Learn blackjack basic strategy, one decision at a time.
Basic Strategy Trainer is a free tool for learning which move to make for your hand, the dealer’s upcard and the table rules. The public beta has no ads, no accounts and no real-money play.
What is basic strategy?
Basic strategy chooses the action with the best expected result for a situation under a specific set of blackjack rules. It does not guarantee a win. A correct decision can lose a round, so this trainer measures decision accuracy separately from practice winnings.
A hard total has no ace counted as 11. A soft total has an ace counted as 11: ace–six is soft 17, and the ace can become 1 if another card would otherwise bust the hand. A pair starts with two cards of equal value and may allow splitting.
Choose how you practise
- Full rounds: play every move, including split hands, until the dealer settles the round.
- Rapid decisions: answer one situation at a time for faster repetition.
- Custom drills: choose hard totals, soft totals or pairs, then narrow the total, dealer upcard or decision family.
- Mistake review: revisit missed situations. Two correct answers without hints clear the quick correction queue; later sessions check retention. Reviews have a separate tally and do not use up session rounds.
- Assessment: answer a balanced selection of hands with hints disabled and feedback held until the end.
The optional Learn the basics lessons introduce card values, actions, insurance and rule exceptions. The strategy chart explains each matchup and can send it straight to practice.
Know your table rules
The trainer supports six decks, US dealer peek, 3:2 blackjack and double after split. Choose whether the dealer stands on soft 17 (S17) or hits it (H17), and whether late surrender is allowed. Split aces get one card each; other pairs can be split to a maximum of four hands.
Recommendations use total-dependent basic strategy. After a hit or split, the coach adjusts for actions that are no longer available. Other rule sets can require different choices.
The strategy reference is Wizard of Odds: four to eight decks.
Read your progress honestly
Unassisted accuracy includes answers made without hints. Assisted decisions are shown separately. One correct answer is a small sample, so coverage, repeated practice and later retention checks matter too. The displayed milestones are learning goals, not a guarantee of perfect play or profit.
Your session survives a refresh in the same tab, and lifetime progress stays in this browser. It does not sync across devices. See Privacy & help for storage details, keyboard controls and issue reporting.