Summing this Basic Strategy Up as a Single List If you want all the rules for how to play your hands in a single list, here it is:

- Surrender a hard 16 versus a dealer 10.
- Always split aces or 8s.
- Never split 4s, 5s, or 10s.
- With any other pair, split if the dealer has a 6 or lower showing. Otherwise, treat the hand as its corresponding hard total.
- Double down on hard 9, soft 16, soft 17, or a soft 18 if the dealer has a 6 or lower showing; otherwise, hit.
- Double down on hard 10 or hard 11 if your total is higher than the dealer’s up-card. Otherwise, stand.
- Always hit a hard 8 or lower.
- Hit a hard 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 if the dealer has a 6 or lower. Otherwise, hit.
- Always stand on a hard 17 or higher.
- Always hit a soft 15 or lower.
- Always stand on a soft 19 or higher.

That’s it–a simplified basic strategy that’s summed up in 11 guidelines for how to play your hands. I’ve put this list of pgslot guidelines in hierarchical order, too. This means you make a decision based on the first thing that comes up. For example, with a hard 16, the first thing you do is decide whether or not to surrender. If that doesn’t apply, you continue to go down the list until you get to #8.