Learn the BS. Win at BJ.

That’s basic strategy and blackjack, obviously. Blackjack is the rare casino game where your decisions change the odds. These guides cover what to do with every hand, how card counting works, and what the table talk means.

• How to learn basic strategyThe chart, the logic behind it, and a plan to memorize it in chunks.
• Card counting with Hi-LoRunning count, true count, the bet ramp and the plays that change with the count.
• Blackjack glossaryPlain-English definitions of the terms you’ll hear at the table.

Where to start

1. Learn basic strategy first. It tells you the best play for every hand against every dealer card, and it’s the foundation for everything else. How to learn basic strategy.
2. Drill it until it’s automatic. Aim for 95% or better over a 20-hand session in the trainer’s BS tab before you play for real money.
3. Play full hands. Switch the BS tab to “Play it out”, then sit down in the BJ tab with other players and a bankroll, where you also have to keep track of your money.
4. Add counting, if you want to. Only once basic strategy takes no thought at all. Card counting with Hi-Lo.

Stuck on a word? The glossary explains them in plain English.

The rules these guides assume

Six decks, the dealer stands on soft 17, you can double after splitting, no surrender, the dealer peeks for blackjack, and blackjack pays 3 to 2. That’s a common game in the US. Tables vary, so read the felt and the sign before you sit down. The biggest thing to avoid is a table where blackjack pays 6 to 5: it costs you more than every other rule difference combined.