Basic Strategy Chart Download — Match the Chart to the Table

The best blackjack strategy chart is not the most colorful one or the first image that appears in a search result. It is the chart that matches the table you are actually playing.

Before saving or printing a chart, identify at least these rules:

• number of decks;
• dealer hits soft 17 (H17) or stands on soft 17 (S17);
• double after split (DAS) allowed or not;
• surrender available or not;
• dealer peek/hole-card procedure;
• any unusual restrictions on doubling or splitting.

Then use the closest rule-specific chart.

On Chips & Truths, start with Single-Deck Basic Strategy, Double-Deck Basic Strategy, Six-Deck Basic Strategy, or Eight-Deck Basic Strategy. Use your browser’s Print → Save as PDF function if you want an offline copy of the rule-matched page.

What a strategy chart actually contains

A blackjack basic strategy chart is a compressed decision policy.

One axis contains the player hand. The other contains the dealer upcard. The cell where they meet tells the player which legal action has the best expected value under the chart’s assumptions.

Common abbreviations include:

• H — Hit
• S — Stand
• D — Double if allowed, otherwise use the chart’s fallback action
• P — Split
• R or Rs — Surrender when available, otherwise use the fallback action

A good chart separates three kinds of player hands:

1. hard totals;
2. soft totals containing a flexible Ace;
3. pairs that may be split.

Do not read Ace-7 as hard 18 or 8-8 as ordinary hard 16 before checking the soft-hand or pair section. The category matters.

First decision: deck count

Deck count changes some borderline strategy decisions and the overall game value.

Do not use a single-deck chart simply because it looks shorter. A single-deck chart is calculated for a different card distribution than a six- or eight-deck shoe.

If the table uses six decks, use a six-deck or appropriately defined multi-deck chart. If it uses double deck, use the double-deck chart.

When a chart says “4+ decks,” check the assumptions printed with it. The deck label is only one part of the rule set.

Second decision: H17 or S17

Look at the table sign or felt for language such as:

• “Dealer hits soft 17,” or
• “Dealer stands on all 17s.”

Those are not cosmetic notices. H17 changes both the house edge and some basic strategy decisions.

For example, a chart generated for S17 can give the wrong instruction in some soft-hand, double, surrender, or dealer-Ace situations at an H17 table.

If you do not know what soft 17 means, read Soft vs Hard Hands and H17 vs S17 before using the chart.

Third decision: DAS and split restrictions

Double after split changes what the player can do after creating two hands.

A chart that assumes DAS may recommend a split partly because a profitable double can occur on the new hand. If the table prohibits DAS, a few pair decisions can change.

Split-Ace rules also matter:

• one card only after splitting Aces;
• RSA allowed or prohibited;
• Ace-ten after a split paid as ordinary 21 or as blackjack;
• maximum number of hands.

For the procedures, use Double After Split and Resplitting Aces.

Fourth decision: surrender

A chart that includes surrender needs a clear fallback instruction for a table that does not offer it.

If the chart says surrender 16 against a dealer 10 but surrender is unavailable, the correct action is not “do nothing.” The chart should tell you the next-best legal action, commonly hit or stand depending on the exact rules and hand composition.

Early Surrender vs Late Surrender explains why the timing of the rule matters.

Payout quality is not a chart-selection variable in the same way

A 6:5 table still has basic-strategy decisions, but a correct chart cannot repair the weak blackjack payout.

This is an important distinction:

• strategy chart reduces decision errors within the game offered;
• table selection determines whether you accept the game’s payout and rules in the first place.

If a nearby 3:2 game is available at a practical minimum, compare the rules before sitting down. The 3:2 vs 6:5 page explains the cost difference.

A one-minute chart-selection checklist

Before saving a chart, write one line from the table:

6D / S17 / DAS / LS / peek / 3:2

That means, for example:

• six decks;
• dealer stands on soft 17;
• double after split allowed;
• late surrender available;
• dealer peeks under the applicable upcards;
• blackjack pays 3:2.

Now compare the chart assumptions with that line.

If the chart does not state its assumptions, do not treat it as authoritative.

How to save a useful offline copy

A chart saved to your phone is useful only if you can identify it later.

Use a file name that records the rules, such as:

blackjack-6D-S17-DAS-LS.pdf

Do not save five anonymous files named blackjack-chart.png and expect to remember which table each one fits.

For an internal Chips & Truths chart page:

1. open the correct deck-specific strategy page;
2. confirm the rule assumptions near the chart;
3. choose Print in the browser;
4. select Save as PDF or print a paper copy;
5. rename the file with the deck and soft-17 rule.

This keeps the download tied to the assumptions that generated it.

A chart is a decision tool, not a prediction tool

Suppose the chart says hit hard 16 against dealer 10 under your rule set.

You hit and draw a 10, busting immediately.

That does not show that the chart was wrong. Basic strategy chooses the action with the better long-run expected value across all possible next cards and dealer outcomes. It does not know which card will arrive on this hand.

The expected-value idea is:

[ EV(a)=\sum_i P(i\mid a)\times R(i) ]

where:

• (a) is a legal action such as hit or stand;
• (P(i\mid a)) is the probability of outcome (i) after choosing that action;
• (R(i)) is the net result of that outcome.

Basic strategy selects the legal action with the highest EV, which often means the least negative option on a weak hand.

Why two legitimate charts can disagree

Two accurate charts can recommend different actions because they were calculated for different rules.

The largest sources of disagreement include:

• one deck versus multiple decks;
• H17 versus S17;
• DAS versus no DAS;
• surrender versus no surrender;
• European no-hole-card versus U.S.-style peek procedures;
• special doubling restrictions.

A disagreement is therefore a prompt to compare assumptions, not proof that one author made a mistake.

Use a calculator when the table does not match a standard chart

Some tables combine unusual rules that do not fit the common printed charts.

The Blackjack Strategy Tool and Blackjack Rule Variation Calculator can help separate rule identification from strategy study.

A rules-selectable strategy calculator is a better model than downloading an unlabeled generic image because it requires the player to state the deck count, soft-17 rule, DAS, surrender, and dealer-peek assumptions first.

Rule variation data explains why chart labels matter

The House Edge by Rules comparison shows that H17, restricted doubling, no DAS, surrender, deck count, and other rules change player return by different amounts. Some of those rules also change the optimal decision for specific hands.

That is why “basic strategy” is not a single universal 10-by-10 grid.

Can you use a strategy card at the table?

Casino policy and jurisdictional rules vary. Some casinos allow a printed strategy card at the table as long as it does not interfere with play; others may restrict devices or certain forms of assistance.

Do not assume a phone screen is treated the same way as a paper card. Electronic-device rules can be stricter than rules for printed reference material.

If you want to consult a chart during live play, ask the dealer or floor supervisor before the first wager. Do not create a dispute after the cards are already out.

Read the chart before the dealer reaches you

A chart is most useful when it reduces hesitation rather than creating it.

Learn the basic zones first:

• obvious hard stands and hits;
• common doubles on 9, 10, and 11;
• soft-hand doubles;
• pair rules for Aces, 8s, 10s, 5s, and the smaller pairs;
• surrender exceptions if the table offers surrender.

Then use the chart for borderline hands.

At a live table, the objective is not to perform a research project while the dealer waits. The objective is to make a clear, legal decision based on a chart you already matched to the game.

Do not combine basic strategy with superstition

A chart does not become invalid because:

• the table has lost five hands in a row;
• the dealer has made several 21s;
• the previous player “took the dealer’s bust card”;
• you won the last time you ignored the chart.

Those stories describe outcomes, not a change in the decision model.

If the actual game rules change, switch charts. If only the recent results change, the chart assumptions have not changed.

External verification for rule-matched charts

The Wizard of Odds basic strategy calculator is a useful external reference because it asks for deck count, soft-17 rule, DAS, surrender, and dealer-peek assumptions before producing the strategy. Use the rule inputs as the lesson: any downloaded chart should tell you the same assumptions.

Responsible use of a strategy chart

A correct chart can reduce avoidable decision cost. That can create a false sense of control if the player starts increasing stakes because “I am playing perfectly now.”

Basic strategy does not eliminate variance or turn blackjack into reliable income. Keep the stake within the entertainment budget regardless of how confident the decisions feel.

The National Council on Problem Gambling provides responsible gambling information for players and families who want help keeping gambling within planned limits.

A chart version should include its assumptions on the page itself

If you maintain printed or downloaded charts, add a small header above the grid:

Decks: 6 | S17 | DAS: Yes | Surrender: Late | Peek: Yes | Blackjack: 3:2

That line prevents a common version-control problem. Months later, you may remember that a chart was “for six deck” but forget whether it assumed H17 or S17.

The assumption header also makes it easier to compare two charts. If one cell differs, you can identify the rule responsible instead of assuming a transcription error.

What not to download

Avoid charts that have any of these problems:

• no deck count shown;
• no H17/S17 label;
• no explanation of D, Ds, Dh, P, or surrender notation;
• a chart image cropped so the dealer-Ace column is missing;
• a “universal blackjack strategy” claim with no rule assumptions;
• a chart that mixes side-bet advice into basic strategy;
• a chart that promises winning sessions rather than lower expected loss.

A clean design is useful, but documentation matters more than design.

Use the chart as a study map, not only a live reference

The fastest way to become comfortable with basic strategy is to notice patterns.

For example:

• very low hard totals usually hit;
• strong hard totals stand;
• dealer 4, 5, and 6 create many stand/double opportunities;
• Aces and 8s are commonly split;
• 10s and 5s are commonly not split;
• soft hands use the Ace’s flexibility to take more aggressive actions.

These are learning patterns, not substitutes for the exact chart. Their value is that they reduce the number of cells you have to recall one by one.

Use Hard Hand Strategy, Soft Hand Strategy, and Pair Splitting Strategy to understand why the grid has those shapes.

Practice should test both the action and the rule set

A player who memorizes “A-7 doubles against 6” without knowing whether the dealer hits soft 17 or whether doubling is allowed has memorized an incomplete instruction.

A better practice prompt contains four pieces:

Six decks, S17, DAS, player has A-7, dealer shows 6. What is the action?

That forces the rule set into the same mental frame as the hand.

The Blackjack Strategy Tool is useful for this because repeated practice can expose the hands you misread most often.

Printed chart versus phone screenshot

A paper chart has advantages at a live table:

• it does not require unlocking a device;
• it cannot receive distracting notifications;
• it is easy for the floor to recognize as a static reference card;
• its assumptions can be printed directly on the page.

A phone screenshot is convenient away from the table but may run into casino electronic-device policies during play.

The safest operational approach is to learn the chart before the session and ask the floor what reference material is permitted if you plan to consult it at the table.

When to replace a saved chart

Replace or relabel the chart when any material assumption changes:

• you move from S17 to H17;
• you switch from six deck to double deck;
• DAS disappears;
• surrender becomes available;
• the dealer procedure changes to a no-hole-card game;
• doubling is restricted to specified totals.

Do not replace the chart because you had a losing session. Recent outcomes are not a chart input.

This simple version-control habit keeps strategy learning connected to the actual game rather than to memory of results.

Common chart-selection cases

These examples show how the rule label should drive the download.

Six-deck shoe, dealer stands soft 17, DAS allowed

Use a six-deck or verified multi-deck S17/DAS chart. If surrender is offered, use the version that includes the correct surrender rules.

Six-deck shoe, dealer hits soft 17, DAS allowed

Use an H17 chart. Do not keep the S17 chart just because the deck count matches.

Double-deck game, H17, no DAS

Use a double-deck chart built for H17 and no DAS. A six-deck H17 chart is not a substitute, and a double-deck DAS chart can differ on pair decisions.

Single deck with unusual doubling restrictions

Use a chart that states the allowed doubling totals. “Single deck” alone is not enough if the game permits doubles only on 10 and 11, for example.

These cases demonstrate the principle: the chart name should describe the rule set, not merely the number of decks.

Learn the fallback symbols before printing

Different chart publishers use different letters. A legend is therefore part of the chart, not optional decoration.

A typical set might include:

Do not assume every chart uses exactly this notation. Read the legend on the chart you download.

A screenshot without its legend can be worse than no chart because the player may remember the letter but not the fallback rule.

A basic strategy chart should not contain betting progressions

If a “strategy chart” tells you to raise the wager after losses, it is no longer only a basic-strategy decision chart.

Basic strategy answers what to do with the hand given the player cards, dealer upcard, and rules. Bet progression systems answer how much to wager after previous outcomes. Those are separate subjects.

Keep the downloaded chart focused on hit, stand, double, split, and surrender. Use Blackjack Bet Sizing for stake planning and Blackjack Winning Systems Debunked for progression claims.

Online blackjack needs rule matching too

A digital table may display its rules behind an information icon rather than on felt.

Before using a saved chart, open the rules panel and check:

• deck count if disclosed;
• soft-17 rule;
• doubling limits;
• split/resplit limits;
• surrender;
• dealer-blackjack procedure;
• natural payout.

Do not assume a familiar visual layout means the online version uses the same rules as the land-based table you studied.

Live-dealer products can also use specific rule configurations that differ from casino-floor blackjack.

Chart errors should be corrected at the source, not memorized as exceptions

If you discover that a saved chart has a transcription error or was generated with the wrong assumptions, replace the file.

Do not keep a bad chart and try to remember “except this one cell.” That creates a version-control trap, especially after several months.

A useful saved chart should be self-contained: rule header, legend, full grid, and source/date or generator note. If any of those are missing, recreate it from a reliable rule-matched source.

Bottom line

Download the chart that matches the table, not the chart with the simplest label. Identify deck count, H17/S17, DAS, surrender, and hole-card rules; save the rule assumptions with the file; use a rule-specific internal chart or strategy calculator; and remember that a correct chart reduces decision errors without predicting the next card or fixing a weak payout.

The chart hub is about matching the chart to the table

A chart is useful only when its assumptions match the game: deck count, H17/S17, DAS, surrender and split restrictions. This page exists to help select, label and save the right chart rather than to duplicate every decision row for one ruleset.

For a worked eight-deck rule family and its decisions, use Eight-Deck Basic Strategy.