Answers to common questions about 21 Academy. If you don't find what you're looking for, reach out — we read every email.
21 Academy is a complete blackjack skill trainer for iPhone. It teaches you perfect basic strategy, Hi-Lo card counting, and real table play — with a built-in coach guiding every step. Everything uses play money; there's no real-money gambling.
Not at all. The Coach includes structured learning paths that start with the absolute basics — the goal of each hand, what the dealer does, and the core decisions — before moving on to strategy and counting. Beginners and experienced players are both covered.
Open Settings (the gear icon on the Home screen) to set your house rules — dealer hits or stands on soft 17 (H17/S17), whether surrender is allowed, and double-after-split. These rules flow through the trainers and the table so you practice for the exact game you'll face.
You're dealt a hand and the dealer's upcard, then you choose to hit, stand, double, split, or surrender. The app instantly tells you whether it was the mathematically correct play and explains why. Use Free Practice for endless reps, or Session Mode for a graded run of 10, 25, or 50 hands with an accuracy breakdown you can track over time.
Card counting is a skill that tracks the ratio of high to low cards remaining in the shoe to inform your decisions. 21 Academy teaches the popular Hi-Lo system through guided lessons and timed drills. Counting is a mental skill and is not illegal — but it is a game of practice, and casinos may ask skilled players to leave. 21 Academy is a training tool only.
The Counting trainer includes lessons that teach the Hi-Lo values and the true count, plus drills that time how quickly and accurately you keep a running count as cards are dealt. Your results are saved so you can watch your speed and accuracy improve.
In the Coach, the strategy chart is a color-coded grid showing the correct move (hit, stand, double, or split) for every combination of your hand and the dealer's upcard. It's rule-aware — it updates to match your house rules — and you can tap any cell to understand the reasoning behind that decision.
Open The Table and sit down with a play-money bankroll. Place a bet, deal, and make your decisions against the dealer — including splits, doubles, and surrender where your rules allow. When you leave, you'll get a post-game recap of your play.
After a table session you get a breakdown of your strategy accuracy, your betting discipline (including how well your bet sizes tracked the count), and your bankroll's peak and low — the same way a serious player reviews a session to improve.
Since no real money is involved, you can start a new table session with a fresh play-money buy-in any time. Nothing is ever at stake.
Yes — you can practice basic strategy and play at the table for free. A one-time purchase unlocks the full depth:
Open the app, go to Settings, and tap Restore Purchases. As long as you're signed in with the same Apple ID you used to buy, your Pro unlock will reactivate.
The free Full Access Pass is tracked locally on your device, so reinstalling the app can reset it. Your one-time 21 Academy Pro purchase, by contrast, is tied to your Apple ID and can always be restored.
Refunds for App Store purchases are handled by Apple. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in, and select the 21 Academy purchase to request one.
Force-quit and re-open the app. If a specific action causes a repeat crash, please email us with your device model and iOS version — that's the fastest way to get it fixed.
Progress and history are stored locally on your device. Deleting the app, or in some cases restoring a device from a backup, can clear it. If something looks wrong, email us with the details and we'll help.
The correct play in blackjack depends on your house rules, so double-check your settings (H17/S17, surrender, DAS) first — the strategy chart updates to match them. If you still believe there's an error, email us with the hand, the dealer's upcard, and your rules, and we'll investigate.