Soft hands in blackjack: how to play ace-2 to ace-9

What makes a hand soft

A hand is soft when it contains an ace that's currently counted as 11. Ace + 6 is a soft 17. The ace is flexible: if you draw a card that would take you over 21, it quietly drops to 1 and the hand carries on. Ace + 6 + 8 is 15, not 25. If you're not yet comfortable with how totals work, the card values guide covers it.

That flexibility changes the maths completely. With a hard hand, every extra card is a risk. With a soft hand, the next card is free, because it can only improve the hand or turn it into a hard total. Nothing can bust you on that draw. That is why the right answer with soft hands is often more aggressive than it feels.

Soft hand strategy at a glance

Find your hand on the left and the dealer's upcard across the top. H means hit, S stand, D double (hit if doubling isn't allowed), and Ds double (stand if doubling isn't allowed).

This is the same soft-hand section as the full basic strategy chart, which the game's strategy coach also uses.

Soft 13 to soft 16: hit, or double against a weak dealer

Ace-2 through ace-5 are weak totals. Soft 13 to 16 can't win by standing, because the dealer must draw to at least 17. So standing is never right with these hands. You're always taking at least one more card.

The only question is whether to double. Against a dealer showing 5 or 6, the dealer busts about 42 percent of the time. With a hand that can't bust on one card, that's the moment to put more money down. As the soft total rises, the doubling range widens: ace-4 and ace-5 also double against a 4, because a higher starting total is more likely to finish strong.

Against 7 or higher, just hit. The dealer is likely to make a real hand, and you need to build one. Keep drawing until you reach a hard 17 or higher or a soft 18 or higher (then follow the chart for those totals).

Soft 17: never stand

This is the most common soft-hand mistake. Seventeen sounds like a respectable total, and with a hard 17 you should always stand. Soft 17 is different, for two reasons.

First, 17 is a poor total to stand on. The dealer finishes on 17 to 21 whenever they don't bust, and a 17 only ever beats a dealer who busts. It never beats a made dealer hand: it ties a dealer 17 and loses to everything else. Second, a soft 17 can't bust on the next card, so there's no real risk in drawing. Any ace, 2, 3 or 4 improves the hand to 18 to 21. A ten leaves you on 17, the same total you started with. Even the in-between cards just give you a hard hand you can keep playing.

So soft 17 is a hit against 2 and 7 through ace, and a double against 3, 4, 5 and 6. Remember that the dealer at this table stands on soft 17. That's the dealer's fixed rule, not advice for you. The dealer doesn't get to double.

Soft 18: the hand everyone gets wrong

Soft 18 is the most interesting hand in the chart because all three main decisions appear in one row:

• Stand against 2, 7 and 8. Eighteen is already a winning total against a dealer likely to end on 17 or bust, and it pushes a dealer 18.
• Double against 3, 4, 5 and 6. The dealer is weak, and you can't bust, so it pays to get more money on the table. If you can't double, for example after already drawing a card, stand.
• Hit against 9, 10 and ace. This feels wrong, but a dealer showing a 9 or a ten-card usually ends up on 19 or 20, which beats 18. Hitting a soft 18 can't bust you and gives you a real chance of improving to 19, 20 or 21. Over many hands, hitting loses less than standing.

Most players stand on soft 18 every time. It's one of the easiest ways to give away value at a blackjack table. You'll feel nervous hitting it against a ten, which is exactly why the practice table's coach is useful.

Soft 19, soft 20 and soft 21: stand

Ace-8 and ace-9 are strong enough to stand on against every dealer card under these rules. Soft 19 and soft 20 win often enough that drawing more cards gives away value. (In games where the dealer hits soft 17, some charts double soft 19 against a 6. That doesn't apply here.)

Ace + ten as your first two cards is a blackjack and pays 3 to 2 immediately. A soft 21 made with more cards just stands automatically.

When a soft hand turns hard

Soft hands often change during play. Suppose you hit ace-5 against a 10 and draw a 9. The ace drops to 1 and you're now on hard 15. Once that happens, ignore the soft part of the chart and play the hand as the hard total it now is. In this case, hard 15 against a 10 is a hit.

It also works the other way. If you hold 3 + 2 and draw an ace, you now have soft 16. Read your total from scratch after every card.

Why doubling soft hands is worth learning

Soft doubles feel risky because you're putting in more money on a hand that looks weak, like ace-2. But the dealer showing a 5 or 6 is in a worse spot than you. They must draw to 17 and can bust, while your hand can't bust on its single card. Doubling in these spots is one of the few times the player has the advantage on a particular hand, and basic strategy is built to take it.

Players who skip soft doubles give up a small but steady edge on every one of those hands. It's a large part of the difference between playing a hunch and playing the chart.

Keep learning

Next, read when to double down for the hard-hand doubles, or when to split pairs.