The curriculum

The blackjack curriculum

Fourteen short lessons that start with the rules and build toward correct decisions. Strategy examples use the six-deck H17 baseline unless a different rule is named, so you always know which chart you are learning.

Not started yet · 61 min total

Up nextLesson 01 — How blackjack decisions work

Part I — Foundations

The pieces every decision is built from — and the rules that change them.

How blackjack decisions workPlayer totals, dealer upcards, busting, and naturals — the pieces every decision is built from.5 minPractice5 minPractice

Read the table rules3:2 versus 6:5, H17 versus S17, decks, DAS, and surrender — what to check before you sit down.5 minPractice5 minPractice

Part II — Core decisions

Learn the five actions using the six-deck H17 baseline, with rule changes called out where they matter.

Hard totalsThe foundation of hit/stand decisions: when to hit, stand, and double on hands without a usable ace.5 minPractice5 minPractice

Soft totalsWhy an ace counted as 11 changes the risk of hitting and doubling.4 minPractice4 minPractice

Pairs and splittingWhy a pair can play differently from its combined total, plus the anchor rules for aces, 8s, 5s, and 10s.5 minPractice5 minPractice

Doubling downPreferred action and fallback notation: double when allowed, and what to do when it is not.4 minPractice4 minPractice

SurrenderLate versus early surrender, correct timing, and the few hands where folding is the best play.4 minPractice4 minPractice

Insurance and even moneyWhy basic strategy declines both without count information.3 minPractice3 minPractice

Part III — Advanced concepts

Dealer-blackjack protocols and the math that compares decisions.

Peek, ENHC, and OBOHow the dealer-blackjack protocol changes the risk of doubling and splitting against 10 or ace.5 minPractice5 minPractice

Expected value and strategy costHow decisions are compared, and why the correct action is not about one outcome.5 minPractice5 minPractice

Part IV — Mindset

What results mean, what this trainer teaches, and how to keep play healthy.

Variance and session resultsCorrect play still loses often. Separate decision quality from outcome luck.4 minPractice4 minPractice

Basic strategy versus card countingThe clear boundary: what this trainer teaches, and what it deliberately does not.4 minPractice4 minPractice

Common misconceptionsStreaks, dealer "bust cards," and taking another player's card — what the math actually says.4 minPractice4 minPractice

Playing responsiblyBasic strategy limits avoidable loss; it does not make blackjack a winning game. Limits and support.4 minConcept4 minConcept

Put it to work

Reading is not reps

Each lesson explains why; full-table play builds the instinct. Put the ideas into practice through complete rounds with every decision graded.

Practice at the table