HitwiseIntermediate
Soft hands in blackjack
Hands with an Ace are where players go wrong most. Yet once you understand the logic, they become your best chances to win more.
Soft hand or hard hand?
A hand is soft when it holds an Ace that can count as 11 without going over 21. A-6 is worth 7 or 17: a "soft 17". A hand is hard when it has no Ace, or when the Ace must count as 1: A-6-9 is a hard 16, since 26 would bust.
Why soft hands matter: one more card can't bust you. At worst, the Ace drops back to 1. So you can hit or double with far less risk.
Strategy, hand by hand
| Hand | vs 2 | 3 | 4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-10-A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-9, A-8 | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| A-7 | D | D | D | D | S | H |
| A-6 | H | D | D | D | H | H |
| A-4, A-5 | H | H | D | D | H | H |
| A-2, A-3 | H | H | H | D | H | H |
H = Hit, D = Double (if not allowed: hit, except A-7 where you stand), S = Stand. The full chart shows these decisions card by card.
Never stand on soft 17
17 is a weak hand: it only beats a dealer who busts. With A-6, hitting costs nothing (you can't bust) and may improve it. Against a weak dealer (3 to 6), go further: double.
The soft 18 trap
A-7 looks like a good hand, and it is against a 7 or 8. But against a 9, 10 or Ace the dealer often ends on 19 or more: you need to hit. Many players stand out of habit and lose money on this hand.
When a soft hand turns hard
After you hit, recount: A-5 + 9 makes a hard 15 (the Ace counts as 1). You then switch to the hard-hand row of the chart. That's exactly the kind of recalculation Hitwise does for you with every card you add.
Frequently asked questions
What is a soft 17?
A 17 that contains an Ace counted as 11, such as A-6 or A-2-4. It can also count as 7.
Should you stand on soft 18?
Against 7 and 8, yes; against 2 to 6 you should double; against 9, 10 and Ace you should hit.
What does 'dealer hits soft 17' (H17) mean?
The dealer must hit a soft 17 instead of standing. This rule increases the house edge by about 0.2%.