Table of Content 8
In short
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3:2
A natural blackjack pays $15 on a $10 bet.
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17
The dealer draws to 16 and stands on 17; most live tables stand on soft 17 too.
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≈0.5%
House edge with basic strategy at a 3:2, 8-deck table.
Live blackjack rules in short
Cards 2–10 count at face value, jacks, queens and kings count 10, and an ace counts 1 or 11. A hand with an ace counted as 11 is soft; any other hand is hard.
- Bet while the countdown runs.
- You and the dealer get two cards; one dealer card stays face down (the hole card).
- With an ace up, you may be offered insurance. Decline it.
- Decide: hit (take a card), stand, double (double the bet for one card), or split a pair into two hands.
- The dealer reveals the hole card and draws to 16, standing on 17.
- Beat the dealer's total without busting to win 1:1; a two-card 21 pays 3:2; equal totals push.
Basic strategy chart for live blackjack
Basic strategy is the mathematically best play for every hand against every dealer upcard. It does not guarantee wins, but it keeps the house edge at its minimum. Find your hand in the left column and the dealer's upcard across the top.
Hard totals
| Your hand | Dealer 2–3 | Dealer 4–6 | Dealer 7–9 | Dealer 10–A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 or less | Hit | Hit | Hit | Hit |
| 9 | Hit vs 2, double vs 3 | Double | Hit | Hit |
| 10 | Double | Double | Double | Hit |
| 11 | Double | Double | Double | Double vs 10, hit vs A |
| 12 | Hit | Stand | Hit | Hit |
| 13–16 | Stand | Stand | Hit | Hit |
| 17+ | Stand | Stand | Stand | Stand |
Chart for 6–8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double on any two cards, double after split allowed, no surrender. Check each table's rules panel; Free Bet, Power and other variants use their own strategy.
Soft totals (ace counted as 11)
| Your hand | Dealer 2 | Dealer 3 | Dealer 4–6 | Dealer 7–8 | Dealer 9–A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A,2 / A,3 | Hit | Hit | Double vs 5–6, else hit | Hit | Hit |
| A,4 / A,5 | Hit | Hit | Double | Hit | Hit |
| A,6 | Hit | Double | Double | Hit | Hit |
| A,7 | Stand | Double | Double | Stand | Hit |
| A,8 / A,9 | Stand | Stand | Stand | Stand | Stand |
Chart for 6–8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double on any two cards, double after split allowed, no surrender. Check each table's rules panel; Free Bet, Power and other variants use their own strategy.
Pairs
| Your pair | Split against | Otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| A,A and 8,8 | Every upcard | – |
| 2,2 and 3,3 | 2–7 | Hit |
| 4,4 | 5–6 | Hit |
| 5,5 | Never | Play as hard 10 |
| 6,6 | 2–6 | Hit |
| 7,7 | 2–7 | Hit |
| 9,9 | 2–6 and 8–9 | Stand vs 7, 10, A |
| 10,10 | Never | Stand |
Chart for 6–8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double on any two cards, double after split allowed, no surrender. Check each table's rules panel; Free Bet, Power and other variants use their own strategy.
Check the table rules
Table rules and what they cost
Payout ratio matters more than all other rules together. Every live blackjack table we list pays 3:2; check the other rules in the game's help panel.
| Rule | Better version | Cost of the worse version |
|---|---|---|
| Blackjack payout | 3:2 | 6:5 costs about 1.39% |
| Dealer on soft 17 | Stands | Hitting costs about 0.22% |
| Doubling | Any two cards | 10–11 only costs about 0.18% |
| Double after split | Allowed | Not allowed costs about 0.14% |
| Resplitting | Allowed | Not allowed costs about 0.10% |
Rule effects: Wizard of Odds, blackjack rule variations (multi-deck). RTP and limits: our game pages.
Side bets you will see
Most live tables offer Perfect Pairs (your first two cards form a pair) and 21+3 (your two cards plus the dealer's upcard form a poker hand). Some add Hot 3 or Bust It. Every side bet has a higher house edge than the main game with basic strategy; the exact RTP is in each game's help panel.
Popular live blackjack variants
Classic seven-seat tables such as Blackjack Classic follow the rules above. Infinite Blackjack lets any number of players play the same cards with their own decisions. Free Bet Blackjack gives free doubles and splits but pushes when the dealer has 22, which is why it is listed at 98.45% RTP. Lightning Blackjack adds multipliers for a fee. For the full list, see our top live blackjack games.
Questions and answers
What are the basic rules of live blackjack?
You and the dealer each get two cards. You hit, stand, double or split to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. The dealer draws to 16 and stands on 17. Wins pay 1:1 and a two-card 21 pays 3:2.
Should I hit or stand on 16?
Stand against a dealer 2–6 and hit against 7–A on an 8-deck table without surrender.
Does the dealer hit soft 17 in live blackjack?
Most live tables have the dealer stand on all 17s. Check the rules panel: hitting soft 17 adds about 0.22% to the house edge.
What happens if I don't decide in time?
Live tables apply a default action when the timer ends, usually stand. Learn the common plays so you can act quickly.
