1960s who used early IBM computers to test its efficiency and improve it. But what is basic strategy and why does it work?

What Is Blackjack Basic Strategy and Why Does It Work?

The term “basic strategy” is used in reference to the mathematically correct way to play any possible hand in blackjack, depending on its total and the value of the dealer’s exposed card. Basic strategy is infallible because it is based on computer simulations that involved millions of hands. These simulations showed the likelihood of improving your hand total against the dealer’s when making a specific playing decision.

In other words, basic strategy tells the player the correct hitting, standing, splitting, doubling, and surrender decisions for all possible combinations of cards in the game. Its accuracy cannot be disputed because the playing decisions the strategy recommends are all based on mathematical probabilities and millions of computer-simulated trials. The strategy relies on the notion each of the playing decisions it recommends is guaranteed to yield a predictable outcome in the long term, over the course of millions of hands played.

It is essential for every blackjack player to perfect basic strategy because the latter is mathematically proven to reduce the house edge to around half a percent, making blackjack one of the most profitable casino games you can possibly play. The tricky thing about blackjack is that unlike other casino games, it does not follow a unified system of rules. There may be huge discrepancies in how the game plays at different casinos and even at different blackjack tables, which naturally impacts the optimal playing decisions.

Blackjack Basic Strategy Additional TipsBasic strategy changes depending on the number of decks in play, the dealer standing and drawing rules, the absence of the surrender option, and so on. After you learn basic strategy by heart, you will have to memorize some additional deviations that pertain to the specific rules of the blackjack variant you want to play.

The easiest way for you to find the correct basic strategy for the blackjack variation you are interested in is by using one of the strategy engines available on the Internet. All you have to do is tweak the rules and the software will update the correct strategy based on the rule adjustments you have specified.

It is of equal importance to play each hand exactly as basic strategy requires you. Never deviate from correct play because you have a hunch or because you feel like you always lose when splitting pairs of Aces, for example. You may be left with the impression you lose when executing certain strategy plays but this is not the case in the long term, after you go through tens of thousands of hands. Blackjack players should deviate from basic strategy only when they are using it in conjunction with more advanced techniques such as card counting.

Reading the Basic Strategy Chart

There are two formats of basic strategy representation, the most common of which is the color-coded chart. The second format uses a table which contains roughly the same information as the color-coded charts. However, most players prefer the charts because each playing decision is represented by a specific color and this simplifies the memorization process.

The first row of the chart contains the dealer’s exposed cards 2 through Ace whereas the first column shows you all possible two-card totals of the player. The player’s hands are normally grouped into several categories depending on their type (hard hands, soft hands, and pairs).

Abbreviations are used for different playing decisions – H stands for “hit”, S stands for “stand”, D stands for “double down”, P stands for “split”, and R denotes “surrender”. Sometimes the player is unable to execute the optimal play because of rule variations. The color-coded chart reflects this by showing you the second-best playing decision.

Thus, DS means you need to stand if doubling is not allowed, RH tells you to hit if you cannot surrender, and RS means you need to stand if it is impossible to surrender. These abbreviations are usually listed toward the bottom of the chart so you can easily find them if you are a first-timer.

Basic Strategy Chart Additional TipsSuppose you are dealt a soft 16 and the dealer’s exposed card is a 9. You go down the first row of the section pertaining to soft totals until you find soft 16. The box where soft 16 and the dealer’s 9 intersect contains the letter H which means the optimal play for this situation is to hit.

Here is another example. You are dealt a pair of 7s against a dealer’s 10, you proceed down the first column to the box that reads “7, 7”, check the box where it intersects with the dealer’s 10 and hit your hand as correct strategy requires you to do.

This is a total-dependent basic strategy that requires you to play multiple-card hands as if they were your starting two-card totals. Suppose you are dealt 8 and 5 for a total of 13 against the dealer’s 7. You are playing a multiple-deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17s. You hit your hand in accordance with the strategy and draw a 4 for a total of 17. You check the strategy for a hard 17 against a dealer’s 7 and see it tells you the optimal play is now to stand.

Playing Decisions Order in Basic Strategy

Basic Rules Of Blackjack Chart For Free

If you are playing at a blackjack table that supports late surrender, the first thing you need to consider is whether or not you should exercise the surrender option. You can forfeit your hand only when it consists of the first two cards you have received from the dealer. If you have hit your starting total, surrendering will no longer be possible for you. Respectively, this is the first decision you must consider when playing your hand.

Splitting comes second in terms of importance because, it, too, is possible only when you are dealt paired cards of the same rank. If basic strategy tells you you cannot split the pair, the next question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you should double down. This is also an option on two-card totals. If basic strategy tells you to double down, it means there is a good chance you may win this hand. At some blackjack tables, there are restrictions on doubling so this decision may not be possible in some instances.

If doubling is not allowed or basic strategy indicates this is not the best decision for your hand, you proceed to either hit or stand. These two playing decisions come last in terms of importance from basic-strategy perspective. When none of the other playing options are available or appropriate for your starting total, you need to decide whether to draw more cards or not.

Important Hitting and Standing Decisions with Basic Strategy

Basic strategy and common sense dictate that players should always hit totals of 5 through 8 no matter what upcard the dealer has. When the dealer exposes certain cards like 4, 5 and 6, the probability of them exceeding 21 is greater.

Respectively, basic strategy recommends us to stand on totals 12 through 16 whenever the dealer is in a weak spot and starts their hand with a 4, a 5 or a 6. The dealer is more likely to bust with these hole cards so there is no need to risk breaking your hand. Players should always stand on hard totals of 17 or higher and hit soft totals of 17 or less.

If the dealer exposes a ten-value card and you have a hard total of 16, you should always surrender. This is the most cost-effective decision in this scenario even though you are forfeiting half of your bet because the probability of losing with the other plays is slightly higher than 50%. However, if surrender is unavailable, the second-best play would be to hit your hard 16, in which case you will lose slightly less frequently in comparison to standing. An exception is made for a 16 that consists of paired 8s.

Important Splitting Decisions in Basic Strategy

Two of the most important splitting decisions concern pairs of Aces and pairs of 8s, which should always be split regardless of the dealer’s upcard. Splitting the Aces gives you the opportunity to start two separate hands, each starting with a total of 11. Drawing a ten-value card next to your Ace gives you an unbeatable total of 21. This puts you in a very advantageous spot even though you are still getting paid even money for your 21.

Ask any blackjack player and they will tell you a hard 16 is the worst possible hand you can get in this game. This is not the case if your 16 consists of paired 8s. Splitting the pair is the easiest solution in this situation because it relieves you of that terrible 16.

The pairs you should never split are those consisting of 5s, 10s, or face cards. The 5s make a very decent starting total of 10 which is perfect for doubling down. The paired 10s or face cards give you a total of 20 which is almost always a sure winner. If you split those pairs, you run a significant risk at ruining a pat hand so you best refrain from splitting.

Important Doubling Decisions in Basic Strategy

Certain starting totals like 9, 10, and 11 are advantageous to the player because ten-value cards outnumber any other card denomination in the deck or shoe. You should always double down on these totals against a dealer who exposes small cards 3 through 6 because they are way more likely to bust in this case.

Basic strategy recommends doubling on a 9 against dealer upcards 3 through 6. When you start with a total of 10, you should always double down unless the dealer exposes an Ace or a ten-value card. A starting total of 11 calls for doubling on all occasions except those when the dealer shows an Ace.

Composition-Dependent Strategy

Blackjack is a very dynamic game edge-wise. The advantage constantly changes between player and dealer as cards are removed from the deck or shoe. The strategy we have so far discussed shows you the correct plays based solely on the total of your starting two cards and the dealer’s up card. However, it treats blackjack like a static game, which it is not.

This is where composition-dependent strategy proves useful. First introduced in Peter Griffin’s 1979 book The Theory of Blackjack, this advanced strategy helps you make more accurate decisions because it takes into consideration the exact make-up of your hands, i.e. the number and type of cards your hand consists of. However, you must master total-dependent basic strategy before you proceed to learn its more advanced cousin.

One of the toughest plays composition-dependent strategy can help you with is the dreaded 16 against the dealer’s 10. Total-dependent strategy requires you to either surrender or hit in this case. Composition-dependent strategy recommends you to stand on your 16 if it consists of three or more small cards like 7, 5, and 4. The reasoning behind this play is that you have already drawn some of the small cards which shifts the odds from hitting to standing because now your chances of busting on the next hit are slightly higher.

Players who start with a hard 15 against the dealer’s ten-value card are recommended to surrender when using a total-based strategy. Yet, those who insist on greater accuracy can follow composition-dependent strategy which calls for a hit if the 15 consists of an 8 and a 7 because two of the cards that can cause you to bust have already been removed from play.

Composition-Dependent Strategy Additional TipsAnother tricky play is when you end up with a total of 12 against the exposed 4 of the dealer. There are several combinations of two cards that add up to 12, namely 7-5, 9-3, 8-4, and a ten-value card with a 2. Pairs of 6s are excluded because they are normally split against a dealer 4.

In this scenario, composition-dependent strategy recommends you to hit your 12 if it consists of a ten-value card and a 2 because one of the ten-value cards has already been removed, slightly decreasing your chances of busting.

Note that your decision here is also affected by the number of decks in play. Removing one face card or a 10 will have a more pronounced effect in single and double deck games, which is why you are still recommended to stand on your hard 12 against the dealer’s 4 when playing pitched games and hit it when playing multiple-deck games. Players who follow composition-dependent strategy should stand against the dealer’s 4 if they are dealt the other two-card combinations that make for a hard 12 (8-4 and 9-3).

Tips on Memorizing the Basic Strategy Chart

Memorizing a color-coded basic strategy chart may be a bit tricky if you are a blackjack rookie. The first thing you need to do is memorize the playing decisions’ correct order, which is surrender, split, double, and hit/stand.

You can proceed by learning a simplified version of the strategy like the one we have posted below. It covers a decent portion of the chart and the rules are much easier to remember this way, especially by people who are not good at visual learning.

• Surrender a two-card 16 against the dealer’s ten-value card, otherwise hit.
• Always hit totals 5 through 8 regardless of what the dealer’s upcard is.
• Always hit hard totals 12 through 16 if the dealer’s upcard is 7 or higher.
• Double on your 9 when the dealer exposes small cards 3 through 6.
• Always double on your 10 unless the dealer shows an Ace or a ten-value card, in which case you must hit.
• Always double on your 11 unless the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, in which case you hit.
• Always split paired 8s or Aces.
• Never split paired 5s or ten-value cards.
• Always hit soft 13 through soft 18 against the dealer’s 5 or 6.
• Never take insurance. This bet offers very poor odds for the player.

Of course, learning the chart by heart is one thing, putting it to use is another. You must cement your knowledge of basic strategy through solid practice. There is always the option to take a deck of cards and deal some hands to yourself consulting your basic strategy chart when you are not certain about a given decision.

A more convenient approach would be to use one of the strategy trainers available on the web. You only need to tackle the settings and adjust the rules so that they fit those of the game you intend to play. The software will correct you each time you make a wrong decision. Take notes to examine your weak spots and improve your strategy play.