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Blackjack Chart & Odds Guide and Basic Strategy
11/01/23
Table Games
NetEnt Editorial Team
Blackjack is a top-rated card game that can be played at land-based casino establishments and online operators. Due to its popularity, there are different variations of the game available to play worldwide. In this blackjack chart guide, we will talk about the basic rules of blackjack and popular strategies and show you how to use the blackjack chart.
Basic Blackjack Rules
Before we explain a blackjack strategy chart, we would like to give you a brief overview of the game’s basic rules. The goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer’s hand without going over the score of 21. If your hand is higher than 21, then it is a bust and is automatically considered a losing hand.
Each card has its own score when dealt. Number cards bring the same score as their number, while face cards bring 10. If you get an Ace, it can be counted either as 1 or 11, depending on the situation. If the cumulative total of your hand is 21, this is considered a “Blackjack” or an instant win.
Players can place their bets before the dealer deals the cards. Speaking of bets, there are a few of them available. Except for the standard bet that you place on the outcome of your cards, you can place additional side bets that will further enhance your possible wins. Here is a short list of the side bets:
- Insurance – insurance against “Blackjack” if the dealer has an ace with its face up.
- Perfect Pairs – bet pays out if the player is dealt two of a kind.
- 21+3 – this bet involves the player’s cards and the dealer’s upturned cards. The payout varies depending on the combination.
- Royal Match – bet pays out for any suited player’s cards.
- Over/Under 13 – bet pays out even money on the correct prediction of the sum of the player’s cards either over or under 13.
- Super Sevens – bet pays out if one or more sevens are in hand.
- Lucky Ladies – bet payouts if the player’s cards are equal to 20 with different payout odds depending on the combination of cards.
These side bets will also play a big role in the blackjack payouts chart, which we will discuss in the next sections. While side bets do not involve any skill but rather the luck of the draw, most players aim never to miss an opportunity to take advantage of them. They are a way to mix things up and keep the session interesting.
The Blackjack Strategy Chart – How to Read It?
By this point, you might be wondering what a blackjack chart is. Well, with the help of a blackjack basic strategy, you can roughly calculate your risk. By leveraging it, you can see which is the most preferred action that you should take in a certain situation. This way, you can have the best blackjack odds.
Depending on the blackjack strategy you adopt during your gameplay and the number of decks involved, the chart can be different. Before we show you how to read a chart, we will need to go over the terms and basic strategy chart.
Terminology and Abbreviations in a Blackjack Betting Chart
When you are looking at a blackjack strategy chart, you will see the score of your dealt cards on the left side and, on the top, the dealer’s cards. At the points where each row and column meet, you will see an abbreviation showing you which action/strategy is best.
- H (HIT) – this means that you should perform a “Hit”, where the dealer deals another card to you.
- S (STAND) – if this letter is present, then you should “Stand”, meaning you don’t get any more cards and play with what you already have until the end of the round.
- Dh (DOUBLE) – this means that you should double down if it is allowed or otherwise “Hit”.
- Ds – here you should double down if allowed or otherwise “Stand”.
- Rh – in this case, you should “Surrender” if allowed or “Hit” if it’s not.
- Rs – here, you should “Surrender” or “Stand”.
- Rp – this abbreviation means “Surrender” or “Split”
- P (SPLIT)– this letter represents the “Split” action, where you split your hand into two and must place an additional bet.
- Ph – here, you should “Split” if double after a “Hit” is allowed. If not, perform a “Hit”.
- Pd – “Split” if double after “Hit” is allowed; otherwise, just double down.
- Ps – if double after “Hit” is allowed, use “Split”. Otherwise, you should “Stand”.
The type of blackjack payouts chart you need to use depends on the casino you are playing in. They can use a single deck or up to 8 decks. In some establishments, the dealer stands on Soft 17 or the dealer hits on Soft 17. Remembering this aspect is one of the basic blackjack strategy rules.
Basic Blackjack Strategy Guide
Every blackjack game is different. At NetEnt, we offer a few of them in an online variant. In order to avoid any confusion or over-encumbering our readers with tons of information, we will take a look at the basic blackjack charts. Also called the <strong>Perfect Blackjack Strategy</strong>, it involves only math and no reliance on the player’s intuition. This is considered one of the best ways to score more winning hands.
Single-Deck Blackjack Chart – Basic Strategy
Most brick-and-mortar casinos and online casinos use six decks for their blackjack games, but variations are carried out with a single deck. The image below shows a simple example of a single-deck blackjack strategy chart. Of course, many types exist, but we would like to keep it simple for this article.
The basic strategy rules of playing a single-deck game are nearly the same as with multiple, except that only 52 cards are in play. This means that the calculations will vary. This also allows the players to easily note which cards are dealt and which are left in the deck. This is also known as card counting and it is frowned upon in many cases.
The way you read the blackjack chart is the same as we mentioned earlier. On the left, you can find your hand and the dealer’s hand at the top. A great example of the differences that the single-deck blackjack chart has compared to the rest is that when a player has a score of 8 and the dealer has 5 or 6, it is better to double down instead of “Hit”.
Blackjack Payouts Chart for 4 to 8 Decks
Playing blackjack with multiple decks may be the most popular variation at land-based and online casino establishments. These blackjack chart types are used when multi-deck games are played. One of the most important aspects that you should remember here is whether <the dealer Stands or Hits on Soft 17
Depending on the casino’s blackjack rules, a player should act in different ways. An important example is if the dealer is required to “Stand” on Soft 17. In this case, players are advised to “Surrender” if possible as their chances to beat the dealer’s hand are lower. It is also near impossible to perform card counting with so many decks in play.
Since there are various types of blackjack games and casino rules, there are blackjack strategy charts that are way more sophisticated and harder to remember than the basic ones. Of course, if you manage to memorise and understand the basic strategy chart types, you will not have a hard time with the more complicated variants.
Final Thoughts on Using a Blackjack Chart
As our blackjack basic strategy guide is coming to an end, we would like to mention a few more details. While blackjack can seem like a relatively simple game at its core, mastering it can be challenging. You need to understand the rules, and there are many more aspects to maximising your wins.
There are various blackjack betting strategies that are popular among gamblers. One of the most used ones is the Martingale Strategy. With it, you just double your bet size on every loss, and after a win, you go ahead by one betting unit. As you can see, it is simple to follow, hence why it is such a popular betting strategy.
We hope that this guide about basic strategy charts for blackjack has helped you with further understanding the mechanics and complexity of this great casino game. With some research and practice, you will be able to use most of the blackjack chart, remember what to do in each situation, and have the best odds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using a blackjack chart is so popular for a reason. They are a great way to make a more calculated decision on your next move based on your and the dealer’s hand’s score. This is why we have created a basic blackjack strategy chart guide , where you can learn how to use one.
In order to read a blackjack chart, you will need to be familiar with the terminology, abbreviation, and basic rules of the game. With this knowledge, you will be able to quickly navigate a blackjack chart and see what the best action in a current situation is.
When you play blackjack and your hand’s score is 21, it is considered a natural or a Blackjack. This depends on which card combination makes up the score. Of course, there are some caveats to take note of in the blackjack rules, such as an Ace can be counted as both 1 and 11 based on the situation.
There are various blackjack charts that can be used depending on the type of game you are playing. The basic blackjack strategy charts are for single-deck games and games played with 4 to 8 decks, also known as multi-deck titles. Of course, depending on each game variation, the blackjack odds charts can be more complex.
