Blackjack Odds Charts

Blackjack is the most popular casino table game of all drawing in countless numbers of hungry players both in the brick and mortar casino, and in online casinos.

Blackjack Strategy Chart Generator Make sure the JavaScript is enabled to use the calculator. The Blackjack house edge calculator will help you see your and the casino odds. BLACKJACK CHARTS. The objective of this chapter is to present the entire basic playing strategy for all blackjack games that you may encounter in two formats: a set of playing rules in a black-and-while table, and a summary of the strategy in a color-coded matrix chart. Download Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart.

Are you a player who is knowledgeable about blackjack strategy? In this article, we detail the basic blackjack strategy charts and provide you with other handy tips to give you the best possible chance of leaving the casino – physical or virtual – in profit.

Charts

Basic Blackjack Terms

  1. As the strategy recommends only the best decisions from a mathematical point of view, the blackjack strategy chart is the table that contains all the solutions recommended by blackjack basic strategy. This, or any chart for other set of rules, is the most convenient way to consult the strategy each time you play.
  2. Blackjack Probability and Blackjack Odds. To fully understand the game of blackjack, you must.

Blackjack Betting Chart. The ultimate goal in blackjack is making the best decision on your hand so as to get your 21 or get closer to 21 than the dealer. To do this, decisions must be made on every card. The questions here as a player are whether to hit, stand, double.

As with every classic casino table game, there is a lot of lingo thrown about which might sound double Dutch to novice blackjack players. What on earth does it all mean?

Ultimately, you will become more familiar with all the blackjack lingo as you develop your game, whether that is in the brick and mortar casino or at an online casino.

Nonetheless, we have listed some handy basic blackjack terminology below:

  • Stand. The player stays with the cards they were dealt
  • Hit. The player is dealt another card, and they can be dealt more if they wish. If the total of the cards exceeds 21 at any point, the player is bust and loses the hand
  • Surrender. This is where the player gives up half his bet to forfeit the hand
  • Double down. The player doubles their original bet and is dealt one more card, and it can only be one
  • Split. If a player is dealt a pair (two 4s for example), or two ten-valued cards, such as a queen and a king, the player can split those cards into two different hands. The player is then dealt another card to each hand. The player must make a second bet of equal value to the first to use the split
  • Hard hand. A hand without an ace
  • Soft hand. A hand with an ace

Blackjack Strategy Chart

The first thing to get to grips with is ‘basic strategy’ which is probably the most essential ingredient of blackjack strategy.

The basic strategy detailed below is based on blackjack games played with 4 or more decks. Essentially, the basic strategy is a template which shows you the best course of action to take based on the cards dealt.

The below chart: Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

More Blackjack Tips

The tables above are based on the standard blackjack rulesets. However, there are many different variations of blackjack both in physical casinos and in the online casino landscape.

These variations have different rulesets, so be mindful of the fact that some of the strategies above may not directly apply to the particular blackjack game you are playing.

In fact, the most useful thing you can do is check the specific ruleset of the blackjack game you are playing as soon as you sit down at the table.

Here are some general pointers and questions to keep in mind when playing your particular game of blackjack:

  • How many decks are used?
  • Are surrenders permitted and are they early or late ones?
  • Are there any restrictions on double downs?
  • Are there rules regarding splits?
  • Is the dealer obliged to hit on a soft 17?

Here are some extra tips which relate to any blackjack game:

  • Do not take on any side bets
  • Don’t take insurance. This is a side bet which can be placed if the dealer’s face card is an Ace to ‘insure’ you against the dealer having a blackjack. In reality, the odds are stacked against you and it is not worth taking this bet up
  • If it is not possible to split your pair, treat your pair as a hard hand

Basic Blackjack Strategy Guide

The charts above may look a bit intimidating and confusing if you are seeking a simple strategy to take to the blackjack table. However, there is a simpler method you can use to memorise the general points of the blackjack strategy above.

Also, you won’t be surprised to hear that in brick and mortar casinos you won’t exactly be welcomed with open arms into a casino if you rock up with these charts in hand.

The majority of casinos simply won’t allow you to enter with these kinds of guides. So, here are simplified guides of the charts above:

Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card

HARD

2 – 67 – A
4 – 8HH
9DH
10 – 11D with more than dealerD with more than dealer
12 – 16SH
17 – 21SS

Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card

SOFT

2 – 67 – A
13 – 15HH
16 – 18DH
19 – 21DS

Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card

SPLITS

2 – 67 – A
22, 33, 66, 77, 99SplitDon’t split
88, ASplitSplit
44, 55, 1010Don’t SplitDon’t Split

Extra tips:

  • Surrender 16 when the dealer has a 10
  • If strategy says to double but it’s not permitted, hit. If you have a soft 18, stand

Are You Ready To Master Blackjack?

Blackjack strategy is all about being mindful of the best action to take. If you memorise the main points of the charts above, you will be well on your way to mastering the wonderful world of blackjack.

There are advanced techniques which you can use, chief of which is blackjack card counting, which is essentially a method of tracking the cards which are dealt. However, this technique will not work with online blackjack games, as the virtual deck is shuffled for every single hand.

The best thing you can do to begin is to be fully aware of the specific ruleset relating to the blackjack game you are playing.

That being said, the majority, if not all, of the information in the charts will be applicable to any blackjack game. We are confident in saying that you will be thanking us for these magical blackjack charts!

Are you a blackjack buff? Are there any specific strategies which you use at the blackjack table? Comment below and let us know!

Blackjack, unlike other gambling games is not considered a game of chance, it is one that you can win if you start applying some knowledge. Unlike many other games where the result depends on player luck only, this game provides probabilities depending on the player decisions. Therefore, in order to win you have to know what your probabilities are now and how and when to increase them.

Before we take a look at player and dealer blackjack odds, we should consider all the parameters that affect the odds in the game.

House Edge Calculator
The easiest way for you to calculate the odds in blackjack is by using our free House Edge Calculator. This tool will help you to count player odds and the probabilities of dealer going bust on various dealer's up cards.

Blackjack Rules Variations

Blackjack variations were created to entertain players and provide them with a chance to win more money on side bets. Each rule variation affects the house edge, some rules making a big, others making a minor difference. Most common rule variations can be found at our House Edge Calculator in the «Rules» window. Now, let's take a closer look at the rules and see how they affect the odds in the game.

NOTE: The rules chosen in the table below are most favorable for the player.

Number of decks

The first thing a player should consider when choosing a table is the number of decks used in the game. The more decks there are - the less odds the player has. (See the table - Probabilities – Number of decks)

Dealer hits or stands on soft 17

The main rules of the game are usually written on the table felt and it may say either dealer hits or stands on soft 17. If according to the rules dealer hits soft 17, the game gives the house a 0.2% extra edge.

Rules for doubling

This rule is sometimes called the 'Reno' rule, which restricts doubling only to certain hand totals. Double 9 - 11 affects the house edge increasing it by 0.09% (8 decks game) and 0.15% (1 deck game). Double 10-11 increases the house edge by 0.17% (8 decks game) and 0.26% (1 deck game).

Doubling after Split

If the casino allows a player to double after he splits a pair, the player will get a further edge of around 0.12%.

Resplitting

Most casinos allow players to split again after he/she splits a pair and is dealt another card of the same rank. However, if the casino does not, this means the odds favor the house. As the best hands for splitting are a pair of Aces and 8s, there may be a special rule for Splitting Aces. If the casino allows the player to re-split Aces, the player gets a 0.03% extra edge. Moreover, in most cases if the player splits Aces, the casino will deal only one card per hand and that's it. Allowing players to hit on a hand of Split Aces gives the player an edge of 0.13%. We do not consider this rule in our calculator due to the fact it is almost never used, especially online.

Good for player
  • 1 deck of cards (house edge 0.17%)
  • Doubling allowed on any cards
  • Doubling allowed after Split and after Hit (player edge 0.12%)
  • Early surrender is preferable
  • Dealer stands on soft 17 (player edge 0.2%)
  • Resplitting any cards allowed (player edge 0.03%)

Extra Rules Affecting Blackjack Odds

European No-Hole-Card Rule

Some blackjack variations are played with a hole card that is dealt to the dealer only after all the players have played their hands. This rule affects player strategy when playing against dealer up 10 or an Ace. In a typical hole-card game the player would know whether the dealer has a Blackjack or not before he makes any decisions. In this game, however, the player is risking a lot more if he decides to double or split. This rule adds 0.11% to the house advantage. However, there may be some casinos that allow the player to push on all the additional bets (doubling down and splitting pairs) if the dealer happens to have Blackjack.

Another Payouts on Blackjack

The classic payout on player Blackjack is 3 to 2. However, some casinos change the payout to increase the house edge. The payout on blackjack thus may vary from 1:1 to 6:5. As a Blackjack hand frequency is approximately 4.8% (see the table Two Card Hand Frequency), the payout of 1:1 will increase house edge by 2.3% and the payout of 6:5 - by 1.4%. The first rule (1:1) is only rarely found , while the second (6:5) can be found at some tables with a single deck blackjack game. The payout on Blackjack is generally written on a table felt.

Best tip
for odds seekers

The easiest way to choose the game with the highest odds is to play blackjack with no extra special rules. Do not forget where your basic odds are hidden - chance to Split, Double Down and get a 3 to 2 payout on Natural.

Dealer wins Ties

Another disadvantage for the player is when the rules of the game say that dealer wins all ties. This rule is almost never used in the classic games, though it can be found in some blackjack variations.

Insurance

The Insurance bet is a casino trick that gives the house a huge edge. The main factor why many players take this bet lies in the fact it costs only half of the original one. However, when the player takes Insurance every time he plays the game, the house edge may raise up to 7%. Added to all the other rules the casino sets on the game and you will see why probabilities are worth learning if you want to quit winners.

Side Bets

All blackjack games that offer side bets seem to be the biggest attraction for blackjack lovers. However, if you consider blackjack odds on these bets, you will notice that no matter how big the jackpot is (as in progressive blackjack rules) or how great the payout is for the pair (as in perfect pairs rules), the odds still favor the house and you are not likely to win.

Blackjack Probabilities charts

Number of decksHouse Advantage %
Single0.17
20.46
40.60
60.64
80.66

The quantity of decks increases the house advantage with each extra deck added to the game. Look for games with the smallest number of decks. However, some games offering a chance to play with 1 deck may only still provide low player odds due to low payouts on Blackjack and other rules. Be sure to check them before you play.

Hand value% frequency
214.8
17-2030
1-1638.7
No Bust26.5

The table on the left describes how often the following hands can appear. The hands are the first two-cards dealt to the player. The frequency stands for the average number of times dealt per deck of cards. As you can see, the most frequent hands dealt are the 'Decision hands' that demand knowledge of blackjack strategy.

Hand value% of busting
21100
2092
1985
1877
1769
1662
1558
1456
1339
1231
11 or less0

In this table you can see the probability of going bust on any hand if the player decides to Hit. This means that with 0% you can never go bust when hitting a hand of 11 or less. As you can see, the table is for hard hand totals as you will 100% bust if you Hit on a hand of hard 21.

CardHouse edge %
(when cards removed)
20.40
30.43
40.52
50.67
60.45
70.30
80.01
9-0.15
10,J,Q,K-0.51
Ace-0.59
Charts

You probably already know that in blackjack small cards in the deck favor the dealer while big ones favor the player. In this table you can see that removing 2s from the deck adds a 0.40% of advantage to the player, while if 10's are taken out - the odds are 0.51% for the house.

Dealer Face Up CardDealer Bust %Player Odds %
(Using Basic Strategy)
235.39.8
337.5613.4
440.2818
542.8923.2
642.0823.9
725.9914.3
823.865.4
923.34-4.3
10,J,Q,K21.43-16.9
Ace11.65-16

Blackjack probabilities are calculated due to different parameters, including the dealer up card. The table on the left depicts how likely it is that dealer will go bust with certain up cards and what the player odds are in this very situation. For example, the highest player odds are when the dealer shows a 6, as he is most likely to go bust with this hand. The lowest player odds are when the dealer's up card is a 10 or an Ace.

Wizard Of Odds Blackjack Charts

House Edge Calculator
You can count the players and casino odds any time you play with the help of our House Edge Calculator. The tool helps to find the probabilities for any game rules and the results can be calculated for all parameters.

Blackjack Rules Printable

TOP 3 US blackjack casinos