M2 Win · Table guide
Blackjack Basic Strategy: When to Hit, Stand, Double and Split
The idea
The One Table Where Your Decisions Count
Blackjack is the only game on the live floor where the choices you make change the long-run cost. Played with basic strategy - the mathematically best play for every hand against every dealer card - the house edge falls to around half a percent under common rules. Played on hunches, it costs several times that. Live blackjack sits in the same lobby as everything else once the M2 Win sign-up is done.
Hard hands
Hard Totals
A hard hand has no ace, or has an ace that can only count as 1.
| Your total | Play |
|---|---|
| 8 or less | Always hit |
| 9 | Double against 3 to 6, otherwise hit |
| 10 | Double against 2 to 9, otherwise hit |
| 11 | Double against 2 to 10, hit against an ace |
| 12 | Stand against 4 to 6, otherwise hit |
| 13 to 16 | Stand against 2 to 6, otherwise hit |
| 17 or more | Always stand |
Soft hands
Soft Totals
A soft hand has an ace counted as 11, so one more card can never bust it.
| Your hand | Play |
|---|---|
| A,2 or A,3 | Double against 5 or 6, otherwise hit |
| A,4 or A,5 | Double against 4 to 6, otherwise hit |
| A,6 | Double against 3 to 6, otherwise hit |
| A,7 | Double against 3 to 6; stand against 2, 7 or 8; hit against 9, 10 or an ace |
| A,8 or A,9 | Always stand |
Pairs
Pairs: When to Split
| Your pair | Play |
|---|---|
| A,A or 8,8 | Always split |
| 10,10 | Never split - stand |
| 5,5 | Never split - play it as a hard 10 |
| 2,2 or 3,3 | Split against 2 to 7, otherwise hit |
| 4,4 | Split against 5 or 6, otherwise hit |
| 6,6 | Split against 2 to 6, otherwise hit |
| 7,7 | Split against 2 to 7, otherwise hit |
| 9,9 | Split against 2 to 6, 8 or 9; stand against 7, 10 or an ace |
Rules
The Rules the Chart Assumes
The tables above are built for several decks, a dealer who stands on soft 17, and doubling allowed after a split - a common rule set at live tables. Where the dealer hits soft 17 or doubling is restricted, a handful of cells change, and the table’s rules panel says which rules apply.
- Never take insurance. It is a side bet on the dealer’s hidden card, and it costs more than it saves.
- Surrender, if the table offers it, 16 against 9, 10 or an ace, and 15 against a 10.
- Keep the chart open. Basic strategy is a lookup, not a feel, and it only works when every hand follows it.
Questions
Blackjack - Quick Answers
Should I always hit on 16 in blackjack?
Against a dealer 7 or higher, yes - unless surrender is offered, when 16 against 9, 10 or an ace is better surrendered. Against 2 to 6, stand.
When should I double down on 11?
Against every dealer card from 2 to 10. Against an ace, basic strategy for a dealer who stands on soft 17 says hit.
Should I split 10s in blackjack?
No. Twenty is one of the strongest hands you can hold, so stand on it.
Play Blackjack by the Chart
Keep the tables beside you for your first sessions; the strategy only pays off when every hand follows it. Roulette and baccarat get the same treatment on the M2 Win blog. 21+. Good play lowers the cost of blackjack; it does not make gambling lawful for you. Malaysian law restricts it and Muslim citizens are also subject to Syariah.
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