Blackjack Basic Strategy Guide: Beat the House Edge

What is Basic Strategy?

Basic strategy is the mathematically optimal way to play every possible blackjack hand. Developed through computer simulations of millions of hands, it tells you exactly when to hit, stand, double down, split, or surrender based on your cards and the dealer's upcard.

Why does it matter? Following basic strategy perfectly reduces the house edge from around 2% (for an average player making intuition-based decisions) to approximately 0.3-0.5% depending on the table rules. That's the difference between losing $20 per hour and losing $5 per hour at the same stakes.

Playing Hard Hands

A hard hand is any hand without an Ace, or with an Ace that must count as 1 to avoid busting.

Hard Totals 8 or Less

Always hit. You cannot bust, and any card improves your hand.

Hard 9

Double down if the dealer shows 3-6. Otherwise, hit.

Hard 10

Double down if the dealer shows 2-9. Hit against 10 or Ace.

Hard 11

Double down against everything except a dealer Ace (hit against Ace in most games).

Hard 12

Stand against dealer 4-6. Hit against everything else. This is counterintuitive, but the math proves it.

Hard 13-16

Stand against dealer 2-6. Hit against 7 or higher. These hands are tough, but standing against dealer bust cards is correct.

Hard 17+

Always stand. Never hit 17 or higher.

Playing Soft Hands

A soft hand contains an Ace counted as 11. These hands are more flexible because you can't bust with one more card.

Soft 13-14 (A,2 or A,3)

Double against dealer 5-6. Otherwise, hit.

Soft 15-16 (A,4 or A,5)

Double against dealer 4-6. Otherwise, hit.

Soft 17 (A,6)

Double against dealer 3-6. Otherwise, hit. Never stand on soft 17.

Soft 18 (A,7)

Double against dealer 3-6. Stand against 2, 7, or 8. Hit against 9, 10, or Ace.

Soft 19-20

Always stand. These are strong hands.

Splitting Pairs

Pair splitting can create two winning hands from one mediocre one, or turn a bad situation into two opportunities.

Always Split

• Aces: Always split. Two chances at 21 is better than 12.
• Eights: Always split. 16 is the worst hand in blackjack.

Never Split

• Tens: Never split. 20 is already an excellent hand.
• Fives: Never split. Double on 10 instead against dealer 2-9.
• Fours: Never split (or rarely, against 5-6 only). Hit or double on 8.

Conditional Splits

• Twos, Threes, Sevens: Split against dealer 2-7
• Sixes: Split against dealer 2-6
• Nines: Split against 2-6 and 8-9. Stand against 7, 10, or Ace.

When to Double Down

Doubling down lets you double your bet in exchange for receiving exactly one more card. Use it when the odds favor you.

Key doubling situations:

• Hard 11 against anything except Ace
• Hard 10 against dealer 2-9
• Hard 9 against dealer 3-6
• Soft 16-18 against dealer 4-6

When to Surrender

If the casino offers late surrender, use it in these situations:

• 16 against dealer 9, 10, or Ace
• 15 against dealer 10

Surrender saves half your bet in the most unfavorable situations.

Tips for Memorizing Basic Strategy

• Start with hard hands since they're most common
• Learn the "always" rules first (always split Aces/Eights, never split Tens)
• Practice with free blackjack games at BetMGM
• Use strategy cards until the plays become automatic
• Focus on the dealer's bust cards (2-6) as the key decision point

Rule Variations That Affect Strategy

Basic strategy changes slightly based on table rules:

• Dealer hits/stands on soft 17: Dealer hitting is worse for you
• Number of decks: Fewer decks favor the player
• Doubling restrictions: Limits on when you can double hurt your edge
• Blackjack payout: Always seek 3:2 tables, avoid 6:5