How To Play Soft Hands In Blackjack

1. Blackjack Soft Hard
2. How To Play Blackjack Online
3. How To Play Blackjack

Both land-based casinos and online blackjack casinos that support live dealer blackjack require dealers to take at least one more card with the dealer has a soft 17 showing. The dealer will continue taking more cards—until the house’s hand either becomes a hard 17 or higher, or the hand goes over 21 and goes bust. A soft hand in blackjack contains an Ace. As an Ace can be valued as either 1 or 11, the hand can’t bust if you hit (take an extra card). For example, if your hand contains a 4 and an Ace and you draw a 10, the Ace. This is generally only used when your initial two cards equal 8-11 or soft 12 to soft 19. Split: Make two hands from one hand, if both cards are the same value. Tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are usually counted as 10 each. If both of your hands win, you get double the amount of money. If only one wins, you break even.

Blackjack is a skill-based game, meaning that in order to win, you have to apply a reliable strategy throughout the game. The key to becoming a consistent winner is to prepare as much as possible in advance and learn the game’s subtleties and rules by heart. It is not advisable to play before you are entirely familiar with its basics and fundamental principles as this way you are bound to lose large amounts, especially if you join a high-stakes table.

By John Grochowski. Not all blackjack 17s are created equal, nor are all 18s or 19s. There’s a lesson blackjack newcomers and more experienced players just becoming serious about blackjack have to learn: Soft hands and hard hands are different, and when the hand is soft, 17, 18 and even 19 are not automatic standing hands.

One of the most important terms which every blackjack player should know concerns a certain type of hands. If you manage to understand how to play soft hands, you will be able to make wiser decisions for your moves and significantly improve your game. Many players, even proficient ones, fail to pay special attention to these hands and as a result, in most cases they misplay them. The reason why it is so essential to learn the best way to tackle such situations is that they can be very beneficial and if you are not able to get the most out of them, you can simply miss a great opportunity.

What are Soft Hands

In brief, soft hands are the hands which contain an ace and the reason why they are beneficial is that their total can be changed according to your needs. The ace is the most powerful card in the deck due to the fact that it can be counted as either one or eleven which gives you the freedom to adjust the total of your hand so that you don’t bust. As a matter of fact, when you have such a combination, you cannot exceed twenty one by taking a hit which brings the needed peace of mind and lets you enjoy the game even more. For instance, if you have a soft 15 which consists of an ace and a four and you draw an eight, you would bust if it wasn’t for the ace.

You can avoid losing by switching the ace to one in which case your total becomes thirteen. By getting this card, you have the chance to improve your hand without risking your wager. When the dealer deals your first two cards and if any of them happens to be an ace, then he will announce your total by counting the ace in both ways. For example, if you have an ace and a three, the dealer will refer to your hand as four or fourteen due to the fact that the decision how the ace will be counted is entirely yours.

Blackjack Soft Hard

Strategy for Playing Soft Hands

Since blackjack is a skill-based game, it gives you the opportunity to apply a strategy and this way decrease the house edge. Soft hands are no different than any other card combination in the game in terms that they also require a proper approach and a strategy. It is essential to know how to play them correctly if you want to make the most of every game. Let’s have a look at some of the soft hands which you can possibly get during the course of the game and how to tackle them successfully. It should be noted that in order to make the best possible decision, you should always take into account the dealer’s up card as after all you compete against him.

Whenever you get a soft hand, you can choose from three options – to hit, stand or double down. The first situation which we will consider is if you are dealt an ace and a two as your first two cards. In situations in which you have a soft 13, it is recommended to hit in any case, unless the dealer’s up card is a five or a six as then it is best to double down. Let’s assume that this time you get soft 14, 15 or 16 hands and the dealer is waiting for your decision. In such cases, you should first remember that the strategy for these three hands is the same and that if the dealer has a four, a five or a six, your best option will be to double down. If his up card is any different, you should simply hit and hope for the best. The same strategy applies for the cases in which you have a soft 17 with the difference that if the dealer is showing a three, you should also double down instead of hitting. The reason why is that you should try to take full advantage of such beneficial situations and increase your chances of winning more money.

Another case which is worth discussing is when you have a soft 18 hand or in other words, if you have an ace and a seven. In such situations, you should always carefully consider the up card of the dealer as your best move strictly depends on it. Let’s assume that you happen to have a soft 18 hand when the dealer is showing a two, a seven or an eight. In such cases, you should stand due to the fact that your hand has better chances of winning than the dealer’s.

How To Play Blackjack Online

If his up card is from three through six, you should apply a different approach which is a bit more risky. In such cases, perhaps your best move is to double down due to the fact that the croupier is in a weak position. Therefore, you have decent chances of winning and you should try to make the most of this situation by increasing your wager. In general, doubling down should be performed whenever the dealer is in a seemingly unfavorable position and whenever your hand is also weak. Such opportunities don’t occur too often and it is essential to know how to take advantage of them in order to make up for your previous losses.

For the rest of the cases – whenever the dealer has a nine, a ten or an ace, it is recommended to simply hit. At first glance, hitting when you have a soft 18 seems inappropriate due to the fact that most players consider eighteen to be a fairly decent total. However, bearing in mind that the average winning hand in blackjack has been estimated to be 18.5 points, a total of eighteen is simply not enough to beat the dealer while he has a powerful card. Even though in order to improve your hand by hitting, you need to draw any of the three cards – an ace, a two or a three and your chances of doing so aren’t high, it is still your best choice. In general a soft 18 hand is a very tricky combination which puts you at risk.

Last but not least, you should consider the cases in which you have either a soft 19 or a soft 20 hand. It should be noted that these are among the best card combinations which you can possibly get in blackjack. Such strong totals are almost impossible to be improved and the only move that you should make, regardless of what the dealer is showing, is to stand. Whenever you have these two hands, you are in a great position and you have very realistic chances of winning.

Conclusion

How To Play Blackjack

Soft hands in blackjack are extremely important card combinations which every player should be familiar with. They can cause you to bust but they can also help you win a decent amount of money, the choice how to play them is entirely yours. Understanding how to tackle soft hands successfully will help you increase your chances of winning and it will make the game more enjoyable for you. Although it might take some time until you master the above-mentioned strategy completely and apply it without much thinking, as soon as you start using it, you will notice a visible change and improvement in your game.