Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart: 6-Deck H17, Every Play

The blackjack basic strategy chart is the mathematically perfect play for every hand against every dealer up card. Memorize it and the house edge on a 6-deck H17 DAS LS table drops to -0.47%, which is the smallest advantage the dealer can hold against any non-counter at that ruleset.

That is the floor. Below that house edge you are leaking EV on bad plays. Usually by deviating from the chart on hands that "feel wrong." 16 against a dealer 10 is the famous one. Hit it. Stand on 12 against 4. Double 11 against anything but an ace on S17 (or anything including the ace on H17). The chart says what the chart says. Feel does not earn money at this table.

This post covers the full 6-deck H17 DAS LS chart, the rule-variant adjustments for S17, no-DAS, and no-LS, how to read the chart, and the practice path that gets the play from a printout to automatic.

The blackjack basic strategy chart

Basic strategy is the play that minimizes the house edge at blackjack assuming the cards in the shoe are a fresh-shuffled neutral mix. Computer simulation runs through every possible combination of player hand and dealer up card and picks the move with the highest expected value. The chart is the output of that work.

The math behind it is fixed. Edward Thorp's Beat the Dealer (1962) published the first version. Don Schlesinger's Blackjack Attack refined it for modern shoe games. Wong's Professional Blackjack covered the rule variants. The numbers have not changed in decades because the rules of blackjack have not changed. A 6-deck H17 DAS LS table in Las Vegas in 1985 had the same correct basic strategy as a 6-deck H17 DAS LS table in 2026.

Perfect basic strategy is the difference between paying -0.47% and paying -1% to -2% to the house. Casino floor data suggests that the average recreational player gives back roughly 1 to 2% in basic strategy errors on top of the base house edge. That is real money at any bet size. A $25 average bet at 80 hands per hour at a 1.5% leak is $30 per hour gone, on top of the -0.47% house edge cost.

A new counter who is sloppy on basic strategy is donating a bigger edge than they will ever recover by counting. Drill basic strategy first. Then add the count. The order is not optional. The deeper read on this progression is in card counting basics.

The base house edge against perfect basic strategy varies by ruleset. The published numbers:

• 6D S17 DAS LS: -0.26%
• 6D S17 DAS no-LS: -0.34%
• 6D H17 DAS LS: -0.47%
• 6D H17 DAS no-LS: -0.55%
• 6D H17 no-DAS: -0.69%
• 8D S17 DAS LS: -0.28%
• 8D H17 DAS LS: -0.49%
• 2D S17 DAS LS: -0.12%
• 2D H17 DAS LS: -0.33%

These are the numbers a perfect basic strategy player pays per hand. Pick the best ruleset available in your area. A 2D S17 DAS LS game gives a near-flat -0.12% edge with the chart memorized, which is the closest a non-counter gets to breakeven without putting in advantage-play hours.

How to read a basic strategy blackjack chart

The chart has a column for each dealer up card (2 through 10, plus Ace) and a row for each player hand. The cell at each intersection tells you the correct play.

The four possible plays are:

• Hit (H): take another card
• Stand (S): take no more cards
• Double (D): double the bet, take exactly one more card. If doubling is not allowed on this hand, hit instead.
• Split (Sp): for pairs only, split into two hands. Some charts use "Y" or "Yes."

Some charts also include:

• Surrender (Sr): give up half the bet, lose the hand without playing it out. Only available on LS (Late Surrender) games.
• DAS (Double After Split): if the game allows doubling after splitting, the pair-split chart loosens. Most modern games allow DAS. No-DAS games are rare and tighten the split chart.

The chart is read player-hand-first, dealer-card-second. A player hand of 13 against a dealer 6 looks up row "13" and column "6," lands on Stand. A player hand of A,7 against a dealer 9 looks up the soft-totals row for "A,7" and column "9," lands on Hit.

Three rules apply to every chart and never change with ruleset:

1. Always split aces.
2. Always split 8s.
3. Never split 10s or 5s.

Everything else depends on the dealer up card, the ruleset, and whether the hand contains an ace.

Blackjack basic strategy chart for 6-deck H17 DAS LS

This is the base chart. 6 decks. Dealer hits soft 17. Double after split allowed. Late surrender allowed. 3:2 blackjack payout. The most common standard ruleset on the Las Vegas Strip locals casinos, BC casinos, and most Atlantic City games.

Hard totals (no ace, or ace counts as 1)

• 5 to 8: always hit
• 9: double versus 3, 4, 5, 6. Otherwise hit.
• 10: double versus 2 through 9. Hit versus 10 or A.
• 11: double versus everything except A on S17. On H17, double versus A too.
• 12: stand versus 4, 5, 6. Otherwise hit.
• 13: stand versus 2 through 6. Otherwise hit.
• 14: stand versus 2 through 6. Otherwise hit.
• 15: stand versus 2 through 6. Surrender versus 10 (and versus A on H17). Otherwise hit.
• 16: stand versus 2 through 6. Surrender versus 9, 10, A. Otherwise hit.
• 17 and up: always stand.

Soft totals (any hand with an Ace counted as 11)

• A,2 (soft 13): double versus 5, 6. Otherwise hit.
• A,3 (soft 14): double versus 5, 6. Otherwise hit.
• A,4 (soft 15): double versus 4, 5, 6. Otherwise hit.
• A,5 (soft 16): double versus 4, 5, 6. Otherwise hit.
• A,6 (soft 17): double versus 3, 4, 5, 6. Otherwise hit.
• A,7 (soft 18): stand versus 2, 7, 8. Double versus 3, 4, 5, 6. On H17 also double versus 2. Hit versus 9, 10, A.
• A,8 (soft 19): stand. On H17, double versus 6.
• A,9 (soft 20): always stand.

Pair splits

• 2,2: split versus 2 through 7.
• 3,3: split versus 2 through 7.
• 4,4: split versus 5, 6.
• 5,5: never split. Treat as hard 10.
• 6,6: split versus 2 through 6.
• 7,7: split versus 2 through 7.
• 8,8: always split.
• 9,9: split versus 2 through 6 and versus 8, 9. Stand versus 7, 10, A.
• 10,10: never split. Stand on 20.
• A,A: always split.

The chart above is for DAS games. No-DAS adjustments are in the next section.

The most common basic strategy mistakes at the table

The chart is unambiguous. The mistakes are not the chart's fault. They are the player's nervous system overriding the math.

Hit 16 versus 10. The most frequently missed play in blackjack. The math says hit, the gut says stand. The gut is wrong. A 16 against a 10 is a losing hand either way. Hitting loses slightly less than standing. The difference compounds across hundreds of hands. Stand on 16 versus 10 and you bleed roughly 0.15% extra house edge every time that situation hits the table.

Stand on 12 versus 4. The number 12 looks weak. Standing on it feels like giving up. The math says the dealer busts on a 4 often enough that standing wins. Hitting the 12 versus 4 costs roughly 0.20% in EV.

Double 11 versus dealer 10. Doubling against a 10 feels reckless when the dealer is one card from 20. The math says do it. The player wins enough 11-versus-10 hands when they get to 21 to make the double worth it. On H17 games, also double 11 versus Ace.

Split 8,8 versus 10. Splitting two 8s into two new hands against a dealer 10 looks like asking for more pain. The math says it loses less than standing on hard 16. Two losing 8-starts beats one losing 16 by a meaningful margin. Always split aces, always split 8s. Both rules survive every ruleset.

Take insurance with a strong hand. Insurance is a side bet on the dealer showing 10 in the hole. The base house edge on insurance is roughly -7% for non-counters. Take it on a blackjack ("even money") and you lock in 1:1 instead of the 1.5x payout you would average without insuring. Skip insurance unless you are counting and the true count is +3 or higher. The chart does not include insurance because insurance is not basic strategy. It is a separate decision tied to the count.

Deviate from the chart by feel. This is the meta-mistake. Every basic strategy chart was derived from billions of computer-simulated hands. Your gut has played a few hundred. Trust the chart over the gut every time. Feel is the most expensive variable in casino blackjack and it costs the average recreational player 1 to 2% on top of the base house edge.

Blackjack strategy charts by ruleset variation

The base chart is for 6-deck H17 DAS LS. The other common rulesets shift a handful of cells, not the whole chart. Memorize the base. Then learn the deltas.

S17 (dealer stands on soft 17). Drops the house edge by about 0.20%. Adjustments versus the H17 chart:

• Hard 11 versus A: hit (was double on H17).
• Soft 18 (A,7) versus 2: stand (was double on H17).
• Soft 19 (A,8) versus 6: stand (was double on H17).
• Hard 15 versus A: hit (was surrender on H17).
• Hard 17 versus A: stand (was surrender on H17 with single-deck variants only).

No-DAS. Tightens the pair split chart because doubling after a split is not allowed. Adjustments:

• 2,2 versus 2 or 3: hit (was split).
• 3,3 versus 2 or 3: hit (was split).
• 4,4 versus 5, 6: hit (was split, but DAS made it close).
• 6,6 versus 2: hit (was split).

No-LS (no late surrender). Removes the surrender plays. The replacements:

• Hard 15 versus 10: hit (was surrender).
• Hard 16 versus 9, 10, A: hit (was surrender).

8-deck shoe. The 8-deck chart matches the 6-deck chart almost exactly. The differences are at the edges and gain roughly 0.02% in house edge in the casino's favor. Use the 6-deck chart and you lose a couple of dollars over a long career.

2-deck shoe. The chart shifts meaningfully. Doubles open up, especially on hard 9, 10, 11 against more dealer up cards. Soft doubles loosen. Splits tighten on no-DAS. The full 2-deck chart and the deltas from 6-deck are covered in the 6-deck blackjack strategy post.

The Wizard of Odds 6-deck strategy reference carries the same chart with a visual table and a downloadable image.

The blackjack basic strategy pdf and printable version

A printable chart is the second-best tool. The best tool is the chart memorized. The print version exists for the transition period.

Blackjack Apprenticeship publishes a clean H17 PDF that fits on one page. It is colour-coded by play type, which speeds up the lookup on early sessions. Wizard of Odds publishes an equivalent image. Don Schlesinger's Blackjack Attack and Stanford Wong's Professional Blackjack both include charts in print.

A blackjack basic strategy pdf is not allowed at the table in most casinos. Some properties allow a printed card if it stays in your pocket and you consult it between hands. Most do not. The pit boss's stated reason is "slow play." The real reason is they would prefer you not play correctly. The math does not care what the casino prefers. Memorize it.

When you do bring a card, the practical move is to keep it small enough to read in your lap and out of sight. Better: memorize the chart and skip the card entirely. Cards in laps slow the game down and draw attention. The pace of the table matters as much as the play itself.

Drilling the chart with a basic strategy trainer

A blackjack basic strategy trainer drills the chart at casino pace until the answers are automatic. The transition you are looking for is from "look at the chart, find the cell, make the play" to "see the hand, know the play, place the chips." The trainer is what compresses that timeline.

The right drill pattern: hit-stand-double-split-surrender prompts at casino pace, with a different dealer up card on each hand. Drill for 20 focused minutes a day. Three weeks gets a serious learner to clean basic strategy on hard totals. Another two weeks for soft totals. Another two for splits. Five weeks of daily 20-minute sessions and basic strategy is at the level a counter needs before they start adding the running count.

A few things to drill specifically because they are the spots gut tends to override math:

• 16 versus 10: hit until it is automatic.
• 12 versus 4: stand until it is automatic.
• A,7 versus 9: hit. Soft 18 looks strong against a 9. The math disagrees.
• 9,9 versus 7: stand. A pair of 9s feels like a split-friendly hand. Against a 7, it isn't.
• Doubling 11 versus 10: double, every time, despite the gut.

The other thing to drill: stop calling the play out loud. The pit watches mouth movement as much as hand signals. Use hand signals only. Tap the felt for a hit. Wave the hand flat for a stand. The chart play is the play whether you announce it or not.

The free CountEdge trainer covers basic strategy for all common rulesets. No credit card required. Switch between H17 and S17. Toggle DAS and LS. The chart you drill matches the chart at the table you plan to play at, which matters more than most beginners realize. Drilling the wrong chart for the wrong ruleset is a common mistake.

A working counter loses about four sessions out of ten in real play. None of those losses come from basic strategy mistakes if the chart is automatic. They come from variance. Variance is unavoidable. Strategy errors are.

When you can run the full chart at casino pace cold, you have the floor. The count is what comes next. Until then, the chart is the only thing earning you EV at the table. The rest of the CountEdge origin story is on the About page. Drill the chart. The math has been settled for sixty years.