Basic strategy
Blackjack 12 vs 6: Should You Hit or Stand?
Basic strategy says to stand on hard 12 against a dealer 6. Learn why 12 vs 6 is a stand, how it completes the hard-12 boundary, and which exceptions matter.
Topic
Basic strategy
The mathematically correct play for every starting hand against every dealer upcard.
Basic strategy
Blackjack 12 vs 5: Should You Hit or Stand?
Basic strategy says to stand on hard 12 against a dealer 5. Learn why standing is correct, how 12 vs 5 fits the hard-12 boundary, and which exceptions matter.
Basic strategy
Blackjack 12 vs 4: Should You Hit or Stand?
Hard 12 against dealer 4 is a key blackjack boundary. Learn why basic strategy says stand, how it differs from 12 vs 3, and the exceptions that matter.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 10s in Blackjack? The 10-10 Strategy
A pair of 10s gives you a made 20, so basic strategy says to stand against every dealer upcard. Learn why splitting 10s is normally a mistake and where advanced counting deviations fit.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 2s in Blackjack? The 2-2 Strategy
A pair of 2s is a rule-sensitive blackjack split. Learn when to split 2-2, when to hit instead, and why double after split changes the dealer-2 and dealer-3 decisions.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 3s in Blackjack? The 3-3 Strategy
A pair of 3s is a rule-sensitive blackjack split. Learn when to split 3-3, when to hit instead, and why double after split changes the dealer-2 and dealer-3 decisions.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 4s in Blackjack? The 4-4 Strategy
A pair of 4s is usually a hit, but DAS creates two important exceptions. Learn when to split 4-4 against dealer 5 or 6 and why double after split changes the math.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 5s in Blackjack? The 5-5 Strategy
A pair of 5s looks splittable, but basic strategy treats 5-5 as a strong hard 10 instead. Learn why you should usually double against weak dealer cards and hit against 10 or Ace.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 6s in Blackjack? The 6-6 Strategy
A pair of 6s is one of blackjack’s most rule-sensitive splits. Learn when to split 6-6, when to hit instead, and why double after split changes the dealer-2 decision.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 7s in Blackjack? The 7-7 Strategy
A pair of 7s is worth splitting only when the dealer is vulnerable. Learn when to split 7-7, when to hit instead, and why the dealer’s 7 is the key boundary.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 8s in Blackjack? The 8-8 Strategy
Basic strategy usually says to split a pair of 8s, even against a dealer 10 or Ace. Learn why 8-8 is treated differently from an ordinary hard 16 and the surrender exceptions that matter.
Basic strategy
Should You Split 9s in Blackjack? The 9-9 Strategy
Pair of 9s is one of blackjack’s easiest splitting rules to misremember. Learn why you split against 2–6 and 8–9, but stand against 7, 10, and Ace.