Blackjack Calculator

Basic strategy is the mathematically optimal play for every combination of your hand total and the dealer's up card, derived from computer simulation of millions of hands. Following it perfectly minimizes the house edge to around 0.5% in most standard game conditions.

This uses the standard 4-8 deck chart where the dealer stands on soft 17 and double-after-split is allowed — the most common rule set at US casinos. A different rule set (dealer hits soft 17, single/double deck) can shift a small handful of edge-case decisions.

No — basic strategy minimizes the house edge over the long run, but blackjack still has a small house edge even with perfect play (unlike card counting, which can occasionally tip the edge to the player). It won't guarantee any individual hand or session.

Splitting turns one hand into two, which is mathematically favorable when your pair forms a weak hand (like two 8s = 16) but the individual cards are strong starting points (two separate 8s) — while pairs like two 10s (a strong 20) are much better left unsplit.