Blackjack:
Lesson 2 - Advanced Blackjack: The Secrets of Success
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Basic Strategy
Basic strategy
explains the safest way to play out your blackjack hand in
order to increase your odds of being a winner.
In order to determine
which basic strategy chart applies to the blackjack table
at Men's Vegas, these house rules are important:
-
The
dealer must draw cards until his hand totals at least 17,
and must stand at 17 or higher.
-
The single deck is shuffled after each round. (In traditional
casinos, players can better their chances of winning by
learning how to count cards in an effort to predict the
cards still left in the deck. However, since the deck is
shuffled after each round at Men's Vegas, card counting
is not possible).
-
Players
are allowed to double after splitting, but are not allowed
to re-split a split hand.
Blackjack
Basic Strategy Chart
In the following
chart, look for the value of your hand in the left-hand column.
Then look for the value of dealer's upcard in the top row
(A = Ace, 10 = 10 or Picture Card). The chart will tell you
which option is statistically favorable:
S = Stand
H = Hit
D = Double Down
SP = SPlit
The
Dealer's Upcard
| Your
Hand |
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
A
|
| 17
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
| 16
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| 15
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| 14
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| 13
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| 12
|
H
|
H
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| 11
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
| 10
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
| 9
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
5+3
6+2 |
H
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| A+8
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
D
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
S
|
| A+7
|
S
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
S
|
S
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| A+6
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| A+5
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| A+4
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| A+3
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| A+2
|
H
|
H
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| A+A
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
| 9+9
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
S
|
SP
|
SP
|
S
|
S
|
| 8+8
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
| 7+7
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
H
|
S
|
S
|
| 6+6
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| 5+5
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
D
|
H
|
H
|
| 4+4
|
H
|
H
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| 3+3
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
| 2+2
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
H
|
Here are some strategies. No
matter what the dealer's upcard is:
-
Always
split a pair of aces.
-
Always
split a pair of 8s.
-
Always
stand on 17 and up.
-
Always double on 11.
