Great Simplified Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

This is the "Great" blackjack basic strategy chart, a simplified version of the full basic strategy. "Simplified" means that a few strategy decisions are not optimal, but the chart is easier to memorize than the full "Perfect" basic strategy. "Great" means that the chart is highly accurate, with minimal loss from simplification. Click on the chart to download a printable PDF file.

The cost of the few non-optimal decisions is about 0.04% of the amount bet, or about 40 cents per hour based on betting $10 per hand, 100 hands per hour. For just about everyone, this chart is sufficiently accurate that it's not worth learning the finer details of the full basic strategy.

The left side of the chart explains the strategy verbally, while the right side displays the same information graphically. After the cards are dealt, start from the top of the chart and work your way down:

1. Do you have a pair? Check the table to see if you should split it.
   
   
2. Do you have a two-card total of 9, 10, or 11? Check to see if you should double down.
   
   
3. Do you have Ace-2 through Ace-7? Check to see if you should double down.
   
   
4. Do you have a soft total (Ace=11)? Check to see whether you should hit or stand.
   
   
5. On your hard total, check to see whether you should hit or stand. 

The top half (blue and purple part) of the chart applies only to your initial two cards. The bottom half (green and red) applies to your initial cards and your total after you receive one or more hit cards.

If you find this chart too hard to memorize, consider the Simple strategy described in the BlackjackCalculation.com main page.

On the other hand, if you have fully memorized the Great strategy and want even higher accuracy, learn the following additional decisions:

• Split 2s, 3s, and 7s vs. a dealer 7 (for 18 cents per hour improvement)
  
  
• Split 9s vs. a dealer 8 or 9 (for 9 cents per hour improvement)

To improve the strategy even further, learn the full basic strategy. The full strategy decisions vary slightly according to the specific rules in effect where you are playing.

For a good introduction to blackjack, go to the Wizard of Odds web site.