Blackjack strategy calculator: the right move for any hand
· 1 min read
Tap your two cards and the dealer's card to get the basic strategy move (hit, stand, double or split) with the reason and its place on the chart. Plus how often the dealer busts with each card.
Basic strategy is the best move for every hand against every dealer card, worked out by computer simulation. You can learn the whole chart, or you can ask it one hand at a time. Pick your two cards and the dealer's up card below.
Blackjack move finder (interactive)
Pick your cards and the dealer's up card to see the basic strategy move for Vegas Blackjack (six decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split, blackjack pays 3 to 2), with the reason and the matching cell highlighted on the full chart.
Why the dealer's card matters so much
The dealer has no choices: they hit until they reach 17, then stand. So their up card tells you how likely they are to bust before they get there.
| Dealer shows | Dealer busts (about) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 35% |
| 3 | 38% |
| 4 | 40% |
| 5 | 43% |
| 6 | 42% |
| 7 | 26% |
| 8 | 24% |
| 9 | 23% |
| 10, J, Q, K | 21% |
| Ace | 12% |
That's the whole idea of the chart in one table. Against a 4, 5 or 6 the dealer is in trouble, so you stand on shaky totals, double and split, and let them take the risk. Against a 7 or higher they usually finish strong, so you have to improve your hand even when it means risking a bust.
Soft hands catch people out
A soft hand has an Ace counted as 11, like A-7 (soft 18). It can't bust on the next card, because the Ace simply becomes a 1. That's why the chart doubles soft hands against weak dealer cards and hits soft 18 against a 9, 10 or Ace: 18 looks good, but against those cards it loses more often than it wins.
Practise in the game
Vegas Blackjack has Strategy hints in the table menu: switch them on and the game suggests the same move as this calculator on every hand. Play with them on until the moves feel natural, then turn them off and test yourself. For the whole chart on one page, see blackjack basic strategy.
Basic strategy brings the house edge down to about 0.4%, the smallest of any game on Blibzz. It never makes it disappear, and at Blibzz it's all play coins anyway.
Vegas Blackjack: rules, odds and tips · Play Vegas Blackjack free