Two Deck Blackjack Chart
- Appendices
- Miscellaneous
- External Links
On This Page
- In this guide, you will be shown two different charts, both of which are built around games using 4 to 8 decks. The first blackjack chart takes into account what to do when the dealer stands on soft 17, and the other which you’ll find at the bottom of this guide takes into account what you should do when the dealer hits on soft 17.
- Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart: 4/6/8 Decks, Dealer Stands on All 17s (2-sided card) by Kenneth R Smith Cards $2.99 In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Introduction
Multiple Deck Blackjack Strategy Charts Multi Deck Blackjack Strategy Chart. The following strategy charts are designed for multiple deck blackjack. Before you begin using these charts, make sure that you are playing in a multi deck blackjack game. These charts slightly vary for optimum performance on a game to game basis. Every player is dealt two cards at the beginning of a round of blackjack so this chart tells you the percentage of getting different categories of hands. A natural blackjack is only 4.8%, which essentially is an ace dealt with a ten card straight off the initial deal. Normally the odds are 3 to 2 and you would win $3 for every $2 wagered.
To use the basic strategy, look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17.
Other basic strategy rules.
- Never take insurance or 'even money.'
- If there is no row for splitting (fives and tens), then look up your hand as a hard total (10 or 20).
- If you can't split because of a limit on re-splitting, then look up your hand as a hard total, except aces. In the extremely unlikely event you have a pair of aces you can't re-split and drawing to split aces is allowed, then double against a 5 or 6, otherwise hit.
Ideally, the basic strategy shows the play which, on average, will result in the greatest win or the least loss per initial hand played. The way I usually go about this is to look at the initial 2-card hands only. Generally, this will result in the overall best play. However, soft 18 against a dealer ace when the dealer stands on soft 17 provides the only known exception that I am aware of for any number of decks. As my blackjack appendix 9 shows, a 2-card soft 18 vs A has an expected value of hitting of -0.100359, and of standing -0.100502. So with two cards it is very slightly better to hit. However, not all soft 18's are composed of two cards. The more the cards in the player's hand the more the odds favor standing. Simulations show that if forced to always hit or always stand, it is better to stand. I would like to thank Don Schlesinger for bringing this unusual play to my attention.