In a 52-card deck there are 16 ten-valued cards: four tens, four jacks, four queens, and four kings. (For purposes of simplification, when I refer to a card as a "ten" or "X," it is understood to mean any 10, jack, queen, or king.) Every other denomination has only four cards, one of each suit. You are four times more likely to pull a ten out of the deck than, say, a deuce. Because of this, when the dealer's upcard is "high" —7, 8, 9, X, or A—he has a greater likelihood of finishing with a strong total than when his upcard is "low"—2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.

So, if the dealer's upcard is a 7, 8, 9, X, or A, and you hold a "stiff"— any hand totaling 12 through 16—you would hit. When the dealer's hand indicates strength, you do not want to stand with a weak hand. Even though when you hit a stiff you're more likely to bust than to make a pat hand, you will lose more money in the long run if you stand on these weak hands when the dealer shows strength.

On the other hand, if the dealer's upcard is 2,3,4,5, or 6, and you hold a stiff hand, you should stand. Since he must hit his stiff hands, and since stiffs bust a large percentage of the time, hitting your weak hand isn't the right play.

Similarly, if the dealer's upcard indicates he may be stiff, it's in your favor to double down or to split pairs, thereby getting more money onto the table when the dealer has a good chance of busting. You double down and split pairs less often when the dealer shows a strong upcard.

That's the basic logic of casino blackjack. There are exceptions to these oversimplified guidelines, as the actual basic strategy decision for any given hand is determined by working out all of the mathematical probabilities, but this gives you a working idea of the strategy.

EARNING YOUR WHITE BELT
2 GENERIC BASIC STRATEGY
FOR ANY NUMBER OF DECKS 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X A
STAND
17 S S S S s s S S S S
16 S S S S s H H H H H
15 S S S s s H H H H H
14 S s S s s H H H H H
13 S s S s s H H H H H
12 H H S s s H H H H H
A7 S s S s s s S H H H
DOUBLE DOWN
11 D D D D D D D D D D
10 D D D D D D D D
9 D D D D
A7 D D D D
A6 D D D D
A5 D D D
A4 D D D
A3 D D
A2 D D
SURRENDER (LATE)
16 0 0 0
15 0
S = Stand H = Hit D = Double Down 0 = Surrender
This generic basic strategy may be used for any g. ime. See Appendix
for comprehensive basic strategy according to all rule variations and the
specific number of decks in play.

PAIR-SPLITS
23456789XA
NO DOUBLE AFTER SPLITS
AA $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
99 $ $ $ $ $ $ $
88 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
77 $ $ $ $ $ $
66 $ $ $ $
33 $ $ $ $
22 $ $ $ $
WITH DOUBLE AFTER SPLITS
AA $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
99 $ $ $ $ $ $ $
88 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
77 $ $ $ $ $ $
66 $ $ $ $ $
44 $ $
33 $ $ $ $ $ $
22 $ $ $ $ $ $
INSURANCE
Do Not Take Insurance $ = Split

• Blackjack – The Dealer (0)
• Blackjack – Multi-action (0)
• Basic Blackjack Strategy (0)

Once you understand how to play blackjack, you can get into a game without losing your bankroll. If you make your decisions by playing your hunches, you will lose in the long run—there is only one correct decision for any given play, and that decision is based strictly on mathematics. Whether or not you should hit or stand, double down or split a pair, depends on what the laws of probability dictate. Mathematicians, using computers, have matched every possible hand you might hold against every possible dealer upcard—and it's their way or the highway.

Basic strategy is the best way, mathematically, to play your hands if you are not counting cards.

Depending on the rules and the number of decks in use, basic strategy will usually cut the house edge to no more than about 1/2% over the player. This makes blackjack the most advantageous game in the casino, even if you are not a card counter.
To explain why various basic strategy decisions work would require extensive mathematical proof. Unless you understand the math, and have a computer to work it out, you'll have to accept basic strategy on faith.

There is an underlying logic to basic strategy, however, which can be understood by anyone who understands the rules of blackjack.

• Why Basic Blackjack Strategy Works (0)
• Blackjack – Multi-action (0)
• Using The Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart (0)

Some casinos use special table layouts that allow players to place up to three simultaneous bets. In these Multi-Action games, the player will play his hand once, but the dealer will play out his hand three times. He will use the same upcard, but will draw a new hole card, and hit cards if necessary, against each successive player bet. In these games, all other blackjack rules and options remain the same.

• Why Basic Blackjack Strategy Works (0)
• Basic Blackjack Strategy (0)
• Using The Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart (0)