Basic Strategy Chart for 6-deck S17, 6-deck H17 and European

Basic Strategy Chart: 3 Blackjack Charts for Common Rule Sets (6‑deck S17, 6‑deck H17, European) plus a Table‑Rules Checklist

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

How to read a basic strategy chart — a few quick rules

Start by naming your hand type: hard total, soft total (an ace counting as 11), or a pair.

Then find the dealer upcard across the top and read the instruction at the intersection.

• H = Hit
• S = Stand
• D = Double if allowed; otherwise hit
• Ds = Double if allowed; otherwise stand
• P = Split
• Rh / Rs = Surrender if allowed; otherwise hit/stand

Basic pattern reminders that save time at the table: hard 17+ stands; hard 12 stands only vs dealer 4–6; always split aces and eights; never split tens; never take insurance.

For a deeper read on the fundamentals, the blackjack basics page is a good refresher.

Six‑deck basic strategy chart — Dealer stands on soft 17 (S17)

Use this chart when the table is six decks and the dealer stands on soft 17.

Under many casinos’ common six‑deck S17 rules the house edge with correct basic strategy is about 0.41%.

Hard totals (6‑deck S17)

• Hard 5–8: Hit
• Hard 9: Double vs dealer 3–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 10: Double vs dealer 2–9, otherwise Hit
• Hard 11: Double vs dealer 2–10, otherwise Hit vs Ace
• Hard 12: Stand vs dealer 4–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 13–16: Stand vs dealer 2–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 17+: Stand

Soft totals (6‑deck S17)

• A,2–A,3 (soft 13–14): Hit; Double vs dealer 5–6 if permitted
• A,4–A,5 (soft 15–16): Hit; Double vs dealer 4–6 if permitted
• A,6 (soft 17): Double vs dealer 3–6; otherwise Hit
• A,7 (soft 18): Stand vs dealer 2,7,8; Double vs 3–6; Hit vs 9–A
• A,8 (soft 19): Stand; Double vs dealer 6 in some games
• A,9 (soft 20): Stand

Pairs (6‑deck S17)

• AA: Split
• TT: Stand (do not split)
• 99: Split vs dealer 2–6 and 8–9; Stand vs 7,10,A
• 88: Split
• 77: Split vs dealer 2–7; otherwise Hit
• 66: Split vs dealer 2–6; otherwise Hit
• 55: Treat as 10 — Double vs dealer 2–9, otherwise Hit
• 44: Split vs dealer 5–6; otherwise Hit
• 33,22: Split vs dealer 2–7; otherwise Hit

This is the classic, table‑friendly chart most experienced players use for six decks when the dealer stands on soft 17.

For the exact EV math behind these moves use the strategy calculator.

Six‑deck basic strategy chart — Dealer hits on soft 17 (H17)

If the dealer hits soft 17 your chart needs small but important changes.

H17 generally adds about +0.22 percentage points to the house edge compared with S17, so play matters more.

Hard totals (6‑deck H17)

• Hard 5–8: Hit
• Hard 9: Double vs dealer 3–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 10: Double vs dealer 2–9, otherwise Hit
• Hard 11: Double vs dealer 2–10, otherwise Hit vs Ace
• Hard 12: Stand vs dealer 4–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 13–16: Stand vs dealer 2–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 17+: Stand

Soft totals (6‑deck H17)

• A,2–A,3: Hit; Double vs dealer 5–6 in some rules — fewer doubles are profitable than in S17
• A,4–A,5: Hit; Double vs dealer 4–6 in some rules
• A,6: Hit more often — doubles vs 3–6 are less favorable than S17
• A,7: Stand vs 7–8; Hit vs 9–A; doubles vs 3–6 become rarer
• A,8–A,9: Stand

Pairs (6‑deck H17)

• Splitting rules are the same; the subtle change comes from soft-hand doubles. Adjust splits involving aces/8s as you would on S17.

Bottom line: H17 flips a handful of soft‑hand doubles from “Ds” to “H” (or from “Ds” to “Ds only in very specific spots”) — the chart above reflects the safer, H17‑appropriate approach.

Because the difference is modest, many of the hard‑total lines are identical to S17.

For a rule‑by‑rule house edge comparison see the Wizard’s discussion of rule impacts in the rule effects section.

European no‑hole‑card basic strategy chart (six‑deck, no dealer hole card)

European (no‑hole‑card) blackjack is the one that trips most experienced players up.

The dealer doesn’t take a hole card until all player hands are finished, which means you can lose doubles and splits if the dealer later reveals blackjack.

That extra risk pushes the house edge higher — in a typical six‑deck European example the edge is about 0.62% with correct basic strategy.

Hard totals (European, 6‑deck)

• Hard 5–8: Hit
• Hard 9: Double vs dealer 3–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 10: Double vs dealer 2–9, otherwise Hit
• Hard 11: Double vs dealer 2–10, otherwise Hit vs Ace
• Hard 12: Stand vs dealer 4–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 13–16: Stand vs dealer 2–6, otherwise Hit
• Hard 17+: Stand

Soft totals (European)

• A,2–A,3: Hit; more conservative doubling because of no‑hole‑card risk (double vs 5–6 is marginal)
• A,4–A,5: Hit; double vs 4–6 is conditional
• A,6: Double vs 3–6 in many tables but sometimes changed to Hit to reduce risk
• A,7: Stand vs 2,7,8; double vs 3–6 is marginal; otherwise Hit
• A,8–A,9: Stand

Pairs (European)

• AA and 88: Split
• TT: Stand
• 99: Split vs 2–6 and 8–9; Stand vs 7,10,A
• Other splits follow the S17 pattern but be slightly more conservative on split+double combinations because of the no‑hole‑card exposure.

European strategy is mostly the same shape as S17 strategy, but you should be aware doubles after split and losses to a later dealer blackjack are real downsides.

For the precise European chart and full explanation, see the European strategy write‑up.

Which rule changes flip specific plays — and how much they move the house edge

Not all rule changes are equal. Some shift the house edge by tenths of a percent; others are small.

Here are the headline rule effects you’ll see at the table and the concrete way they change strategy.

• Dealer hits vs stands on soft 17: H17 adds about +0.22 percentage points to the house edge. Practically, several soft‑hand doubles that are profitable vs S17 become marginal or change to Hit on an H17 chart.
• No Double After Split (no DAS): Costs roughly +0.14 percentage points in edge and alters split strategy — some splits that rely on post‑split doubles become weaker, so the chart replaces “Ds” with “H” or “S.”
• Late surrender available: Lowers edge by roughly −0.08 percentage points. If surrender is allowed you’ll see Rh/Rs entries on 15 vs 10 and 16 vs 9–A in the chart; without surrender those cells read Hit or Stand.
• Resplitting aces: Resplittable aces reduce edge by about −0.08 percentage points; with resplitting allowed you can be more aggressive splitting A,x hands.
• Deck count effects: Moving from six decks to single deck can change edge substantially (single‑deck can reduce the edge by roughly −0.48 percentage points relative to six decks in similar rules). See the single‑deck strategy discussion for specifics.
• Blackjack payout — 3:2 vs 6:5: This is an outsized dealer advantage. A 6:5 payout for blackjack dramatically increases the house edge compared with 3:2 — it’s a rule you should avoid unless every other term is absurdly generous.

Examples of plays that flip:

• Soft 17 doubles: On S17 you may double A6 vs 3–6; on H17 some of those “double” spots become plain Hit.
• Surrender lines: If late surrender is available you’ll surrender 16 vs a dealer 10 in certain spots; without surrender that cell becomes Hit or Stand per the basic chart.
• Split + DAS: If DAS isn't allowed a standard split like 2s or 3s against a 4–7 may be downgraded because you can’t double afterwards.

For a full numeric breakdown of how specific rules affect the house edge, the Wizard’s summary of rule impacts is the authoritative starting point: read the rule effects page.

At‑the‑table checklist (one‑page) and a betting‑first table picklist

Keep this one‑page checklist in your head. It takes seconds to run through and prevents you from using the wrong chart or betting at a bad table.

• Before you bet: Confirm deck count (usually posted), dealer S17 or H17, blackjack payout (3:2 or 6:5), DAS allowed, late surrender allowed, and resplit aces allowed.
• Which chart to use: If dealer stands on soft 17 → use the 6‑deck S17 chart. If dealer hits → switch to the H17 chart. If no hole card → use the European chart.
• Check the payout: If it’s 6:5, walk away unless you’re playing for entertainment and accept a big extra house edge.
• Betting preference checklist (betting‑first):
  • 3:2 blackjack payout table
  • Dealer stands on soft 17
  • DAS allowed
  • Late surrender available
  • Resplit aces allowed
• Table etiquette: Use your chart discreetly or memorize it. Don’t change your bet size after seeing the dealer upcard; that’s a tell in live rooms and bad bankroll management.
• Bankroll rule: Set a session bankroll and a loss limit and stick to it. Basic strategy reduces the edge but never eliminates it.

Responsible play note: Basic strategy lowers the expected loss rate, but the odds and RTP are never guarantees — play within your means.

Practical tips for using these charts in live and online play

At a physical table, keep the chart in your phone or memorize the key lines for hard totals and pair splits.

Online, make sure the game’s rule display matches the chart you’re using.

If the casino offers side bets or odd payouts, treat them as separate bets — most carry a much larger house edge than the main game.

If you want to explore how small rule tweaks alter the math for your exact situation, the strategy calculator lets you plug rules and get precise strategy and house‑edge outputs.

Quick troubleshooting — common situations and what chart to pick

• Dealer H17 but game allows DAS and late surrender: Use the H17 chart but keep surrender moves handy.
• Six decks, S17 but no DAS: Use the S17 chart, but don’t expect split+double cells to be valid — treat them as Hits.
• European (no hole card) with DAS but no surrender: Use the European chart and be conservative on doubles and splits that expose you to a later dealer blackjack.

When in doubt, rely on the hard‑total rules above: they’re the least sensitive to minor rule changes and will keep your losses smaller than gut play.

Where the charts matter most

Charts are most valuable when the rules are close and the correct play is non‑intuitive — soft hands and pair splits.

Those are where a small chart change can swing the EV by tenths of a percent over thousands of hands.

If you’d like to test how much difference a chart makes in practice, run a session of 300–500 hands and compare results against expected edge numbers from the basic‑strategy explanation.

Short sessions will still show variance, but patterns emerge quickly if you use the wrong chart.

Conclusion — use the right basic strategy chart and keep rules first

If you want to learn blackjack strategy with a basic strategy chart, the single most important habit is rule‑checking before you bet.

Use the six‑deck S17 chart when the dealer stands; switch to the H17 chart when the dealer hits soft 17; and use the European (no‑hole‑card) chart when the dealer doesn’t take a hole card.

Those three charts cover most casino offerings and get you within tenths of a percent of the mathematically best edge available for each ruleset.

Match chart to rules, prefer 3:2 payout tables, and keep your bankroll disciplined — that combination gives you the best chance of smooth results over time.