Online Blackjack: Rules and Basic Strategy
Blackjack is the casino game where your decisions matter most. Learn the rules and a handful of basic strategy principles, and you play with one of the lowest house edges in the casino.
The aim of the game
In blackjack you play against the dealer, not the other players. The aim is to finish with a hand closer to 21 than the dealer's without going over. Go over 21 and you "bust" and lose, whatever happens to the dealer.
Card values and the deal
- Number cards count their face value.
- Jacks, queens and kings count 10.
- Aces count 1 or 11, whichever is better for the hand. A hand with an ace counted as 11 is called "soft".
You and the dealer get two cards each, and one of the dealer's cards is face up. An ace plus a ten-value card as your first two cards is a blackjack, which usually pays 3 to 2: a £10 bet wins £15.
Hit, stand, double, split and surrender
- Hit: take another card.
- Stand: keep your hand as it is.
- Double down: double your stake and take exactly one more card.
- Split: if your first two cards are a pair, split them into two hands with a second stake.
- Surrender: where offered, give up the hand and get half your stake back.
Dealer rules and how they change the edge
The dealer has no choices. They draw cards until they reach a set total, usually 17, and then stand. Small rule differences move the house edge:
- Dealer stands or hits on soft 17. Hitting soft 17 is slightly worse for you.
- Blackjack pays 3 to 2 or 6 to 5. A 6 to 5 payout pays £12 instead of £15 on a £10 blackjack, and noticeably increases the house edge.
- Number of decks, doubling and splitting rules all make smaller differences.
With basic strategy on standard rules, the house edge is roughly 0.5%. It rises when blackjack pays 6 to 5 or the dealer hits soft 17, so the rules screen is worth a look before you sit down.
Insurance and side bets
When the dealer's face-up card is an ace, you'll be offered insurance, a side bet that pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack. It sounds protective, but over time it costs more than it returns, which is why basic strategy says to turn it down.
Side bets such as Perfect Pairs or 21+3 pay big multiples on rare outcomes. They're fun, but they carry a much higher house edge than the main game.
Basic strategy in brief
Basic strategy is the mathematically best decision for every combination of your hand and the dealer's face-up card. Full charts cover every case, but a few principles cover most hands:
- Always split aces and eights. Never split tens or fives.
- Stand on hard 17 or more.
- With hard 12 to 16, stand if the dealer shows 2 to 6 (except hit 12 against a 2 or 3), and hit if the dealer shows 7 or higher.
- Double on 11 against a dealer 2 to 10, and on 10 against 2 to 9.
- Turn down insurance.
Basic strategy reduces the house edge; it doesn't remove it. You'll still lose some hands you played perfectly.
Live blackjack
Live blackjack is streamed from a studio with a real dealer and cards, often with seven seats per table and options to bet behind other players. Rules and payouts vary between tables, so check the information screen. These are the live casino options from our featured brands:
Editor's pick Position 1
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Code PWIN50 on your first deposit
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Code PWIN50- Min deposit £10
- Wagering 1x
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- Valid 7 days
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- Position 3
SaviBet SaviBet iOS app
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- Min deposit £10
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- Valid 30 days
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For a broader look at live dealer games, see our live casino page, and if you're comparing table games, our roulette guide explains how its house edge works.
Keep it fun
Set a budget before you play, never chase losses and take regular breaks. Gambling should never be a way to make money. Free, confidential help is available from GamCare or the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
