Blackjack is the casino game where your decisions matter most. Play every hand the right way and the house edge drops to around half a percent; play by feel and it can be ten times that. This guide gives you the rules, the full basic strategy chart and the odds behind it.
Blackjack rules and card values
Blackjack is a game against the dealer, not the other players. You want a hand closer to 21 than the dealer's, without going over.
- Cards 2 to 10 count at face value.
- Jacks, queens and kings count as 10.
- An ace counts as 1 or 11, whichever is better for the hand.
A hand with an ace counted as 11 is called soft, because it can't bust with one more card: A-6 is soft 17. A hand without an ace, or with an ace that has to count as 1, is hard: 10-6 is hard 16.
The same rules apply whether you play online blackjack or at a land-based table. Each player gets two cards face up, and the dealer gets one face up, the upcard, and usually a second one later. An ace and a ten-value card in your first two cards is a blackjack, which pays 3 to 2: NZ$15 on a NZ$10 bet. Other winning hands pay 1 to 1, and a tie, called a push, returns your stake. At most live tables the dealer must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s.
How to play blackjack, step by step
- Place your bet before the timer runs out. Each table shows its minimum and maximum.
- Look at your two cards and the dealer's upcard. The upcard is the single most important piece of information you have.
- Choose your move:
- Hit: take another card.
- Stand: keep your hand.
- Double: double your bet and take exactly one more card. Some live tables only allow it on 9, 10 or 11.
- Split: turn a pair into two hands, with a second bet of the same size. Split aces usually get one card each.
- Surrender, where a table offers it: give up half your bet and end the hand.
- The dealer plays by fixed rules once every player has finished.
- Bets are settled, and winnings go straight to your balance.
If the dealer's upcard is an ace, you will be offered insurance, a side bet that the dealer has blackjack. The strategy section explains why you should decline it.
Blackjack basic strategy
Basic strategy is a set of decisions worked out by computer for every combination of your hand and the dealer's upcard. It doesn't win every hand, but no other way of playing loses less over time. The tables below are for the most common live game: six or eight decks, the dealer stands on soft 17, and you can double after splitting. Use them as your blackjack chart or cheat sheet.
Hard totals
| Your hand | What to do |
|---|---|
| 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, hit against 7 to ace |
| 17 or more | Always stand |
Soft totals
| Your hand | What to do |
|---|---|
| A-2, A-3 | Double against 5 or 6, otherwise hit |
| A-4, 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 ace |
| A-8, A-9 | Always stand |
Pairs
| Your hand | What to do |
|---|---|
| A-A, 8-8 | Always split |
| 10-10 | Never split, stand |
| 9-9 | Split against 2 to 6, 8 or 9; stand against 7, 10 or ace |
| 7-7 | Split against 2 to 7, otherwise hit |
| 6-6 | Split against 2 to 6, otherwise hit |
| 5-5 | Never split, play it as a hard 10 |
| 4-4 | Split against 5 or 6, otherwise hit |
| 2-2, 3-3 | Split against 2 to 7, otherwise hit |
The logic behind the chart is simple. When the dealer shows a 4, 5 or 6, they are most likely to bust, so you stand on weak hands and double when you can. When the dealer shows 7 or higher, you assume a ten underneath and keep drawing until your hand can compete.
Check whether the dealer peeks. Many live tables deal the dealer's second card only after every player has acted. If the dealer then turns over a blackjack, doubled and split bets can be lost as well. At those tables, don't double 11 against a 10 or an ace, and hit 8-8 against a 10 or an ace instead of splitting. The table's rules screen explains how it handles a dealer blackjack.
Blackjack odds and the house edge
Blackjack has one of the lowest house edges in the casino, but only if you play it well. The rules of the table matter too:
| How you play | Approximate house edge |
|---|---|
| Basic strategy, blackjack pays 3 to 2 | Around 0.5% |
| Basic strategy, blackjack pays 6 to 5 | Around 1.9% |
| Copying the dealer: hit to 16, stand on 17 | Around 5.5% |
| Taking insurance | Around 7% on the insurance bet |
With basic strategy, blackjack costs far less than roulette, with its 2.70% edge on a single-zero wheel. Copying the dealer sounds fair but isn't, because you act first: when you bust, you lose even if the dealer busts later. You are dealt a blackjack about once every 21 hands, so a 6 to 5 payout costs you on every one of them.
Blackjack tips that help
No method guarantees a win. If you want to know how to win at blackjack more often, these habits matter most:
- Learn the chart before you bet. Keep it open next to the table until you know it.
- Decline insurance. It pays 2 to 1 on a bet that wins less than a third of the time.
- Check the blackjack payout. Choose 3 to 2 over 6 to 5.
- Treat side bets as extra cost. Bets such as Perfect Pairs or 21+3 have a much higher house edge than the main game.
- Read the rules of variants. Free Bet Blackjack gives free doubles and splits, but a dealer total of 22 is a push instead of a bust. Power or Speed tables change the pace or the options.
- Keep your stake flat. Raising bets after losses doesn't change the odds and can empty your balance fast.
Can you count cards online?
If you want to learn how to count cards in blackjack, start with the idea: card counting means tracking the cards already dealt to estimate whether the rest of the shoe favours you. In the common Hi-Lo method, 2 to 6 count +1, 7 to 9 count 0, and tens and aces count −1. A high count means more tens and aces are left, which helps the player.
Online it is rarely worth it. RNG blackjack reshuffles before every hand, so there is nothing to count. Live tables use six or eight decks and reshuffle well before the end of the shoe, which keeps any edge small, and some games shuffle after every round. Basic strategy is the realistic goal.
Live blackjack at Boo Casino
At Boo Casino
When we checked from New Zealand on 2 November 2026, the live casino had a Blackjack category with 290 tables, including Free Bet Blackjack, Power Blackjack, Speed Blackjack and ONE Blackjack. A VIP Games row added higher-limit tables such as Blackjack VIP and Private Edition Blackjack.
Live games count only 1% towards bonus wagering, and blackjack is best played with your own money. From Wednesday to Friday, Pragmatic Play live tables, including its blackjack, earn 10% cashback on net losses, up to €100 (about NZ$200) a day and paid as real cash.
The live studios and table categories are listed in our Boo Casino games guide, and the cashback rules are on the bonuses page.
Blackjack FAQ
What is the best blackjack strategy?
Basic strategy: the set of decisions in the tables above. It is the best way to play each hand without counting cards, and it brings the house edge down to around 0.5% on a 3 to 2 table.
Should I hit or stand on 16?
Stand against a dealer 2 to 6 and hit against 7 to ace. Hard 16 is the worst hand in the game, but hitting against a strong upcard loses less often than standing.
When should I double down?
Most often on 10 or 11 when the dealer shows a lower card, and on soft hands such as A-6 or A-7 against a dealer 3 to 6. The tables above list every case.
Is insurance ever worth it?
Not for a basic strategy player. It is a separate bet that the dealer has blackjack, and it carries a house edge of around 7%.
Can I play blackjack with a bonus at Boo Casino?
You can, but live games count only 1% towards wagering, so clearing a bonus at a blackjack table takes a huge amount of betting. Playing without a bonus is usually better. See the bonuses page for the rules.
Good strategy isn't a reason to bet more. Even at 0.5% the casino keeps an edge, and live hands are quick. Set a budget before you sit down and use the limits in your account. Free help is listed on our responsible gambling page.