Blackjack: Fine points of basic strategy (Appendix 3)

Last update: May 9, 2006

Notice: Please see my Boss Media composition dependent basic strategy charts for their single-deck game. This page is no longer actively maintained and updated.

In single deck blackjack every card that is played has a considerable impact on the distribution of the remaining cards. The following lists will show exactly how to play your cards immediately after a shuffle in a single deck game where the dealer stands on a soft 17. Following these exceptions to basic strategy will lower the house edge by 0.03%. Using this strategy in online single deck blackjack is especially encouraged.

To use this guide first go to the list according to the number of cards in your hand. Then note the basic strategy changes and finally the exceptions to the changes. For example if you have a 16 composed of a 10, 4, and 2 against a 10 look under the 3 card list. You will see that with three cards you should stand on 16 against 10. Going further you will see there are some exceptions, for example with a 16 composed of a 6, 6, and 4 you should hit. If your hand is not listed as an exception so you should stand. It should not be interpreted that this is a card counting guide. Everything is based on exact cards and no numbers represent a count.

Exceptions:

1. 8 (6+2) vs 5 = Hit
2. 8 (6+2) vs 6 = Hit
3. 12 (7+5) vs 3 = Stand
4. 12 (8+4) vs 3 = Stand
5. 12 (10+2) vs 4 = Hit
6. 12 (10+2) vs 6 = Hit
7. 13 (10+3) vs 2 = Hit

1. 12 vs 3 = Stand
2. 16 vs 10 = Stand

1. 12 (9+2+A) vs 3 = Hit
2. 12 (8+2+2) vs 3 = Hit
3. 12 (7+3+2) vs 3 = Hit
4. 12 (6+3+3) vs 3 = Hit
5. 13 (10+2+A) vs 2 = Hit
6. 15 (5+5+5) vs 10 = Stand
7. 15 (6+5+4) vs 10 = Stand
8. 15 (6+6+3) vs 10 = Stand
9. 16 (6+5+5) vs 9 = Stand
10. 16 (8+4+4) vs 9 = Stand
11. 16 (8+5+3) vs 9 = Stand
12. 16 (6+6+4) vs 10 = Hit
13. 16 (7+6+3) vs 10 = Hit
14. 16 (8+6+2) vs 10 = Hit
15. 16 (9+6+A) vs 10 = Hit

1. 12 vs 3 = Stand
2. 16 vs 10 = Stand

1. 12 (A+2+2+7) vs 3 = Hit
2. 12 (A+2+3+6) vs 3 = Hit
3. 12 (A+3+3+5) vs 3 = Hit
4. 12 (2+2+2+6) vs 3 = Hit
5. 12 (2+2+3+5) vs 3 = Hit
6. 12 (2+3+3+4) vs 3 = Hit
7. 15 (A+4+5+5) vs 10 = Stand
8. 15 (A+3+5+6) vs 10 = Stand
9. 15 (A+2+6+6) vs 10 = Stand
10. 16 (A+5+5+5) vs 7 = Stand
11. 16 (2+4+5+5) vs 7 = Stand
12. 16 (3+3+5+5) vs 7 = Stand
13. 16 (3+4+4+5) vs 7 = Stand
14. 16 (4+4+4+4) vs 7 = Stand
15. 16 (A+5+5+5) vs 8 = Stand
16. 16 (2+4+5+5) vs 8 = Stand
17. 16 (3+3+5+5) vs 8 = Stand
18. 16 (3+4+4+5) vs 8 = Stand
19. 16 (4+4+4+4) vs 8 = Stand
20. 16 (4+4+4+4) vs 9 = Stand
21. 16 (5+4+4+3) vs 9 = Stand
22. 16 (5+5+3+3) vs 9 = Stand
23. 16 (5+5+4+2) vs 9 = Stand
24. 16 (5+5+5+A) vs 9 = Stand
25. 16 (6+4+4+2) vs 9 = Stand
26. 16 (6+5+4+A) vs 9 = Stand
27. 16 (8+3+3+2) vs 9 = Stand
28. 16 (8+4+2+2) vs 9 = Stand
29. 16 (8+4+3+A) vs 9 = Stand
30. 16 (8+5+2+A) vs 9 = Stand
31. 16 (9+5+A+A) vs 9 = Stand
32. 16 (9+4+2+A) vs 9 = Stand
33. 16 (6+6+2+2) vs 10 = Hit
34. 16 (6+6+3+A) vs 10 = Hit
35. 16 (7+6+2+A) vs 10 = Hit
36. 16 (8+6+A+A) vs 10 = Hit
37. 16 (10+2+2+2) vs 10 = Hit
38. Soft 18 (A+2+2+3) vs 10 = Stand

1. 12 vs 3 = Stand
2. 16 vs 10 = Stand
3. 16 vs 9 = Stand

1. 12 (A+A+3+3+4) vs 3 = Hit
2. 12 (A+2+2+2+5) vs 3 = Hit
3. 12 (A+2+2+3+4) vs 3 = Hit
4. 12 (A+2+3+3+3) vs 3 = Hit
5. 12 (2+2+2+2+4) vs 3 = Hit
6. 12 (2+2+2+3+3) vs 3 = Hit
7. 15 (A+A+A+6+6) vs 10 = Stand
8. 15 (A+A+3+5+5) vs 10 = Stand
9. 16 (A+A+4+5+5) vs 7 = Stand
10. 16 (A+2+3+5+5) vs 7 = Stand
11. 16 (A+2+4+4+5) vs 7 = Stand
12. 16 (A+3+3+4+5) vs 7 = Stand
13. 16 (A+3+4+4+4) vs 7 = Stand
14. 16 (2+2+2+5+5) vs 7 = Stand
15. 16 (2+2+3+4+5) vs 7 = Stand
16. 16 (2+2+4+4+4) vs 7 = Stand
17. 16 (2+3+3+3+5) vs 7 = Stand
18. 16 (2+3+3+4+4) vs 7 = Stand
19. 16 (3+3+3+3+4) vs 7 = Stand
20. 16 (A+A+4+5+5) vs 8 = Stand
21. 16 (A+2+3+5+5) vs 8 = Stand
22. 16 (A+2+4+4+5) vs 8 = Stand
23. 16 (A+3+3+4+5) vs 8 = Stand
24. 16 (A+3+4+4+4) vs 8 = Stand
25. 16 (2+2+2+5+5) vs 8 = Stand
26. 16 (2+2+3+4+5) vs 8 = Stand
27. 16 (2+2+4+4+4) vs 8 = Stand
28. 16 (2+3+3+3+5) vs 8 = Stand
29. 16 (2+3+3+4+4) vs 8 = Stand
30. 16 (3+3+3+3+4) vs 8 = Stand
31. 16 (10+3+A+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
32. 16 (7+6+A+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
33. 16 (10+2+2+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
34. 16 (7+5+2+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
35. 16 (6+6+2+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
36. 16 (7+4+3+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
37. 16 (7+4+2+2+A) vs 9 = Hit
38. 16 (7+3+3+2+A) vs 9 = Hit
39. 16 (6+3+3+3+A) vs 9 = Hit
40. 16 (7+3+2+2+2) vs 9 = Hit
41. 16 (6+3+3+2+2) vs 9 = Hit
42. 16 (6+3+3+2+2) vs 10 = Hit
43. 16 (7+6+A+A+A) vs 10 = Hit
44. 16 (10+2+2+A+A) vs 10 = Hit
45. 16 (6+6+2+A+A) vs 10 = Hit

1. 12 vs 3 = Stand
2. 16 vs 7 = Stand
3. 16 vs 9 = Stand
4. 16 vs 10 = Stand

1. 12 (3+3+3+A+A+A) vs 3 = Hit
2. 12 (3+3+2+2+A+A) vs 3 = Hit
3. 12 (3+2+2+2+2+A) vs 3 = Hit
4. 12 (4+2+2+2+A+A) vs 3 = Hit
5. 15 (6+5+A+A+A+A) vs 10 = Stand
6. 16 (A+A+A+A+3+9) vs 7 = Hit
7. 16 (A+A+A+A+6+6) vs 7 = Hit
8. 16 (A+A+A+2+2+9) vs 7 = Hit
9. 16 (A+A+A+3+5+5) vs 8 = Stand
10. 16 (A+A+2+2+5+5) vs 8 = Stand
11. 16 (A+A+2+3+4+5) vs 8 = Stand
12. 16 (A+A+2+4+4+4) vs 8 = Stand
13. 16 (A+A+3+3+3+5) vs 8 = Stand
14. 16 (A+A+3+3+4+4) vs 8 = Stand
15. 16 (A+2+2+2+4+5) vs 8 = Stand
16. 16 (A+2+2+3+3+5) vs 8 = Stand
17. 16 (A+2+2+3+4+4) vs 8 = Stand
18. 16 (A+2+3+3+3+4) vs 8 = Stand
19. 16 (2+2+2+2+3+5) vs 8 = Stand
20. 16 (2+2+2+2+4+4) vs 8 = Stand
21. 16 (2+2+2+3+3+4) vs 8 = Stand
22. 16 (2+2+3+3+3+3) vs 8 = Stand
23. 16 (6+6+A+A+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
24. 16 (7+3+3+A+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
25. 16 (7+3+2+2+A+A) vs 9 = Hit
26. 16 (7+2+2+2+2+A) vs 9 = Hit
27. 16 (6+3+2+2+2+A) vs 9 = Hit
28. 16 (6+6+A+A+A+A) vs 10 = Hit
29. 16 (6+3+2+2+2+A) vs 10 = Hit

Boss Media Appendix 1 has a composition dependent basic strategy for single-deck, dealer stands on soft 17, blackjack.