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Basic Strategy Shortcut

Basic strategy provides a matrix of 270 possible situations, ten dealer upcards times 27 possible player hands, as shown to the right, and the prospect of memorizing them all may seem daunting. While some sources recommend rote memorization (even legendary blackjack player Ken Uston used flashcards), there are easier ways to commit them to memory.

The best way for a novice to learn basic strategy is to begin with a single variation of the game: multiple decks, dealer stands on soft 17, as this is the most common, and later address the other combinations of decks and rules.

Using that table, blocks of decisions can be grouped together. For example, you don't need to memorize "double eleven against a two, double eleven against a three [same for four through ten] hit eleven against an ace"—only "double eleven against everything but an ace." It should be easier to keep this in mind rather than memorizing all 280 situations one by one.

By doing that, the chart of 270 possibilities can be distilled into 26 simple evaluations:

Hard Hands

• Always stand on seventeen or more
• Double an eleven against anything but an ace
• Double a ten against anything but a ten or an ace
• Double a nine against three through six.
• Hit anything less than twelve.
• Surrender fifteen against a ten
• Surrender sixteen against nine or higher
• Hit anything against a seven or higher
• Hit a twelve against a two or a three
• Stand

Soft Hands

• Always stand on nineteen or twenty
• Stand eighteen against a seven or eight
• Hit anything against a seven or higher
• Double anything against a five or a six
• Double soft fifteen through eighteen against a four
• Double seventeen or eighteen against a three
• Double eighteen against a two
• Hit

Pairs

• Always split eights and aces
• Always stand on tens
• Double fives against a ten or less
• Stand nines against seven, ten, or eleven
• Hit anything but nines against an eight or higher
• Hit sixes and fours against a seven
• Hit fours against a four or less
• Split

The hard hands are easiest to memorize in practice, because they occur most often. You can use the basic strategy trainer to drill yourself on soft and paired hands—and in most casinos, you can carry crib notes to the table until you've memorized basic strategy completely.

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