Basic Strategy

Blackjack winning strategies call for the player to play each hand as optimally as possible, and such a strategy always takes into account what the dealer's upcard is. The player shouldn't stop drawing until they reach a total of 17 or more when the dealer's upcard is a good one, such as an ace, 7, 8, 9, or 10-card. The player should stop drawing as soon as he receives a total of 12 or higher when the dealer's upcard is a poor one, such as a 4, 5, or 6. Never accept a card in this situation if there is even a remote possibility of going bankrupt. With this weak holding, the intention is to let the dealer hit and, hopefully, go over 21. The player should stop with a total of 13 or higher if the dealer's up card is a fair one, such as a 2 or 3.

The general approach with a soft hand is to continue hitting until a total of at least 18 is reached. With an ace and a six (7 or 17), the player would therefore hit rather than stop at 17.

The fundamental approach to doubling down is as follows: The player should always double down when their total is 11. If the dealer does not show a ten-card or an ace and the player has a total of 10, he should double down. Only if the dealer's card is fair or poor (2–6) should a player with a total of 9 double.

When splitting, a player should always split a pair of aces or eights; identical ten-cards and pairs of fives should not be split because two fives add up to 10, which is better used for doubling down. The total of 8 is a good number to draw to, so a pair of 4s should also not be split. Unless the dealer has an 8, 9, ten, or ace, 2s, 3s, or 7s can typically be split. Finally, unless the dealer's card is weak (2 through 6), 6s shouldn't be split.