Strategy Chart: European No Hole Card

In European blackjack the dealer takes one card at the start and draws the second after every player has finished. Because the dealer cannot check for blackjack first, a dealer blackjack also wins any extra money you put out by doubling or splitting.

Rules this chart is for

Decks
4 to 8
Soft 17
Dealer stands (S17)
Double down
Any first two cards (see the note below)
Double after split
Not allowed
Surrender
Not offered
Dealer peeks for blackjack
No, the dealer takes the second card after you play
Open the calculator with these rules

The chart

Find your hand on the left and the dealer's upcard along the top. If you hold a pair, use the pairs table first. If you hold an ace that counts as 11, use soft totals. Everything else is a hard total.

Hard totals
Your total2345678910A
5-8HHHHHHHHHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
10DDDDDDDDHH
11DDDDDDDDHH
12HHSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
14SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHHH
16SSSSSHHHHH
17-21SSSSSSSSSS
Soft totals
Your hand2345678910A
A,2HHHDDHHHHH
A,3HHHDDHHHHH
A,4HHDDDHHHHH
A,5HHDDDHHHHH
A,6HDDDDHHHHH
A,7SDsDsDsDsSSHHH
A,8SSSSSSSSSS
A,9SSSSSSSSSS
Pairs
Your pair2345678910A
A,APPPPPPPPPH
10,10SSSSSSSSSS
9,9PPPPPSPPSS
8,8PPPPPPPPHH
7,7PPPPPPHHHH
6,6HPPPPHHHHH
5,5DDDDDDDDHH
4,4HHHHHHHHHH
3,3HHPPPPHHHH
2,2HHPPPPHHHH

Legend

  • HHit
  • SStand
  • DDouble if allowed, otherwise hit
  • DsDouble if allowed, otherwise stand
  • PSplit

See what these plays are worth: when to split, when to double down and the dealer bust odds behind them.

What changes without a hole card

  • Hit 11 against a 10 or an ace instead of doubling.
  • Hit A,A against an ace instead of splitting.
  • Hit 8,8 against a 10 or an ace instead of splitting.
  • Without double after split, hit 2,2 and 3,3 against a 2 or 3, 4,4 against a 5 or 6, and 6,6 against a 2.

Some European tables only let you double on 9, 10 or 11, as on this site's European preset. Where the chart shows D on another hand and you cannot double, hit. Where it shows Ds, stand.

This chart assumes the dealer stands on soft 17.

This chart is generated by the same strategy engine as the calculator on this site, which is tested cell by cell against a reference chart for these rules.

Strategy charts by table rules

Dealer Hits Soft 174 to 8 decks, dealer hits soft 17Dealer Stands on Soft 174 to 8 decks, dealer stands on all 17sNo Double After SplitSplitting without doubling afterwards

The numbers behind the charts

When to SplitWhat splitting every pair is worth against each upcardWhen to Double DownWhat doubling hard 8 to 11 and soft hands is worthDealer Bust OddsHow often the dealer busts or finishes on 17 to 21House Edge by RulesWhat each table rule costs or saves you

Back to the Strategy Guide·Open the calculator