Blackjack strategy charts to help you reach 21

Without a doubt, blackjack is one of the most popular and iconic online games of all time. It has been around since the 1700s and has since survived to become a crowd favourite among other games like roulette, baccarat and slots. 

It’s also no secret that players all over the world want to unlock the secrets of blackjack and potentially increase their chances of winning. This is where blackjack strategy charts come into the picture. See the sections below to get an idea of how to play and use the strategy charts to your advantage. 

What is the objective of blackjack? 

Blackjack’s gameplay and objectives are simple. Once you have sat down on the table or joined a game, the dealer will give you and the rest of the players a pair of cards. Your goal is to get an equivalent value of 21 or get as close to it as possible before the dealer does. 

Cards that are ranked from 2 to 10 follow their respective values, while face cards each have a value of 10 points. If you manage to get an Ace and any 10-point face card, then this is called a blackjack and is instantly equivalent to 21. 

Actions to remember when playing blackjack

Now that you know about the objective of the game and how to win, the next step is learning the actions of the game. You can use these to modify your options throughout the game and understand the strategy charts better as well. See the actions below and what they do to learn more: 

Hit – When you choose the ‘Hit’ action or option, you are asking the dealer for another card. 

Stand – Choosing the ‘Stand’ option means that you are set with the cards that you are holding and your turn is complete. 

Double – The ‘Double’ action allows you to make an additional bet, up the stakes of your payout and ask your dealer for one more card. 

Split – If you manage to have two cards of the same value, such as two sixes or two threes, then you have the option to ‘Split’. This means splitting your cards to play two different hands. 

Getting to know the best blackjack strategy charts

Understanding the inner workings of blackjack is essential, and the next thing that you need to remember is to make use of the blackjack strategy charts. These delve into the different outcomes of the game based on the actions discussed in the previous section. Before you take a look at the charts, see the list below to understand the legend of each symbol: 

• H – Hit
• S – Stand 
• D – Double 
• Ds – Double, otherwise stand
• N – No splitting 
• Y – Split 
• SUR – Surrender 

Hard totals 

Receiving regular numbered cards without face cards or Aces has various outcomes and strategies that could help you get an edge. See the table for hard totals below for your reference: 

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H

Soft totals 

If you do manage to get an Ace, then these outcomes are called soft totals. The strategic results for these are seen below:

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,8	S	S	S	S	Ds	S	S	S	S	S
A,7	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	S	S	H	H	H
A,6	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,2	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H

Pairs splitting 

When you end up having pairs of the same card, you have the option to split your cards or not, depending on your preference. See the table below to know whether or not you should split or keep the cards you’re holding: 

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,A	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
T,T	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
9,9	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N
8,8	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
7,7	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
6,6	Y/N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
5,5	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
4,4	N	N	N	Y/N	Y/N	N	N	N	N	N
3,3	Y/N	Y/N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
2,2	Y/N	Y/N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N

Surrender 

In the event that you find that the dealer has the upper hand, then choosing the Surrender action could be the best option. See the strategy table below to get an idea of when to choose the Surrender option: 

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
16								SUR	SUR	SUR
15									SUR
14

Place your bets in live blackjack today at Bitcasino! 

While these strategies could prove to be helpful, blackjack is and has always been a game of chance. Don’t stress out about the options as much and simply play for your enjoyment. You can use these charts to add a bit of edge to your competitors, but be sure to use them as a simple guide.