Blackjack Strategy Chart: Step-by-Step Hit, Stand, Double, Split & Surrender Guide

This blackjack strategy chart shows exactly when to Hit, Stand, Double Down, Split Pairs and Surrender. It is built for a common six- to eight-deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17, doubling after a split is allowed and late surrender is available. If your table uses different rules, a few decisions will change.

Action Legend

Step 1: Identify Your Hand Type

• 1
  Pair? If your first two cards have the same rank, check the Pair Splitting chart first.
• 2
  Soft hand? If an ace can count as 11 without busting, use the Soft Totals chart.
• 3
  Hard hand? If no ace counts as 11, use the Hard Totals chart.
• 4
  Surrender available? Follow the R cells before making a normal hit/stand decision.

Hard Totals Strategy Chart

Hard totals do not contain an ace valued as 11. Find your total on the left and the dealer’s upcard across the top.

Soft Totals Strategy Chart

A soft hand contains an ace currently counted as 11. Because the ace can fall back to 1, these hands can often be played more aggressively.

Pair Splitting Strategy Chart

Use this chart before treating a pair as a hard total. For example, 8,8 is a hard 16, but the correct basic-strategy action is normally to split rather than follow the hard-16 row.

When to Surrender

The Correct Decision Order

In practice, you can make decisions quickly by learning the dealer’s weak zone first. Against dealer 4, 5 and 6, many hard totals stand and many 9–11 totals double. Against dealer 9, 10 and ace, the player generally needs a stronger finished hand and therefore hits more often.

Five Rules Worth Memorizing First

• Always split aces and eights. A-A is too valuable to play as soft 12, while 8-8 is too weak to leave as hard 16.
• Never split tens. A made 20 is already one of the strongest hands in blackjack.
• Double 11 against dealer 2 through 10 under the chart assumptions above.
• Stand on hard 17 or more. Taking another card usually creates more bust risk than value.
• Stand on hard 12–16 against dealer 4–6 and let the dealer’s forced draw create the bust risk.

How Basic Strategy Changes in a Blackjack Tournament

The chart above is designed to maximize the expected value of an individual blackjack hand. Tournament play adds another objective: finishing with more chips than your opponents. Most hands should still begin with sound basic strategy, but bankroll position can justify deviations—especially near elimination points or on the final hands.