ProEdge

Single-Deck Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart — Dealer Hits Soft 17

Single-deck blackjack with 3:2 payouts is the best raw game in the house, and it has its own strategy: with 52 cards, the removal effect of your own hand is strong enough to flip more than a dozen plays. One warning before you sit down — if the felt says blackjack pays 6:5, the payout gives back several times what the single deck saves you. Walk away from those.

Hard totals

Your handvs dealer2345678910A
7 or lessHHHHHHHHHH
8HHHDhDhHHHHH
9DhDhDhDhDhHHHHH
10DhDhDhDhDhDhDhDhHH
11DhDhDhDhDhDhDhDhDhDh
12HHSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
14SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHHRh
16SSSSSHHHRhRh
17SSSSSSSSSRs
18+SSSSSSSSSS

Soft totals

Your handvs dealer2345678910A
A,2HHDhDhDhHHHHH
A,3HHDhDhDhHHHHH
A,4HHDhDhDhHHHHH
A,5HHDhDhDhHHHHH
A,6DhDhDhDhDhHHHHH
A,7SDsDsDsDsSSHHH
A,8SSSSDsSSSSS
A,9SSSSSSSSSS

Pairs

Your handvs dealer2345678910A
2,2PhPPPPPHHHH
3,3PhPhPPPPPhHHH
4,4HHPhPdPdHHHHH
5,5HHHHHHHHHH
6,6PPPPPPhHHHH
7,7PPPPPPPhHRsRh
8,8PPPPPPPPPP
9,9PPPPPSPPSPs
10,10HHHHHHHHHH
A,APPPPPPPPPP
H
Hit
S
Stand
Dh
Double if allowed, otherwise hit
Ds
Double if allowed, otherwise stand
P
Split
Ph
Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise hit
Pd
Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise double
Ps
Split if double after split is allowed, otherwise stand
Rh
Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
Rs
Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand

Chart assumes double after split is allowed and doubling on any two cards. Where a play depends on a rule your table doesn't offer, the code gives the fallback — e.g. Rh means surrender if you can, otherwise hit.

Plays unique to single deck

This chart is noticeably more aggressive than any shoe chart. The signatures:

  • Double hard 8 against a 5 or 6, and double soft 13 and 14 against a 4 — shoe games hit all of these.
  • Double soft 17 against a 2, and stand soft 18 against a 2 rather than doubling.
  • Split 4,4 against a 5 or 6 if double after split is allowed; otherwise double.
  • The famous one: 7,7 against a 10 — surrender if you can, otherwise stand. Two of the four sevens you'd need are already in your hand.
  • Split 9,9 against an ace when double after split is allowed, and split (don't surrender) 8,8 against an ace.

Playing a different game?

The correct plays change with the deck count and the dealer's soft-17 rule. Grab the chart that matches your table, or start with the complete basic strategy guide.