Blackjack Cheat Sheet
Basic Strategy Cheat Sheet for Blackjack
1. Player's Hand Value: 8 or Less
- Always Hit
2. Player's Hand Value: 9
- Double Down if the dealer shows 3 to 6. If you cannot double, Hit.
3. Player's Hand Value: 10
- Double Down if the dealer shows 2 to 9. If you cannot double, Hit.
4. Player's Hand Value: 11
- Double Down if the dealer shows 2 to 10. If you cannot double, Hit.
5. Player's Hand Value: 12
- Stand if the dealer shows 4 to 6.
- Hit if the dealer shows 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace.
6. Player's Hand Value: 13 to 16
- Stand if the dealer shows 2 to 6.
- Hit if the dealer shows 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace.
7. Player's Hand Value: 17 or More
- Always Stand.
8. Soft Hands (An Ace with a 2-9)
- Soft 13 (Ace + 2) to Soft 15 (Ace + 4):
- Double Down if the dealer shows 4 to 6. Otherwise, Hit.
- Soft 16 (Ace + 5) to Soft 18 (Ace + 7):
- Double Down if the dealer shows 3 to 6. If you can't double, Stand if the dealer shows 2, 7, or 8.
Otherwise, Hit.
- Soft 19 (Ace + 8) or Soft 20 (Ace + 9):
- Always Stand.
9. Pair Splitting
- Always Split:
- Aces and 8s.
- Split if the dealer shows:
- 2s or 3s if the dealer shows 2 to 7.
- 6s if the dealer shows 2 to 6.
- 7s if the dealer shows 2 to 7.
- 9s if the dealer shows 2 to 6, 8, or 9.
- Never Split:
- 10s, 5s, or 4s.
- 2s and 3s if the dealer shows 8, 9, 10, or Ace.
10. Doubling Down
- Double Down when your hand value is:
- 9 if the dealer shows 3 to 6.
- 10 if the dealer shows 2 to 9.
- 11 if the dealer shows 2 to 10.
General Notes:
- Dealer's Upcard: The dealer's card is very important in determining your strategy. The dealer's
upcard of 2 through 6 is generally considered weak, while a 7 through Ace is a strong upcard.
- Surrender: If allowed, surrender your hand if you have 16 and the dealer shows 9, 10, or Ace (if
available in the rules).
Key Terms:
- Hit: Draw a card.
- Stand: Do nothing, stay with your current hand.
- Double Down: Double your bet and take one more card.
- Split: Split a pair into two separate hands, each with a new bet equal to the original bet.
- Surrender: Forfeit your hand and get half of your bet back (if allowed).