Free resource

Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

The complete basic strategy table for the most common shoe game: 6 decks, dealer stands on soft 17 (S17), double after split allowed (DAS). These are the mathematically optimal moves for every hand — but a chart you only read is a chart you'll forget at the table.

Rules: 6 decks · dealer stands on soft 17 · double after split allowed · no surrender.

Train this chart free →Download chart (PNG)

Hard totals

Hand2345678910A
5HHHHHHHHHH
6HHHHHHHHHH
7HHHHHHHHHH
8HHHHHHHHHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
10DDDDDDDDHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
12HHSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
14SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHHH
16SSSSSHHHHH
17SSSSSSSSSS
18SSSSSSSSSS
19SSSSSSSSSS
20SSSSSSSSSS
21SSSSSSSSSS

Soft totals (hand with an ace)

Hand2345678910A
A,2HHHDDHHHHH
A,3HHHDDHHHHH
A,4HHDDDHHHHH
A,5HHDDDHHHHH
A,6HDDDDHHHHH
A,7DsDsDsDsDsSSHHH
A,8SSSSSSSSSS
A,9SSSSSSSSSS

Pairs

Hand2345678910A
2,2PPPPPPHHHH
3,3PPPPPPHHHH
4,4HHHPPHHHHH
5,5DDDDDDDDHH
6,6PPPPPHHHHH
7,7PPPPPPHHHH
8,8PPPPPPPPPP
9,9PPPPPSPPSS
10,10SSSSSSSSSS
A,APPPPPPPPPP

Legend

H — HitD — Double (else Hit)S — StandDs — Double (else Stand)P — Split

How to read the basic strategy chart

Find your hand in the left column and the dealer's upcard along the top row. The cell where they meet shows the optimal move. Hard totals have no ace (or count it as 1); soft totals count an ace as 11; pairs are two cards of the same rank.

Don't memorize the PDF — train it

Reading a strategy table is easy. Recalling the right move in a split second, under pressure at the table, is the hard part. Soft17 turns this exact chart into a spaced-repetition drill (the SM-2 algorithm) so the moves become automatic. The Drill is free and needs no account.

Train this chart free →

Frequently asked questions

Is this basic strategy chart free?

Yes. You can read it, print it, and download it as an image at no cost — no account required.

Which rules is this chart for?

6 decks, dealer stands on soft 17 (S17), double after split allowed (DAS), no surrender — the most common shoe game in casinos.

What do H, S, D, P and R mean?

H = Hit, S = Stand, D = Double, P = Split, R = Surrender. 'Ds' means double if allowed, otherwise stand.

How do I actually memorize basic strategy?

Don't just stare at the table. Train it with spaced repetition until each move is automatic — that is exactly what the free Soft17 Drill does.