UK blackjack strategy: no hole card rules and the chart to use

Most blackjack strategy charts on the internet are built for American rules, where the dealer takes a second card face down and checks it for blackjack before you play. UK casinos and most UK live dealer tables do not do that. The dealer gets one card, you make every decision, and only then does the dealer draw. If that second card completes a blackjack, every stake you have put on the table is lost, including doubles and splits.

That one difference changes four doubling or splitting decisions in the basic blackjack strategy guide. Play the American chart on a UK table and you will double 11 against a 10 and split aces against an ace, both of which lose money under UK rules. This page sets out the UK rules, the chart that fits them, exactly which plays change and why, and what the main UK live casino providers use.

How UK blackjack differs

These are the common settings, not a guarantee. Rules vary by casino and by table, and online games state theirs in the rules panel. The figure that matters most is whether the dealer takes a hole card, followed by the soft 17 rule.

"European blackjack" means the same thing as UK rules for strategy purposes: no hole card, dealer stands on soft 17, usually six decks. The chart below is correct for both.

The UK chart

Rules: 6 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double on any two cards, double after split allowed, no surrender, no hole card. Also correct for 4 and 8 decks.

Key: H hit · S stand · D double (hit if not allowed) · Ds double (stand if not allowed) · P split

Hard totals

Soft totals

Pairs

Printable versions (A4, pocket card and phone wallpaper) are on the blackjack strategy charts. The blackjack strategy calculator has a "UK no hole card" rule profile that applies this chart automatically.

The cells that change, and why

Against a dealer 10 or ace, the American chart sometimes tells you to put a second stake on the table. Under UK rules that second stake is exposed to a dealer blackjack you cannot see coming. The dealer completes a blackjack from a 10 about 8% of the time, and from an ace about 31% of the time. Those probabilities flip the four doubling or splitting decisions below. The fifth row, 11 against an ace, stays a hit under Classic S17.

Every other cell is the same. The absence of surrender turns the American chart's four surrender cells (16 v 9, 10, A and 15 v 10) into hits, which is what the chart above shows.

One UK rule works slightly in your favour: because the dealer draws last, some tables return your original stake (but not doubles or splits) if the dealer makes blackjack. Called "original bets only" or OBO, it brings the game closer to hole card rules. If your table uses OBO, the five cells revert to the American chart. Ask the dealer or check the game rules; the default on most UK tables is that all bets lose.

Rules at UK live casino providers

UK online casinos buy their live tables from a small number of studios, so the rules depend more on the provider than on the casino. These are the common settings for each provider's standard blackjack table. Each operator can configure some options, so confirm in the game's rules panel before you play.

Two things to note. First, eight decks rather than six makes almost no difference to the chart or the edge (about 0.02%). Second, "no resplit" on most live tables means a second pair after a split must be played as a hard total, which the chart handles as normal.

RNG tables are a different matter. Many are built to US rules with a hole card and late surrender, in which case the standard blackjack strategy chart applies. Others are labelled "European" and use the chart on this page. The rules panel will say.

Strategy cards and card counting in UK casinos

Both are legal. There is no law in Great Britain against using a strategy card at the table or against keeping a count in your head. UK casinos permit strategy cards, and dealers will generally wait while you check one, within reason.

Counting is different in practice. A casino is a private business and can refuse to let anyone play, ask you to leave, or restrict your bets if it decides you are counting. It cannot withhold money you have legitimately won. Online, counting a live shoe is legal but rarely worthwhile: most studios cut the shoe around half way, and eight decks with 50% penetration gives a count little chance to move. RNG games shuffle every hand, which makes counting impossible. The card counting page covers what a count needs to be useful.

House edge under UK rules

The UK game gives up about 0.1% to the hole card rule, but UK tables usually stand on soft 17 and pay 3:2, which US tables increasingly do not. On balance a standard UK table is as good a blackjack game as you will find. Full figures are on the odds and house edge page.

Frequently asked questions

Is European blackjack the same as UK blackjack?

For strategy, yes. Both mean the dealer takes no hole card and stands on soft 17, and the chart on this page fits both. "European Blackjack" as a named RNG game can also restrict doubling to 9, 10 and 11; if so, treat hard 9 doubles and soft doubles as hits.

Do I need a different chart for online blackjack in the UK?

For live dealer tables, use the chart on this page. For RNG tables, check the rules: if the dealer "peeks" or checks for blackjack, use the standard blackjack strategy chart; if not, use this one.

Why is 11 against a 10 a hit in the UK and a double everywhere else?

Because of the hole card. In a US game the dealer has already checked that the 10 is not a blackjack before you decide, so a double faces only a 10 that makes 17 to 20. In the UK, 8% of the time that 10 becomes a blackjack after you have doubled, and you lose both stakes. That 8% is enough to make hitting the better play.

Should I take insurance on a UK table?

No. Insurance pays 2 to 1 against odds of roughly 2.2 to 1, a house edge of around 7%. The no hole card rule does not change the arithmetic. The only exception is a high card count, which is advanced strategy.

What is "original bets only"?

A variation of the no hole card rule where, if the dealer makes blackjack after you have doubled or split, you lose only your original stake and the extra stakes are returned. It is better for the player and, where it applies, the four changed doubling or splitting decisions go back to the standard chart. It is not the default on most UK tables.

Can I be banned from a UK casino for using basic strategy?

No. Basic strategy is simply playing the hand correctly and every casino expects it. Card counting can lead to restrictions, because it can give the player an edge. Using a chart cannot.

Does UK blackjack have surrender?

Almost never in land-based casinos or live dealer games. Some RNG tables offer it. Where it exists, surrender hard 16 against 9, 10 and ace and hard 15 against 10, as on the standard chart.

Back to Blackjack strategy: basic strategy explained, with the full chart