Basic strategy for shoe games (4 decks), S17

The table below illustrates basic strategy for shoe games with four decks. The dealer stands on Soft 17, doubling down is allowed on any 2 cards, double down after split is permitted (DAS) and there is no surrender. The dealer peeks. The casino has an estimated edge of 0.38%.

Player’s handDealer’s up-card
23456789TAce
Hard hand totals
5HHHHHHHHHH
6HHHHHHHHHH
7HHHHHHHHHH
8HHHHHHHHHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
10DDDDDDDDHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
12HHSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
14SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHHH
16SSSSSHHHHH
17SSSSSSSSSS
Soft hand totals
A-2HHHDDHHHHH
A-3HHHDDHHHHH
A-4HHDDDHHHHH
A-5HHDDDHHHHH
A-6HDDDDHHHHH
A-7SD/SD/SD/SD/SSSHHH
A-8SSSSSSSSSS
A-9SSSSSSSSSS
Pairs
2-2SP/HSP/HSPSPSPSPHHHH
3-3SP/HSP/HSPSPSPSPHHHH
4-4HHHSP/HSP/HHHHHH
5-5DDDDDDDDHH
6-6SP/HSPSPSPSPHHHHH
7-7SPSPSPSPSPSPHHHH
8-8SPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSP
9-9SPSPSPSPSPSSPSPSS
10-10SSSSSSSSSS
Ace-AceSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSP

Legend:

H – Hit
S – Stand
D – Double down (Hit, if not allowed)
SP – Split
D/S – Double down (Stand, if not allowed)
SP/H – Split if Double Down After Split is allowed (Hit, if not allowed)

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Basic strategy for shoe games (4 decks), H17

The table below illustrates basic strategy for shoe games with four decks. The dealer hits Soft 17, doubling down is allowed on any 2 cards, double down after split is permitted (DAS) and there is no surrender. The dealer peeks. The casino has an estimated edge of 0.59%.

Player’s handDealer’s up-card
23456789TAce
Hard hand totals
5HHHHHHHHHH
6HHHHHHHHHH
7HHHHHHHHHH
8HHHHHHHHHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
10DDDDDDDDHH
11DDDDDDDDDD
12HHSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
14SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHHH
16SSSSSHHHHH
17SSSSSSSSSS
Soft hand totals
A-2HHHDDHHHHH
A-3HHHDDHHHHH
A-4HHDDDHHHHH
A-5HHDDDHHHHH
A-6HDDDDHHHHH
A-7D/SD/SD/SD/SD/SSSHHH
A-8SSSSD/SSSSSS
A-9SSSSSSSSSS
Pairs
2-2SP/HSP/HSPSPSPSPHHHH
3-3SP/HSP/HSPSPSPSPHHHH
4-4HHHSP/HSP/HHHHHH
5-5DDDDDDDDHH
6-6SP/HSPSPSPSPHHHHH
7-7SPSPSPSPSPSPHHHH
8-8SPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSP
9-9SPSPSPSPSPSSPSPSS
10-10SSSSSSSSSS
Ace-AceSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSP

Legend:

H – Hit
S – Stand
D – Double down (Hit, if not allowed)
SP – Split
D/S – Double down (Stand, if not allowed)
SP/H – Split if Double Down After Split is allowed (Hit, if not allowed)

Rules tend to vary from casino to casino but the strategies displayed in these tables are applicable to all circumstances, with little adaptation.

For example, we said that D stands for double down (or Hit, if not allowed). If you are playing a D10 game where you can double down only on hands with value of 10 or 11, you won’t be able to double on a 9 versus a dealer’s 6 like the table says. Instead, as the legend proposes, you should hit it.

Using these tables is completely straightforward – check the value of your hand, check what up-card the dealer holds and look where in the table the two conditions coincide.

Also, these rules apply to whatever number of cards your hand consists of. If, for example, you have a hard 8 versus the dealer’s 7, according to the table, you should hit the hand. If you next draw a 4 for a new hard 12, you should once again hit it, as the table shows.

Hard hands greater than 17 are played like a hard 17 – stand on all.