Double Deck Blackjack Basic Strategy

Double deck charts

Use the chart that matches whether your dealer hits or stands on soft 17. If you need a refresher on reading these, see how to read a basic strategy chart.

Where double deck differs from a shoe

Two decks sits between a single deck and a six-deck shoe, and the chart does too. Compared with 6 or 8 decks, the differences are few:

• Hard 9 against 2. Double it, as in single deck. A shoe game says hit.
• A,3 against 4. If the dealer hits soft 17, double soft 14 against a 4 as well as 5 and 6. In a shoe you only hit it.
• 6,6 against 7. Split it if double after split is allowed.
• 7,7 against 8. Split it if double after split is allowed.
• 16 against 9: hit, don't surrender. In a shoe game you surrender 16 against a 9. With two decks you just hit it. 15 against 10 and 16 against 10 are still surrenders.

Everything else, such as always splitting aces and eights, standing on 17 or more, and doubling 10 and 11 against weak cards, is the same as in the rest of the family. The 6 and 8 deck page and the single deck page show how the chart moves at each end.

What double deck is worth

Two decks instead of eight lowers the house edge by 0.19 points. That is a real improvement, and it is the reason casinos run two-deck games with tougher rules attached. Look for the following when you see a double deck game:

• Blackjack paying 6:5 instead of 3:2 adds 1.39 points. This wipes out the deck advantage many times over. See 6:5 vs 3:2.
• Limiting doubles to 9 through 11 adds 0.09, and 10 or 11 only adds 0.18.
• No double after split adds 0.14.
• Dealer hitting soft 17 adds 0.22.

A double deck game with 3:2, double on any two cards, double after split and a dealer who stands on soft 17 is a very good game. Most have at least one of the bad rules.

Practice it

Open the trainer, set decks to two in Settings, and run Drill. The hands that change from a shoe game will come up and the Coach will explain why. If you also want to try counting, two decks is a friendlier place to start than eight, and our card counting guide explains why.

Common questions

Is double deck strategy very different from 6 deck?

No. A handful of doubles and splits move, and the rest is the same. The list above covers them.

Is a double deck game always good?

No. Check the blackjack payout and doubling rules first. A 6:5 game is a poor bet at any deck count.

Does the dealer's soft 17 rule matter here?

Yes. It adds 0.22 to the house edge and changes a few plays, so pick the matching chart.

Practice it in the free trainer →