Casino & Table Games

Blackjack hand chart

Also called

Basic strategy chart, blackjack strategy chart, basic-strategy chart.¹³

Action codes

H = hit, S = stand, D = double, P = split.¹

Hand types covered

Hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands.¹

Example calibration

The Wizard of Odds chart is for an 8-deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17.¹

Key points

• The chart is organised by player hand type — hard totals, soft totals, and pairs — with the dealer’s upcard across the top.¹
• Each cell shows the best play: hit, stand, double, or split.¹
• If the dealer hits soft 17 instead of standing, the player should double on 11 against an ace.¹
• The chart itself carries no house edge or payout; it is a decision aid derived from basic strategy.¹³

How to use a blackjack hand chart

1. Find your hand total on the left side of the chart (hard total, soft total, or pair).
2. Find the dealer’s upcard along the top row.
3. Read the colour-coded cell at the intersection: H (hit), S (stand), D (double), or P (split).¹
4. Follow that action for the current hand.

Where this term is used

• Blackjack

Not the same as

• Hard hand blackjack — a type of hand total in blackjack; a hand chart is a decision guide that covers hard hands, soft hands, and splits rather than being a hand category itself.²¹

Related terms

Sources

1. The Wizard of Odds wizardofodds.com Provides the specific 8-deck chart, action codes, and calibration for dealer stands on soft 17.
2. Blackjack wizardofodds.com Defines hard hand and distinguishes it from a hand chart.
3. Blackjack - Basic Strategy (General) wizardofodds.com Confirms alternative names for the chart and that it carries no inherent house edge.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.