Blackjack Master Chart

1. When To Hit In Blackjack Chart
2. Blackjack Perfect Strategy Chart

The need for a Winning Blackjack Strategy

Winning tactics in Blackjack require that the player play each hand in the optimum way, and such strategy always takes into account what the dealer's upcard is. When the dealer's upcard is a good one, a 7, 8, 9, 10-card, or ace for example, the player should not stop drawing until a total of 17 or more is reached. Master Chart: Hard Hands The hard hands blackjack basic strategy chart shows how to play hard hands. As a reminder, a “hard” hand does not contain an ace counted as eleven. An ace-six is a “soft” hand, but an ace-six-nine is a hard hand (because the ace has already reverted to one). Learn how to beat the house with card counting from the pros who've won millions. The best resource for card counting training, community, and info. A look at basic strategy master charts (those that apply to the most common situations) and an explanation of how to learn basic blackjack strategy. The basic strategy provides the user with a matrix that indicates which option—hit or stay, double, split, or surrender—is the most advantageous to the player in any situation, based on the. This is because blackjack depends on strategizing based on probability instead of pure luck. To increase your chances of winning at blackjack, first learn the basic strategies of playing your cards wisely and then master a card counting system.

Blackjack players across the globe have spent their lives honing their skills on traditional casino tables or online – like the ones offered on cozino. Some say that many players are meditating up the in mountains just to count cards, doing anything to get better. Becoming efficient in blackjack is difficult but not impossible, especially if you are using a strategy. Today we’re going to be identifying some of the best ways you can play, and ultimately win.However, if strategic games is not your think you should check out some of the best slot games instead.

Some of the strategies we’re going to outline here are harder to execute than others. It might take some time for you to get the hang it. You have to think on the fly, play the game and keep track of everything that’s going on. Keep in mind that some of the following strategies are frowned on by certain institutions, so try them at your own risk.

There’s a lot of techniques out there to pick and choose from, suited to any playing style: from novices to veterans. Finding what works for you comes down to trial and error — we’re all wired differently. So try not to panic if none of what we suggest here is to your liking.

The best thing about these strategies is that they can be modified to fit how you play, at least in the early stages. If you’re able to pull off these strategies successfully, then we see no reason for you not to reach success just as quickly. Just remember, practice makes perfect with these strategies; if you find yourself picking up these stuff quickly then consider trying out online roulette as well.

Blackjack Strategy based on Card Counting

The answer to the question ‘which is the best blackjack strategy?’ will differ from person to person depending on who you ask. Novice players might suggest you make small bets and try to play the game in its basic state. There’s nothing wrong with this strategy if you like to play for fun, but if you play to win and to make money, then you should try counting cards. Now, counting cards is highly illegal in the world of blackjack, so count stealthily

This strategy is foolproof if you can successfully navigate the waters. Counting cards is almost like you’re juggling plates. You have to simultaneously play the game while not making it obvious that you’re counting cards. You won’t be able to count every card on the board instantly, no, this is going to take time to master, even years in some cases.

‘So what’s the benefits of counting cards’ we hear you ask. Well basically, counting cards allow you to predict the outcome of a game of Blackjack. When we put it like that it might be hard to understand why it’s considered illegal. Casinos don’t allow this technique to be used at the table for a reason, and that’s because they’d lose money, and it puts you at an unfair advantage.

When counting cards, you want to be keeping track of the jackets presented on the cards as well as the numbers. There are only four cards in the same jacket, this makes it a lot easier to create a mental inventory of the cards presented when you think about it. Beginners should try to count cards in one jacket only and work their way up, trying to count all the cards as a novice will only cost you money.

Counting cards requires nothing but your undivided attention. If you lose count of the cards or your mind goes blank the game won’t wait for you — this is why we used the spinning plates analogy before. If your mind is prone to wandering, you might want to look for another strategy because this one probably isn’t for you. Roulette strategies like counting cards require respect, so be prepared or don’t bother.

Here’s a little tip for you: instead of trying to count the cards in their current state, try assigning a value on them in other ways. For example, attaching names to certain numbers will train your mind to get better at memorising each card that’s already been shown. Beginners should start by counting the ace card exclusively since it holds a lot of power in the game. The ace is a card that represents the numbers one and eleven, simultaneously.

Understanding a blackjack strategy chart

Strategy charts in blackjack are a computer creation, utilised by players with great success as far as win/loss records are concerned. These charts were created when computers were asked to simulate millions of games of blackjack. The computers analyse every move and possibility of the game, and formulate these charts to act as a guide on how to play, and always win.

Like counting cards, there’s an element of mental gymnastics involved. You’ll need to memorise these charts in the same way that you would memorise certain cards when counting cards. We’d recommend you memorise certain phrases to help you remember specific charts/paths. Like we’ve mentioned, focus is a significant technique involved here. Find what works for you when it comes to keeping track of these charts and get ready.

Again, strategy charts are considered somewhat illegal in certain spaces. These dealers have been trained to spot people cheating, so although all you’re doing is reading from memory, you could still lose your seat at the table. On most occasions you will be expected to switch between charts as the game is played, this can be incredibly difficult as it requires an expert amount off knowledge.

One constant of these charts involves your starting hand. Each chart requires you to have a certain hand to begin, meaning if you aren’t satisfied with your current standing, you should almost always surrender. To surrender is to basically ask the dealer for a fresh set of starting cards. Not all casinos offer the ability to surrender, but they are incredibly helpful for obvious reasons.

There’s a lot of charts out there for you to pick and choose from, some more complicated than others. Counting cards require you to be in the moment, whereas strategy charts require you to have revised beforehand, that’s the main difference between the two. There’s a better sense of progression with charts too since you’ll start off with a beginners chart before upping your game.

Look online, and you’ll find a mix of free charts and paid charts, we’d advise sticking with the free ones for now before you go speaking with so-called experts. One of the most common charts is the 4 to 8 deck “Dealer Stands on Soft 17 chart.” This chart offers a very basic guide on how to play, here’s an example of how these charts help you strategise:

When to Surrender:

Surrender hard 16 when the dealer shows a 9, 10 or an A.

Surrender hard 15 when the dealer shows a 10.

Do not surrender a pair of eights, regardless of what the dealer shows.

When to Split:

You should always split all pairs of A’s & 8’s

Split 2’s when the dealer shows a 4-7

Split 3’s when the dealer shows a 4-7

Split 4’s when the dealer shows a 5-6*

Split 6’s when the dealer shows a 3-6 (and 2’s*)

Split 7’s when the dealer shows a 2-7

Split 9’s when the dealer shows a 2-6

Split 9’s also if the dealer shows an 8-9

Never split a pair of 5’s, or a pair of 10’s, regardless of what the dealer shows

When To Hit In Blackjack Chart

What are the rules of blackjack?

Blackjack is a straightforward game to get the hang of. It starts with the dealer handing out cards to all participating players. Each player is given two cards each. You’ll then be asked to place your bets accordingly. In blackjack, game chips are used as currency, each chip representing something different as far as value is concerned. When playing blackjack you never hand your chips straight to the dealer, it’s one of the old rules of the game that could see you ejected from the game for bad etiquette.

The dealer will also place two cards out in front of them. One of these cards will be faced up, and the other faced down. At this moment the player will then be asked on how they want to proceed based on the cards in their hand. Before you pick what happens next, you should identify whether or not your hand is a hard or soft hand.

Those of you that have an ace in your hand will always have a soft hand — since the ace can represent one of two numbers, both big and small. If you draw two cards that when combined equal a number over eleven. Hard hands make it a lot harder for you to play as you go into later rounds since you could risk going bust a lot sooner than you’d like. Having an ace in your hand almost always equals victory.

Once you’ve looked at your hand, you’ll be asked on how you want to proceed. Now at this point, there are quite a few options to pick and choose from. You can stand, which is to say that you don’t want another card and just want to continue with your two starting hands. We’d recommend you only stand if you have a hard hand or have a hand with 17-21 in it.

Say the word “hit”, and you’ll be given another card from the dealer, say the word “double down”, and you’ll ask for another two cards. Say the word “surrender”, and you’ll be given a new pair of starting cards. And finally, say the word “split”, and you’ll take the two identical cards in your hand, and you’ll play them as two separate hands.

Learning to count cards in Blackjack

Counting cards is an effective way of making money in blackjack, but it does require spy-level focus and discipline. You’ll need to be aware of everything about the game as it’s happening in front of you. Start by focusing on one or two sets of cards to count, this will be a lot easier than trying to work out where all cards are at all times.

We shouldn’t have to remind you that the skill of counting cards is illegal in practically all establishments. Getting caught will get you kicked out, and sometimes, banned. If you want to learn more about counting cards, then read the section above, we cover it more in detail.

Blackjack tournaments around the world

Blackjack tournaments bring players from all walks of life to the table! Tournaments put big money on the line, which in turn brings elite-level competition to the forefront. Becoming a veteran of blackjack will take time, so don’t go thinking that you can just waltz into a tournament and come away with the prize money, because that won’t happen.

Most blackjack tournaments are shown on television or can be live-streamed. Honestly, if you want to learn how to play this game effectively, you should watch how some of these guys play, they’re so talented and utilise their own strategies with great success.

The rise of Online Blackjack and its Benefits

Online blackjack, as most new online casino games, is identical to the games you play in the real world, the only difference is you’re playing on a screen! Mobile gaming has completely revolutionised how we experience blackjack, as well as many other table games.

If you’re looking to get better at blackjack but just don’t have the time to go to a casino, try out an online version of the game, they are perfect to train with. We personally play online blackjack for that reason and for the amazing online promotions. Our skills at the table have definitely improved, even our card counting abilities have gotten better.

If you want to win a lot but not bet a lot, then you might have more chances on one of our new jackpot games.

Each decision you make while playing blackjack has a positive or negative
impact on your potential profit or loss. Every situation you have while playing
has a single best way to play.

If you make the correct play it either makes you the most money in the long
run or loses the least amount of money in the long run. This is called basic
strategy.

Some hands lose money in the long run and some win in the long run, so your
job is to make the best possible play to maximize the wins and minimize the
losses.

When you read about the expected house edge in blackjack games based on the
rules the percentages are based on perfect basic strategy. If you don’t use the
proper strategy you give the house a higher edge against you. This can add an
extra one or two percent to the house edge, depending on how far from the proper
strategy you stray.

You can usually find blackjack games with rules that offer a house edge of
less than 1%, and can often find games with a house edge under a half percent.
If you don’t use basic strategy you can be playing with a house edge of 1.5% to
3% instead of a half percent.

This quickly adds up.

If your average bet is $100 and you play 100 hands per hour and you give the
casino and extra 1% you lose an extra $100 per hour. By giving them an extra 2%
it’s $200 per hour.

If you want to play blackjack the first thing you need to do is decide to
always make the best possible play.

You probably realize that there are hundreds of hands when you combine all of
the possible hands you can have with the different up cards the dealer can have.

The good news is that by using a simple chart you can quickly find the best
play. And you can use a strategy chart or card at the table while playing in a
live casino or when playing online.

If you play in a live casino some of the other players may try to pressure
you if you take too long to make a decision. But it’s none of their business and
you can play any way you want as long as you don’t hold up the game too long.

If you’re worried about holding up the game sit in the middle of the table or
to the dealer’s right hand side so you have longer before you have to act. This
gives you more time to consult your strategy chart before being force to make a
decision.

You don’t even need to memorize the best plays.

But with a little effort and time you can quickly memorize the most common
plays and in time memorize all of the best plays.

The next section has a chart and the following section has the hand by hand
explanations. Then you’ll find a section explaining a few ways to start
memorizing all of the plays.

Basic Strategy Chart

This is the most universal basic strategy chart and can be used in all
blackjack games with any rule combinations. A few small adjustments can be made
against certain rules combinations, but it becomes complicated to memorize
multiple charts. We’ve included a short section later explaining these
adjustments for the dedicated player.

The dealer’s up card is listed across the top. Your cards are listed down the
first column to the left. Simply go down the left column until you find your
cards and then go across to the column with the dealer’s card to find the best
play.

The key for each play is as follows:

• Hit – Hit
• Stand – Stand
• DblH – Double
• DblS – Double if permitted, otherwise stand
• Split – Split
• SplitD – Split if double after split is permitted, otherwise hit
• SUR – Surrender if permitted, otherwise hit

Blackjack Perfect Strategy Chart

Expand Shrink

Text Version and Vision Impaired

Many players use the chart listed above but a few players prefer to read the
correct plays. Having the correct plays written out also is valuable to people
who have vision problems and use software to hear what’s on the page.

We’ve listed the proper plays for each situation below in four sections.
Simply find the section that describes your hand and follow the instructions.

Hands with an Ace or Soft Hands

Any starting hand you hold with an ace is called a soft hand. A soft hand is
when you have an ace that can be used as a one or 11. In the following
combinations, if you have more than two cards, simply add the cards that aren’t
an ace.

This can happen when you start with an ace and a different side card and hit.
Starting with an ace two and receiving a four after hitting leaves you with ace
two four. Looking at the chart you look at the line for a soft 17. Using the
list below you look at the one for ace six because the two and four add up to
six.

• Ace ace – Always split a pair of aces. Split aces as many times as allowed.
• Ace two or soft 13 – You always hit with a soft 13 and double if allowed
  against a dealer five or six.
• Ace three or soft 14 – Always hit and double against a five or six if
  allowed.
• Ace four or soft 15 – You always hit with a soft 15 and double if allowed
  against a dealer four, five, or six.
• Ace five or soft 16 – Always hit and double against a four, five, and six if
  allowed.
• Ace six or soft 17 – Double against a three, four, five, and six if allowed
  and otherwise hit.
• Ace seven or soft 18 – Stand against a dealer two, seven, and eight, hit
  against a nine, 10, or ace, and double if allowed against three, four, five, or
  six.
• Ace eight or soft 19 – Stand at all times.
• Ace nine or soft 20 – Always stand.
• Ace 10 – Blackjack! Always stand.

Pairs

Whenever you have a pair for your first two cards you need to decide if you
should split.

• Two two – Split against a dealer four, five, six, and seven, hit against a
  dealer eight, nine, 10, and ace, and against a dealer two or three split if you
  can double after split and hit if double after split isn’t allowed.
• Three three – Play your hand exactly the same as two two. If double after
  split is allowed split against a dealer two or three, otherwise hit against
  these two cards. Hit against a dealer eight, nine, 10, and ace, and split
  against a dealer four, five, sis, and seven.
• Four four – When double after split is allowed split against a dealer five
  and six, otherwise hit. Hit against all other dealer cards.
• Five five – Never split fives. Hit against a dealer 10 or ace and double
  against all other dealer cards if allowed.
• Six six – Hit against a dealer seven, eight, nine, 10, and ace. Split against
  a dealer three, four, five, and six. Split against a dealer two if double after
  split is allowed, otherwise hit.
• Seven seven – Split against a dealer two, three, four, five, six, and seven.
  Hit against a dealer eight, nine, 10, and ace.
• Eight eight – Always split eights.
• Nine nine – Split against a dealer two, three, four, five, six, eight, and
  nine. Stand against a dealer seven, 10, and ace.
• Ten ten – Always stand with a total of 20.
• Ace ace – Aces should always be split. If you receive another ace on one of
  your split aces you should split again. Do this as many times as possible.

Hard Totals

A hard total is any hand that doesn’t have an ace where you can use it as a
one or 11. In any two card starting hand you can use an ace as either one or 11,
but after you hit one or more times you can reach a total where the ace can’t be
used as an 11 without busting. When this happens you hold a hard hand.

• Hard four – The only hard four is a pair of twos. This is covered in the two
  two line under pairs. If splitting isn’t allowed then always hit with a hard
  four.
• Hard five – Always hit with hard five.
• Hard six – Hit against all dealer cards with a hard six.
• Hard seven – Always hit with a hard seven.
• Hard eight – Hit against all dealer totals with hard eight.
• Hard nine – If double is allowed, double against a dealer three, four, five,
  or six, otherwise hit. Hit against all other dealer cards.
• Hard 10 – When double is allowed, double against a dealer two, three, four,
  five, six, seven, eight, and nine, otherwise hit. Hit against a dealer 10 and
  ace.
• Hard 11 – Double against any dealer car except an ace if doubling is
  permitted, otherwise hit. Hit against a dealer ace.
• Hard 12 – Stand against a dealer four, five, and six. Hit against all other
  dealer cards.
• Hard 13 – Stand against a dealer two, three, four, five, and six. Hit against
  a dealer seven, eight, nine, 10, and ace.
• Hard 14 – Stand against a dealer two, three, four, five, or six and hit
  against seven or higher.
• Hard 15 – Against a dealer two, three, four, five, and six you should stand.
  Against a dealer seven, eight, nine, 10, and ace you should hit.
• Hard 16 – Stand against a dealer total of two, three, four, five, and six.
  Hit against all other dealer totals.
• Hard 17 – Stand against all dealer hands.
• Hard 18 – Always stand with a hard 18.
• Hard 19 – Stand against all dealer hands.
• Hard 20 – Always stand with a hard 20.
• Hard 21 – Stand against all dealer totals.

Surrender

If surrender is allowed you should surrender with a hard 15 against a dealer
10 and with a hard 16 against a dealer nine, 10, or ace. If surrender isn’t
allowed then hit in these four situations.

Adjustments for Different Rules

The chart and instructions above are designed for a game where the dealer
stands on a soft 17. If you play in a game where the dealer hits on a soft 17
you can make the following adjustments.

As we mentioned above, it can be complicated to keep two different charts
straight in your mind so learning the first chart is best. However, there are
only six hands that change so it’s possible to learn and use the differences.

Split hands

Instead of splitting eight eight against a dealer ace,
surrender if allowed, otherwise split.

Soft hands

With a soft 18 against a dealer two and with a soft 19 against a
dealer six double if allowed, otherwise stand.

Hard hands

With a hard 11 against a dealer ace double if allowed, hit
otherwise. With a hard 15 against a dealer ace surrender if permitted, otherwise
hit. With a hard 17 against a dealer ace, surrender if permitted and otherwise
stand.

Insurance or Even Money

Notice that there’s not a single hand that recommends taking insurance or
even money. This is because taking insurance is always a losing proposition.

When the dealer has an ace showing you have the option of making another bet
equal to the size of your first bet that pays two to one if the dealer has a 10
hole card. If you take insurance and the dealer has a 21 you lose your first bet
but get double on your second so you break even.

But when the dealer doesn’t have 21 you lose the insurance bet and your first
bet plays out as normal.

On the surface this may seem like a good bet, but a simple look at the math
behind the bet shows why you should never take insurance.

When the dealer has an ace showing she has a blackjack any time a 10, jack,
queen, or king is her down card. This means four of the 13 possible cards pay
off on the insurance bet.

But this also means that the other nine cards, two through nine and ace, make
you lose the insurance bet. This is a ratio of nine to four, with nine losing
cards and four winning cards. But the bet only pays two to one.

The odds of nine to four is worse than two to one, so it’s a losing bet.

Forget your normal hand because it doesn’t have anything to do with the
insurance offer. Insurance is just a bet on what the dealer has as a down card.
And since it’s offered at bad odds you can now see that it should be avoided.

This is just another way the casinos try to be sneaky and build a bigger long
term edge against you.

How to Memorize Basic Strategy

The easiest way to start memorizing basic strategy is to use the chart
provided above to make every playing decision. As you play you’ll start
recognizing the correct play for most hands before checking your chart.

Sign up for a free account at one of our recommended online casinos and start
playing the free blackjack games. You can play over 100 hands per hour in most
cases so you can get a great deal of practice in a short amount of time.

Eventually you’ll only need to check your chart on the most difficult plays
and if you play long enough all of the plays will come from memory.

The other way is more difficult for most players, but if you have a strong
mind for memory you can simply start memorizing the chart.

A quick tip is to group similar hands together.

All of the hard hands totaling four, five, six, seven, and eight are played
the same way. On all of these hands you always hit. If you’re playing a game
where doubling isn’t allowed, you can add all of the hard totals of nine, 10 and
11 to this. As a side note, you should avoid games where doubling isn’t allowed
as they have a higher house edge.

Other easy to learn hands include:

• Always split aces and eights.
• Soft 13 and 14 are played the same.
• Soft 15 and 16 are played the same.
• Soft 17 only has one dealer card played differently than soft 15 and 16.
• Hard 13, 14, 15, and 16 are played the same unless surrender is allowed.
• Hard 10 and 11 are the same except for one dealer card.
• Two two and three three are played the same.
• All of the hard totals 17 and above are played the same.
• All of the soft totals of 19 and above are played the same.

The majority of hands are hard hands and the complete hard hand strategy is
fairly simple. Memorize it first and you’ll find that you won’t need to refer to
the chart often.

The next chart to memorize after you’ve mastered the hard hands is the soft
hands. Most of them are straightforward as well, with the main changes of
knowing when to double down.

Once you have the hard and soft hands memorized the splits will come easy to
finish out your mental chart. You only need to learn the split rules for twos,
threes, fours, sixes, sevens, and nines.

The main thing is to not be afraid that you can’t learn the chart and to get
started right away. Almost anyone can improve their results and reduce the house
edge with a small amount of effort and time.

Card Counting

If you learn how to count cards you can play with a small edge against the
house while playing blackjack. This page is about basic strategy so we aren’t
going to dig into the realm of card counting, but it does have quite a bit to do
with basic strategy.

Card counters learn perfect basic strategy before they start trying to learn
about counting. If you can’t put in the work to learn perfect strategy you have
no hope of being a successful card counter.

Once you master basic blackjack strategy then you should investigate card
counting to see if it’s something you might want to learn. Counting cards online
won’t get you an edge because the software shuffles the cards after each deal,
but if you play live it might be able to help you win or at least play a break
even game.

Conclusion

Learning and using blackjack basic strategy gives you the best chance to win.
It reduces the house edge as much as possible and helps you have more winning
playing sessions.

Most players don’t take the time to learn basic strategy, but if you use the
information above you can quickly start using the best play for every situation.
Use the tips in the how to memorize basic strategy section and you’ll be a
master in no time.

And don’t forget to use the chart provided as you’re learning. Once you get
used to it you can find the proper play in a second or two.