If you use your blackjack strategy charts correctly, you can easily lower the casino’s long-term advantage to less than 1%, which makes it one of the best games in the casino. Especially, compared to slot machines which have a casino edge of about 5% to 15%.
- The following blackjack strategy chart explains the exact move you should make in each situation at the blackjack table. This chart should be followed consistently because it is based on the math behind blackjack. Mathematicians have studied blackjack to such a point that it is considered a “solved game.”.
- 21 - Blackjack 'Basic Strategy' Chart In his 1960s book Beat the Dealer, Edward O. Thorp introduced a calculated method for winning at blackjack.Reprinted countless times, Thorp's Blackjack Basic Strategy chart is a useful tool for knowing when to hit, stand, split, or double down.
- Listed below is a link for blackjack strategy charts. You can print them out and take them with you to the casino so you know how to properly play your hand in any given situation. Click Here for your FREE Blackjack strategy charts.
The following blackjack strategy chart explains the exact move you should make in each situation at the blackjack table. This chart should be followed consistently because it is based on the math behind blackjack. Mathematicians have studied blackjack to such a point that it is considered a “solved game.” In other words, we know with a certainty the best possible move in every possible situation.
It can sometimes be tempting to deviate from perfect blackjack strategy when things go poorly at the casino. If your card tells you to hit on 16 vs. a dealer 7, then you should do exactly that even if you’ve busted the last five times in a row. The temptation to deviate is so strong that it is one of the main reasons casinos don’t care if you use a strategy card at the table.
Use these printable blackjack strategy charts at:
Low house advantage and many blackjack variations
Optimal blackjack strategy can change depending on the house rules of the casino at which you play. The blackjack strategy chart listed here assumes the following rules:
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- 4-8 Decks
- Double after split
- Late surrender
Many casinos also tell their dealers to hit on soft 17. In that case, you should make the following adjustments to this strategy chart:
- Double hard 11 when dealer has an Ace
- Double Ace-7 when dealer has a 2
- Double Ace-8 when dealer has a 6
- Surrender 15, 17 and 8-8 when dealer has an Ace
How to Use These Strategy Cards
These blackjack strategy charts list the dealer’s total along the top and your own hand total along the left side. After you receive your first two cards and add up your total, look for that total along the left side of the chart. Then, note the dealer’s up-card and look for that value along the top of the chart. The mathematically correct move is listed in the box where that column and row intersects.
There are three different categories of hands, and each one has its own chart.
Hard Hands:
Most hands are considered “hard hands.” That is, they are not a pair and they do not contain an Ace. The hands K-7, 6-9 and 8-J can all be considered hard hands.
Soft Hands:
Hands that contain an Ace are called “soft hands.” Hands such as A-2, A-K and A-7 can all be considered soft hands.
Pairs:
Free Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart Printable
A “pair” is a hand that contains two cards of the same value. The hands 2-2, K-J and A-A are all pairs.
You should now be able to categorize each hand and find the correct play every time. Let’s say, for example, that you are dealt A-7 and the dealer is showing an 8. Since there is an Ace in your hand, you will want to use the “soft totals” chart. Look for the row that contains A-7 and then slide across until you are in the intersection of A-7 and dealer’s up-card of 8. The strategy chart says that the best play here is to stand.
Blackjack Strategy Chart Printable
You can use this chart for every single possible starting hand. You can also use this chart to look up multiple totals. For example, if you start out with a 2-3 and then hit and catch a 6, you can use the chart again with your new total of 11.
Printable Blackjack Strategy Chart Pdf
Remember: Even with perfect strategy, blackjack still has a small house advantage. The strategy explained here significantly lowers the advantage but it does not completely eliminate it. In any single session, it is entirely possible to win a bunch of money or lose a bunch. So don’t gamble your rent money.
Why Do You Need a Blackjack Strategy Chart?
If you have watched any of our how to play blackjack videos, then you will know that the game of blackjack has one of the lowest house edges in the casino.
However, this is only true if you are playing every blackjack hand correctly. You see, blackjack is a game of skill, as well as luck, meaning that if you know how to properly play your hands, you will achieve a better payback percentage (in the long run) than someone who sits there and guesses how to play their blackjack hands.
Actually, there is only one mathematically correct way to play your hand in any given situation and it is the blackjack strategy chart that will show you how to do that. The chart will tell you how to play your hand based on the total of the cards you are dealt and also, the dealer’s up card. Just find those two factors on the chart and it will show you how to play that hand. This means that there is no guesswork on your part and you have an easy way to play your hands in the mathematically correct manner!
Listed below is a link for blackjack strategy charts. You can print them out and take them with you to the casino so you know how to properly play your hand in any given situation. Good Luck!
Keep in mind that a casino’s mathematical advantage against you can change, depending on the number of decks they use and the rules of the game they offer. Playing a single-deck game would be best, while an eight-deck game would be worst. Plus, some rules are good for you (dealer stands on soft 17, doubling after splitting allowed), while some are bad (dealer hits soft 17, no doubling down allowed).
This also means that the correct strategy can change slightly based on the number of decks used and the rules enforced. Therefore, you will notice that there are six different FREE blackjack strategy charts that we offer you on our website. Be sure to check at the top of each chart to make sure you are using the proper chart for the game that you will be playing.
If you use your blackjack strategy charts correctly, you can easily lower the casino’s long-term advantage to less than 1%, which makes it one of the best games in the casino. Especially, compared to slot machines which have a casino edge of about 5% to 15%.
As a final word of caution, however, be sure that you only play blackjack games that pay you 3-to-2 if you are dealt a blackjack. Unfortunately, there are many casinos that now pay only 6-to-5, or even-money for dealt blackjacks, and they are usually found at the lower-limit tables.
If a casino only pays 6-to-5 for blackjacks, that raises the casino advantage by about 1.40%, more than doubling the casinos advantage! And, even worse, if they only pay even-money for blackjacks, that adds about an extra 2.30% to the casino’s edge over you, bringing it up to about 3.30%, making it more than triple the standard casino advantage of about 1%!
So, be sure to avoid any game that doesn’t pay you 3-to-2 for your blackjacks!
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