Blackjack Strategy with Charts

Blackjack is one of the most popular card games played at casinos, both online and brick-and-mortar ones, throughout the world. Players try to find various ways to maximise their winning odds and, in the end, earn as much as possible. That’s why certain blackjack enthusiasts have developed blackjack charts, which are supposed to be used as a sort of guidelines for players. If followed and obeyed correctly, the charts are supposed to increase the winning chances of a player. Since there are different blackjack rules and different number of decks that can be used at different casinos, or even on different tables at the same casino that would result in a different house edge. Therefore, different charts should be developed and used. So, if you’re playing 4-deck blackjack, where the dealer hits on soft 17, you should follow one chart and if you’re playing 6-deck blackjack where the dealer stands on soft 17, a different chart should be used.

Composition of the chart and how to read and use it

Now, there might be many different charts, depending on the variant of blackjack in question, but the basic structure is the same and there is a certain unified way of reading them. The chart is in the form of a table and it is fairly easy to read after you learn all the abbreviations. The chart will tell you what your next move should be in every possible card combination. The structure is the following – in the top row you have the dealer’s up-card, i.e. the card you can see, and there are 10 fields in this row – 2 through A. In the left column you have all the possible combinations of your hand.

Here is the chart:

Abbreviations

• S = Stand
• H = Hit
• P = Split
• DD (or just D) = Double Down
• H/P = Split, but only if you may double after that. Otherwise: Hit.
• H/R = Surrender, if allowed. Otherwise: Hit.

Bear in mind that there are many possible combinations, because a soft and a hard 14 isn’t the same in blackjack. So, this column has 31 fields. The inside fields cover every possible combination of your hand and the dealer’s card. In the inside fields you’ll see the letters – H – hit, S – stand, P – split, D – double, H/P – split if allowed to double after that, and H/R – surrender if allowed. Let’s take an example of a blackjack variant and go through the chart for that kind of blackjack. Say that we are talking about 6-deck blackjack, where the dealer stands on soft 17, you can double any two cards, you are allowed to double after split, there’s no surrender and the dealer can’t peek (European). The house edge for this variant is 0.55%. In this variant if your hand is 5, 6, 7, or 8, you should always hit, regardless of the dealer’s card. Also, you should always stand on 13, 14, 15, 16 or 17, when the dealer has 2 through 6. If you have two 8’s, two 9’s or two Aces, you should split on most occasions. The charts are often referred to by the umbrella-term basic strategy, due to the fact that they are not specific, which would be the case if they were based on card counting. Below are two specific examples of hands.

Example #1

We have two Tens on our hand and the dealer has an Ace. The table shows an “S” for “Stand”. So we end our hand with 20 points and hope to win.

Example #2

We have an Ace and a Two on our hand, the dealer has a Six. The table recommends us a Double Down, and so we double our bet. We may then get only one card and hope to win.

When was the first strategy chart created?

There have been numerous tips on what to play in which situations, and many players have developed their own strategies, but the first systematically developed chart strategy was the work of Julian Braun. Julian Braun of IBM based this strategy on a computer simulation of countless blackjack hands. What was proven by this simulation was that if the player follows the charts he or she has the highest mathematical probability of winning the round. They are in no way to be understood as a recipe for success. In other words, success isn’t guaranteed, but it is more probable. Braun’s findings were quite impressive, bearing in mind that the test were conducted in the end of the 1970’s and that the computer that Braun used was quite primitive compared to what we have now. The results of Braun’s analysis were later published in a book named “How to Play Winning Blackjack”.

Advantages of playing with strategy charts

House edge is probably the most important aspect of every casino game for a player who is trying to win some money, and that’s practically everyone. Blackjack is one of the games with the lowest house edge and that’s why it is one of the most favourable games for players. Although the house edge depends on a number of things such as how many decks are used, the other rules and options, and whether the dealer hits or stays on soft 17, by applying the blackjack chart strategy and obeying its rules by the book you decrease the house edge and increase your winning chances, depending on the type of the game and the bet in question. In addition to the house edge the strategy charts are particularly useful for people who play blackjack for the first time, or are new to the game.

Namely, by learning the strategy you learn more about blackjack and learn how to play the game. Knowing what to play in what situation definitely increases your understanding of the game as such. Combining smart playing as suggested by the charts and smart betting would certainly increase your chances, just always bear in mind that nobody can guarantee success in blackjack, and if they say they can, they’re lying. If you are curious about free blackjack, read our review of 888 Casino – a reputed online website offering a good starting gift to its new customers and they can practice real games completely free.

Is it even allowed to play using strategy charts?