Blackjack strategy chart, 2026
The blackjack strategy chart, with the rules that actually change it
Hard totals, soft totals and pairs, laid out as a proper grid instead of a paragraph. Flip the rules below, dealer hits or stands on soft 17, double after split allowed or not, surrender offered or not, and watch which cells actually move.
Assumes a standard 4 to 8 deck shoe throughout, only these three rules shift the chart.
Dealer's up card runs along the top of each table (2 through 10, then Ace). Your hand runs down the side.
How to read the three grids
There are three grids because there are three types of starting hand. Hard totals cover any hand without an ace, or one where the ace has to count as 1 to avoid busting, most decisions in the game live here. Soft totals cover a hand containing an ace still counted as 11, such as ace-six, these play more aggressively because the hand can't bust on the next card. Pairs are two matching cards, where the extra option is splitting them into two separate hands, each backed by its own bet.
Why the dealer's soft 17 rule only moves three cells
You might be right to wonder why a rule that sounds significant, whether the dealer draws or stops on a soft 17, barely touches the chart. The reason is that it only changes the dealer's own play in a narrow set of situations, which only shifts your best response in the hands where the extra dealer card meaningfully changes the maths: 11 against an ace, soft 18 against a 2, and soft 19 against a 6. Toggle the rule above and watch those three cells switch from hit or stand to double. Every other cell is identical either way, which is why a single chart can serve most tables if you know which three cells to mentally adjust.
What double after split actually unlocks
Double after split (DAS) lets you double your bet on either hand created by a split, not just the original two cards. When it's allowed, splitting becomes worth it in a few more borderline spots, 2s and 3s against a dealer 2 or 3, and 4s against a 5 or 6, situations where the split hand has a genuine shot at a strong double down. Switch DAS off above and those cells revert to a plain hit, since splitting into two weak hands with no doubling option isn't worth the extra bet.
Surrender: when the maths says fold, not fight
Late surrender lets you give up half your bet immediately after seeing your first two cards against the dealer's up card, before deciding to hit, stand, double or split. It's a rare rule at both land-based and online tables, but where it's offered, a hard 16 against a 9, 10 or ace, and a hard 15 against a 10, are close enough to a loss either way that losing half your stake beats playing the hand out. Toggle it on above to see exactly which cells switch to Rh, and note it never overrides a genuinely good hand, only the handful that are barely worth playing at all.
Dealer bust odds, the numbers behind the chart
Every stand or hit decision on this chart ultimately comes down to how often the dealer's up card leads to a bust. A weak up card means standing on a mediocre total is usually right, let the dealer bust. A strong one means you need to improve your hand yourself. Here are the standard six-deck, dealer-stands-on-soft-17 bust percentages by up card:
| Dealer shows | Bust chance |
|---|---|
| 2 | 35.3% |
| 3 | 37.6% |
| 4 | 40.3% |
| 5 | 42.9% |
| 6 | 42.2% |
| 7 | 26.0% |
| 8 | 23.9% |
| 9 | 23.3% |
| 10 | 21.4% |
| A | 11.7% |
That's exactly why the chart tells you to stand on a hard 13 against a dealer's 6 (42.2% bust chance, let them do the work) but hit the same 13 against a 9 (only 23.3%, you need to improve). If you want the calculator version of this same logic for a specific hand you're holding right now, the Blackjack AI calculator gives a straight answer instead of a full grid. If you're ready to go a level deeper than basic strategy, the card counting trainer is the next step, a genuinely different skill built on top of this same chart.
FAQ
Blackjack strategy chart, answered plainly
What does each letter on a blackjack strategy chart mean?+
H means hit, S means stand, D means double down, P means split, and Rh means surrender if it's offered, otherwise hit. Your hand runs down the side of the chart, the dealer's up card runs along the top, and the cell where they meet is the mathematically best play for that combination.
Does the chart change if the dealer hits on soft 17?+
Yes, but only in three cells. When the dealer hits soft 17 (H17) rather than standing (S17), you double 11 against an ace, double soft 18 against a 2, and double soft 19 against a 6, all of which are stands or hits under S17. Everything else on the chart stays the same.
Should I memorise the whole chart, or just carry a copy?+
For occasional play, carrying or checking a copy at the table is fine, almost every casino allows it between hands. For anyone playing regularly, memorising it pays for itself quickly, since deviating from it in either direction hands the house extra edge on top of what it already has.
Is using a strategy chart at the table considered cheating?+
No. Basic strategy is public, well documented mathematics, and using a printed chart or a phone between hands is allowed at essentially every casino, online or in person. What's prohibited is a device that reads or predicts the shoe in real time during play, which a static strategy chart doesn't do.
Why does the chart say to split 8s even against a dealer's 10?+
A hard 16 is one of the worst hands in blackjack regardless of what the dealer shows, it loses more often than it wins whether you hit or stand. Splitting turns that one bad 16 into two hands starting from 8, each with a real chance to improve, which loses less money on average than playing the 16 as a single hand, even against a strong dealer card.