Hands with a value of 12 against a 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, or an Ace.Hands worth a value of 10 against another 10 or an Ace.Any hand worth a value of 9 when the dealer is showing a 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace.Any hand worth a value of 8 or below that is unpaired.

For example, when we mention that you should hit an 8 at all times, this does not refer to a pair of 4s and only refers to combos like 6/2 and 5/3. When describing certain numbers in this section, we are not referring to pairs or soft 8s (Ace + Seven). While the cards in your hand are important, they should be played in a manner that relates to what the dealer is showing face-up. When it comes to blackjack, arguably the most important aspect of the game is acknowledging what the dealer’s up card is. There are times to hit or stand, double down or split, and surrender.

Surrender: Only available in certain blackjack formats, this means that players are giving up on their hand as they deem it to be an unfavorable spot.

Split: Taking a paired hand and turning it into two individual hands.

Double Down: Players double their wager in favorable spots and take only one additional card.

Stand: Not taking another card from the deck to improve your hand.

Hit : Taking another card from the deck in an effort to improve your hand.

In its most basic form, there are five primary decisions that players can make when comparing their hand to the dealer’s “up card.” These are hit, stand, double down, split, and surrender. While hitting on 16 might cause you to bust more often than not, it is, all things equal, the best play you can make. This set of responses is entitled Basic Strategy.Ĭharts like these tell you everything you need to know about optimal blackjack strategy. Blackjack is largely considered to be a “ solved” game, meaning that all of the decisions that can be brought up during a session of blackjack have been mathematically proven to have a correct response. While most players will play blackjack based on an emotional response to the hand they are dealt, there are far more factors to consider.

How to play blackjack at the casino