Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart: 6 Deck, Dealer Stands on Soft 17

This chart matches the exact rules the 0stakes blackjack simulator deals: 6 decks, blackjack pays 3:2, dealer stands on soft 17, double down allowed on any first two cards (including after a split), and one split per hand. Every decision below is the mathematically correct play for that specific rule combination, not a generic chart borrowed from a different game.

Legend

H = Hit  ·  S = Stand  ·  D = Double  ·  P = Split

0stakes allows doubling down on any first two cards, including after a split, so every D below is unconditional -- there's no "double if allowed, otherwise hit" fallback to worry about the way there is on tables with restricted doubling.

Hard hands

Hands with no ace, or an ace counted as 1 because counting it as 11 would bust.

Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
8 or less	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
17 or more	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Soft hands

Hands with an ace counted as 11 -- an Ace-6, for example, is a "soft 17" because it can't bust on the next card.

Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,2 (soft 13)	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3 (soft 14)	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4 (soft 15)	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5 (soft 16)	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,6 (soft 17)	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,7 (soft 18)	S	D	D	D	D	S	S	H	H	H
A,8 (soft 19)	S	S	S	S	D	S	S	S	S	S
A,9 (soft 20)	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Pairs

Whether to split a matching pair instead of playing it as a hard or soft total.

Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
2,2	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
3,3	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
5,5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
6,6	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P

How to use the blackjack strategy chart

Find your hand total in the left column, then read across to the column matching the dealer's upcard -- the single card the dealer is showing before you act. Where that row and column meet is the correct play. If you're holding a pair, check the Pairs table first; otherwise use Hard or Soft depending on whether an ace is counted as 11.

What is blackjack basic strategy?

Basic strategy is the mathematically optimal decision -- hit, stand, double, or split -- for every possible hand against every possible dealer upcard, given a specific set of table rules. It's computed from the full probability of every outcome, not a hunch or a habit. Playing it perfectly doesn't turn the game in your favor; it simply minimizes how much of the house's edge you actually pay by avoiding the costly mistakes casual players make on close hands like a hard 16 or a stiff 12.

Why blackjack rules matter

Basic strategy isn't one universal chart -- it changes with the specific rules a table deals. The decisions above depend on:

• Number of decks -- more decks slightly favor the dealer and shift a handful of borderline plays.
• S17 vs. H17 -- whether the dealer stands or hits a soft 17 changes several doubling decisions, most notably soft 19 against a dealer 6.
• Double-after-split rules -- allowing doubling after a split changes when it's correct to split hands like 4,4 or 6,6.
• Surrender rules -- tables that allow surrender have extra correct plays on the very worst hands, like a hard 16 against a 10.
• Blackjack payout -- a 6:5 blackjack payout instead of 3:2 doesn't change which play is correct, but it does raise the house edge substantially.

This chart is built specifically for the 0stakes rules listed at the top of the page: 6 decks, blackjack pays 3:2, dealer stands on soft 17, double on any first two cards and after a split, one split per hand, no surrender. Using a chart built for different rules will occasionally give you the wrong answer here.

Basic strategy FAQ

Should I hit or stand on 16? It depends on the dealer's upcard. Stand on a hard 16 against a dealer 2 through 6. Hit against a dealer 7 through Ace.

Should I split 8s? Yes, always, against every dealer upcard. A pair of 8s is a weak hard 16; splitting gives you two hands starting from a much stronger 8 instead.

Should I split 10s? No. A pair of 10s is a hard 20, one of the strongest hands in the game. Basic strategy always stands on it.

Should I always split aces? Yes, against every dealer upcard. Two aces played together are only a soft 12; split, each ace just needs a 10-value card for 21.

What does S17 mean in blackjack? S17 means the dealer stands on soft 17 (like Ace-6), the more player-favorable rule. 0stakes deals S17, and this chart is built for that rule specifically -- an H17 chart (dealer hits soft 17) differs on a handful of cells.

Does basic strategy guarantee you win? No. It's the mathematically optimal decision for the house edge that already exists, not a way to erase that edge. It minimizes losses over time; it doesn't guarantee any individual hand or session comes out ahead.

Think you've got it? Practice on the free blackjack simulator, or drill every hand until it's automatic on the strategy trainer.