Basic Blackjack Chart - Complete with PDF & Images to Print

Printable PDF Chart for 6 Deck Blackjack

It's completely acceptable and does not break the rules at all to use a top blackjack strategy basic chart that shows how to play blackjack correctly in different situations no matter which site you're playing with. It is also a great accompaniment when learning to play and practising with free blackjack games.

Using a basic strategy card can be more convenient than learning all of the different rules, especially if you jump around to different types of tables often. Some players like to print it out for fun, and others like to use a digital version, but either way is completely fine as long as it displays the same information. For your convenience, we've added a PDF chart to our site so you can easily download this printable basic blackjack strategy chart and use it whenever you play.

What are Blackjack Strategy Charts and How do You Use Them?

Blackjack strategy charts or blackjack cheat sheets help you find the perfect strategy to use when playing different versions of this popular card game. Most game variations use single decks or six decks. Some games will also have specific rules for the dealer where he must stand or hit on a soft 17. Different charts (as shown on this page) will tell you what your move should be.

Even professional player will consult a charts and cheat sheets from time to time as the basic strategy used can differ depending on the blackjack game they are playing. It is worth bearing in mind, that when playing in person, not all casinos will allow you to use a strategy chart, but when playing online blackjack, you can have it open on another screen or printed off beside you.

A blackjack strategy chart when read and used correctly will provide the optimial play for every possible hand. It will tell you when to hit or stand, when to split pairs, when the double down, and when to surrender. Your decisions will be based on your two cards and the dealer's upcard. You look at the basic blackjack chart and it will provide you with the best move to make.

Reading Basic Blackjack Strategy Charts or Cards

Reading these reference cards for basic blackjack strategy is straightforward and super simple. First, look for whether you have a hard hand, a soft hand or a pair to pick out the right section of the chart. If you're unsure what these mean, we recommend reading our online blackjack rules guide first. From there, line up the dealer's up card with your total to see what your correct course of action should be. That's really all there is to it, and it only takes a moment to use this reference as a result.

A basic strategy chart will list all the possible card combinations that can occur at the beginning of a blackjack game. It tells you what move you should make for hte best possible outcome. There are different charts for the different versions of the game so make sure you are using the right one. Some cards will have separate instructions for soft and hard hands as well as when to split pairs.

To read a blackjack chart, you will find your hand total on the left column and the dealer's up card across the top. Where these two meet will be the action you need to take. Blackjack strategy charts also tend to be color coded with symbols to make them easier to read. You'll find common abbreviations for the different moves such as H for hit, S for Stand, etc. The chart you are using will be based on a particular number of decks and set of rules so be sure to use the right one if you want the perfect blackjack strategy card.

To help you even further, we have a breakdown of the our blackjack strategy in table format below as well as text on how to read it. This is also for the benefit of our visually impaired readers and those who like to use text to speech.

Blackjack Strategy Chart Legend

The legend below explains what each letter on a basic blackjack strategy chart will mean. This will allow you to understand what you are looking at. You'll see different letters displayed on the tables in different colours.

H	HIT	S	STAND
DD	DOUBLE DOWN	SP	SPLIT
R	SURRENDER

• H is for Hit
• S is for Stand
• DD is for double down
• SP is for split
• R is for surrender

Basic Chart and What to Do (includes Hard Totals, Soft Totals, and Pair)

Our basic blackjack strategy chart is shown in table format below. This is for a basic 6 deck blackjack game.

YOUR HAND		DEALER
		2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	T	A
HARD	Hard 5	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 6	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 7	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 9	H	DD	DD	DD	DD	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 10	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	H	H
	Hard 11	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD
	Hard 12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
	Hard 17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
	Hard 18+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
SOFT	Ace + 2	H	H	H	DD	DD	H	H	H	H	H
	Ace + 3	H	H	H	DD	DD	H	H	H	H	H
	Ace + 4	H	H	DD	DD	DD	H	H	H	H	H
	Ace + 5	H	H	DD	DD	DD	H	H	H	H	H
	Ace + 6	H	DD	DD	DD	DD	H	H	H	H	H
	Ace + 7	DD	DD	DD	DD	DD	S	S	H	H	H
	Ace + 8	S	S	S	S	DD	S	S	S	S	S
	Ace + 9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
PAIRS	(2,2)	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H
	(3,3)	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H
	(4,4)	H	H	H	SP	SP	H	H	H	H	H
	(5,5)	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
	(6,6)	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H	H
	(7,7)	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	H	H	H	H
	(8,8)	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP
	(9,9)	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	S	SP	SP	S	S
	(T,T)	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
	(A,A)	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP	SP

Hard Totals

In the table above, your hand totals are displayed along the left hand side while the dealer's up card is displayed across the top. You look at what the total of your two cards are and go along the table matching them with the dealer's card to see what your move should be. For example, if you have a hard 8 and the dealer's up card is a 8 you go across the table and you'll see that your move is to Hit (the green H on the table).

Soft Totals and What to Do

The table above also explains what to do with soft totals. Again, you'll see your hand along the left hand side and the Dealer's up card along the top horizontally. There is a corresponding letter in the table that tells you what to do. For example if your hand is Ace + 4 and the Dealer's up card is a 9, you will hit (shown by the H in the table).

Splitting Pairs in Basic Strategy Blackjack Charts

There are often times when you'll get a pair in your hand and it's important to know what to do with these. Should you split pairs and play with two hands? The basic startegy chart shows you what to do when you have pairs in your blackjack hand.

As you can see, you have more options in the pairs section of the card. We now have the SP symbol for split. In the same way as you've done with both the hard and soft tables, you will look along the left for your hand and across the top for the dealer's up card. For example, if you hold a pair of 3's (3,3) and the dealer's up card is a 5, the table shows that you should Split. If the dealer's card was 8 or above, you would hit.

Other Types of Blackjack Strategy Charts

There are other types of charts and strategy cards you'll find for different blackjack game variants. These include:

• Single Deck Blackjack Strategy Chart where the dealer Stands on Soft 17
• Single Deck Blackjack Strategy Card where the dealer Hits on Hard 17
• 4-8 Deck Blackjack Strategy Chart where the dealer Stands on Hard 17
• 4-8 Deck Blackjack Strategy Card where the dealer Hits on Hard 17

Responsible Gambling and Risk Management

Responsible gambling is important and it is always a good idea to be mindful of this no matter how confident you are in your skills and abilility. You should always play blackjack responsibly and ensure that fun is your main focus. Set loss limits and manage your bankroll efficiently. If you feel like your playing habits are become a problem or affecting your financial or emotional wellbeing, it is important that you seek help from agencies such as:

• https://www.ncpgambling.org
• https://www.gamblersanonymous.org
• https://www.gam-anon.org

Disclaimer: Using This (or any) Chart Does Not Gaurantee Winning

When you're playing for free, you might not care too much about being 100% accurate with your play. However, when you play for real money, we strongly suggest using a chart to double check your decisions. Even if you don't use it for the common scenarios that you're sure you know how to play correctly, having it up and ready for the less common situations can increase your average RTP over time. It cannot however, guarantee you a win and it is worth taking note of that.