HitOrStand: Free Blackjack Trainer & Strategy Chart

Learn Blackjack the smart way

HitOrStand is a free Blackjack training app for anyone who wants to stop guessing at the table. The trainer deals real 6-deck shoe hands and tells you instantly whether your decision — hit, stand, double, split, or surrender — matches optimal basic strategy. A few minutes a day is enough to commit the chart to memory.

What you get

• Blackjack Trainer — practice every hand type (hard totals, soft hands, pairs) with instant feedback and a running accuracy score.
• Strategy Calculator — pick any two player cards and the dealer's up card to see the mathematically optimal move.
• Card Counting Trainer — drill the Hi-Lo running count at your own pace until counting a shoe becomes effortless.

Why basic strategy matters

Blackjack is the casino game with the lowest house edge — but only if you play every hand correctly. Perfect basic strategy cuts the casino's edge to roughly 0.5% in a standard 6-deck shoe. Every deviation costs money. The trainer is built to make those deviations stop happening.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to learn Blackjack basic strategy?

Practice every hand against a strategy chart until the correct move is automatic. HitOrStand deals real Blackjack hands and gives instant feedback so you build muscle memory for hit, stand, double, split, and surrender decisions in minutes a day. Most users reach 95% accuracy in two to four weeks of short daily sessions.

Is HitOrStand free to use?

Yes. The Blackjack trainer, strategy calculator, strategy chart, and Hi-Lo card counting trainer are all completely free and require no signup. HitOrStand works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, or mobile, and is available in English and Hebrew.

Does basic strategy really work at the Blackjack table?

Yes. Basic strategy is mathematically derived to minimize the house edge. Playing perfectly reduces the casino's advantage to about 0.5% in a standard 6-deck shoe game where the dealer stands on soft 17 — the lowest house edge of any common casino game. Every deviation costs expected value.

How does card counting work?

The Hi-Lo card counting system assigns +1 to low cards (2–6), 0 to neutral cards (7–9), and −1 to high cards (10, J, Q, K, A). The count starts at zero at the top of the shoe and updates after every visible card. A higher running count means more high cards remain, which favors the player. Skilled counters convert the running count to a true count by dividing by the number of decks still in the shoe.

When should I hit or stand in Blackjack?

A common rule of thumb for hard hands: stand on hard 17 or higher, hit hard 8 or lower, and on totals 12–16 stand against dealer 2–6 (bust cards) and hit against 7–A. Soft hands play differently — for full accuracy use the HitOrStand strategy calculator with your exact hand and the dealer's up card.

When should I split a pair in Blackjack?

Always split Aces and 8s, regardless of the dealer's up card. Never split 10s or 5s. Split 2s, 3s, and 7s against dealer 2–7; split 6s against 2–6; split 9s against 2–9 except 7 (stand on 7). 4s split only if double-after-split is allowed and the dealer shows 5 or 6.

When should I double down in Blackjack?

Double down on hard 11 against any dealer card except an Ace. Double hard 10 against dealer 2–9. Double hard 9 against dealer 3–6. For soft totals, double soft 13 through soft 17 against weak dealer up cards (typically 4, 5, and 6, expanding wider for A,6 and A,7).

Is card counting illegal?

Card counting is not illegal. It is a mental skill — you keep a running count in your head while playing. However, casinos are private property and can refuse service to suspected counters. The Hi-Lo system HitOrStand teaches is the most common counting system used by professional players.

What is a soft 17 in Blackjack?

A soft 17 is any hand totaling 17 that contains an Ace counted as 11 — for example A,6 or A,2,4. The dealer rule for soft 17 is one of the most important house-edge variables. Tables where the dealer stands on soft 17 (S17) are better for the player than tables where the dealer hits on soft 17 (H17) by about 0.2%.

What is the difference between a strategy chart and a strategy calculator?

A strategy chart is a static table showing the correct move for every hand against every dealer up card — useful as a reference. A strategy calculator like HitOrStand's is interactive: you pick your two cards and the dealer's up card, and the app outputs the optimal move directly. The calculator is faster for table-side lookups; the chart is better for memorization.