How to Play Blackjack

A blackjack chart is the illustrated form of basic strategy.

Basic strategies one of the best tools any blackjack player can use. This is a statistically complied list of plays for every hand in blackjack. While these plays will not guarantee a win every single time, they are mathematically proven to give the player better odds of winning. Basic strategy is designed to work over time. The house edge in blackjack is usually around 2% to 5%. By abiding by and playing perfect basic strategy, a player can over time lower the house edge to about one half of a percent. At that point blackjack has the best player odds available of the table games.

There are 310 plays in basic strategy. That is a lot to memorize and keep straight. That is where the chart came from. The chart usually lists the different hands a player can have down the left side, while all the up cards the dealer could have across the top. At that point it is just a matter of checking to see how to play the hand you have versus what up card the dealer has.

The advantage to having a chart is that it can be taken to the casino tables or can be pulled up in another window while playing online. Blackjack basic strategy charts are perfectly legal. Some casinos will even hand them out to players. It is their belief that players think that a basic strategy chart will cause them to win every blackjack hand. When they lose three or four hands in a row, players will toss the chart aside and play randomly, which loses more of the players’ money.  Casinos make a better profit this way.  What players need to do is stick with their basic strategy charts because over time they are more likely to win.

While it will not guarantee a win, your best bet as a player would be to use a blackjack chart of basic strategy to lower  the house’s edge.

Dealer’s Hand

H=Hit, S=Stand

D/H=Double Down if able, or Hit

D/S=Double Down if able, or Stand