Is this blackjack game free?

Yes. It uses play money only. There are no deposits, no prizes and no way to cash out.

What rules does the dealer follow?

Six decks, dealer stands on all 17 including soft 17, blackjack pays 3 to 2, doubling allowed on any two cards, splitting allowed up to four hands, and split aces receive one card each.

Should I take insurance in blackjack?

No. The dealer completes blackjack less often than the 2-to-1 payout needs to break even, so insurance loses money over time.

Does card counting work in online blackjack?

No. The shoe is shuffled by a random number generator and reshuffles before it runs low, so the count carries no information about what comes next.

$2,500chips

312cards left

Dealer

Pick your chips, then deal.

0hands

—win rate

0best streak

$2,500peak chips

—strategy match

Play free blackjack online

Blackjack in your browser against a dealer, with no download, no signup and no real money. Six decks, doubling and splitting, insurance when the dealer shows an ace, and a strategy coach that points at the correct play before you make it.

If you've never played, the whole game comes down to one question: get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. The guide below covers how to play blackjack from the first bet, every term you'll hear at the table, a full basic strategy chart for six-deck play, and the handful of tips that make the biggest difference to how often you win.

Want more depth than the summary below? Read the complete guide to how to play blackjack, or go straight to the six-deck basic strategy chart.

How to play blackjack

Five minutes to learn. The whole game is one question: beat the dealer without going over 21.

You are not playing the other seats or the other players. It is you against the dealer, one hand at a time. Cards two through ten are worth their face value, jacks, queens and kings are worth ten, and an ace is worth either one or eleven, whichever helps you more.

Place a betClick chips to build your stake. Nothing is dealt until there's money on the table.
Take your cardsTwo cards face up for you. The dealer takes one face up and one face down.
Make your callHit for another card, stand to stop there, double for exactly one more card, or split a pair into two hands.
Stay under 21Go over and the hand is lost straight away, whatever the dealer turns out to be holding.
Let the dealer playThe face-down card turns over. The dealer draws until reaching 17 or more, then stops.
CollectCloser to 21 than the dealer pays even money. A two-card 21 pays 3 to 2. A tie returns your stake.

Blackjack terms, explained

Every term used at this table, in plain language.

Blackjack: An ace plus any ten-value card on the first two cards. It beats a hand of 21 built from three or more cards, and it pays 3 to 2.
Bust: Going over 21. The hand is over and the bet is gone, even if the dealer busts afterwards.
Hard hand: A hand with no ace, or one where the ace has to count as one. A seven and an eight is a hard 15.
Soft hand: A hand where an ace counts as eleven without busting. An ace and a six is a soft 17, so you can draw without risk.
Hit: Ask for another card.
Stand: Stop drawing and pass to the dealer.
Double: Match your bet in exchange for exactly one more card. The hand ends there.
Split: Turn a pair into two separate hands, each with its own bet. Split aces get one card each and stop.
Insurance: A side bet offered when the dealer shows an ace, paying 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack. It loses money over time.
Push: A tie. Nobody wins and your stake comes back.

Blackjack basic strategy chart

The mathematically correct play for every hand against every dealer upcard. Six decks, dealer stands on all 17 — the rules at this table.

There is no system that wins every hand, and nothing here removes the house edge. What basic strategy does is shrink it to well under one percent, which is about as good as blackjack gets. Turn on the strategy coach above the table and it will point at the right button while you play, then grade how closely you followed it.

Hit Stand Double Split

Where the chart says double but you can't — because you already took a card, or you're short of chips — hit instead, except on soft 18, where you stand.

The full chart page explains why each block of the grid looks the way it does, and covers the pair-splitting rules in more detail.

Blackjack tips that actually help

Skip the systems. These are the habits that separate a losing player from a break-even one.

Always split aces and eights. Two aces played as one hand is a soft 12, which is close to worthless. Sixteen is the worst total in the game, so break it up.
Never split tens or fives. Twenty is a winning hand. Turning it into two mediocre hands is greed, not strategy. Two fives make ten — double it instead.
Assume the dealer's hole card is a ten. There are sixteen ten-value cards in every deck, more than any other value. A six showing usually means sixteen, and a hand likely to bust.
Stand on 12 through 16 when the dealer shows 2 through 6. You're not trying to make a good hand. You're letting the dealer draw into a bust.
Skip insurance. The dealer completes blackjack less often than the 2-to-1 payout needs to break even. It is the worst bet on the table, every time.
Card counting won't work here. The shoe is shuffled by a random number generator, and it reshuffles before it runs low. The count carries no information.