Blackjack Strategy Card

Today is a final review of the blackjack basic strategy rules you have learned that apply to all blackjack games. In the future you will learn how to alter these rules for the differences in various blackjack game house rules.

You should make decisions on playing your blackjack hands in the following order:

1. Insurance
2. Pair Splitting
3. Double Down (look for soft hands first)
4. Standing (look for soft hands first)

2 rules for insurance:

1. NEVER take Insurance
2. NEVER take Even Money when you have a blackjack, it is the same as insurance

6 rules for pair splitting:

1. Always SPLIT A’s and 8′s
2. NEVER split 4′s, 5′s, or T’s
3. SPLIT 2′s and 3′s vs. dealer 4 thru 7
4. SPLIT 9′s vs dealer 9 or less, except STAND vs dealer 7
5. SPLIT 7′s vs dealer 7 or less
6. SPLIT 6′s vs dealer 6 or less, except HIT vs dealer 2

3 rules for doubling down on soft hands:

1. DOUBLE A7 thru A2 vs. dealer 5 or 6
2. DOUBLE A7 thru A4 vs. dealer 4
3. DOUBLE A7 thru A6 vs. dealer 3

2 rules for doubling down on hard hands:

1. DOUBLE 11 and 10 when you have at least one less than the dealer
2. DOUBLE 9 vs. dealer 3 thru 6

3 rules for standing on soft hands:

1. Always HIT on soft 17 or less
2. Always STAND on soft 18 or higher, except
3. HIT on soft 18 vs. dealer 9, 10, or A

3 rules for standing on hard hands:

1. Always STAND on 17 or higher
2. STAND on 12 or higher vs. dealer 6 or below, except
3. HIT 12 vs. dealer 2 or 3

The blackjack basic strategy card below combines all the blackjack basic strategy rules you have learned.

You can click on the blackjack basic strategy card below to view a larger image suitable for printing.