Strategy Chart

A strategy chart is a printed or on-screen grid that lists the mathematically best decision for every situation a game can present. The blackjack version is the familiar one: the player total down the side, the dealer up card across the top, and each cell holding hit, stand, double, split or surrender. Video poker and some table games have equivalents built the same way. Two limits matter. A chart is only correct for the rule set it was calculated for — the number of decks, whether the dealer hits soft 17, whether doubling after a split is allowed — so a chart from the wrong table gives the wrong answer. And following one perfectly still leaves the house edge in place: correct play reduces what the game costs, it does not make the game profitable or a source of income. Most casinos allow a chart at the table, but house policy varies.