Blackjack Soft Hand 13 to 17

During every game, players face many tough choices. To tackle them successfully, gamblers need to prepare in advance and know both the odds and the possible outcomes of each situation.

• What Are Soft Hands
• Soft 13 Cases
• Soft 14-15-16 Cases
• Soft 17 Cases
• Mistakes to Avoid
• Conclusion

Along with solid knowledge and a sound strategy, players need a decent bankroll, discipline and effective money management. The best way to learn, however, is through practice. If players do not want to lose a considerable amount of money, they must first ensure they are familiar with the casino and the game’s rules and requirements before they play.

What Are Soft Hands

Many of the moves from the basic strategy chart are logical and intuitive to novice blackjack players. For example, they understand that hitting hard 16 is recommended whenever the dealer has a ten or an ace, or that they should split 8s when the dealer starts with a 5 or a 6.

However, some basic strategy plays are not so intuitive, causing novices to misplay certain hands frequently. Such is often the case with soft 13 through soft 17, so these are the hands we are going to examine today. But first, let’s explain what the term “soft hands” refers to.

Players need to know how to proceed in cases where they have soft hands, as such situations occur more often than gamblers realise. Players have such a hand when one of the cards is an ace valued at 11, meaning they will not go bust when they take an extra card. This is because any other card in the deck will leave them on 21 or below, so there is no chance of exceeding this total.

For instance, a hand containing A-2 is soft 13, while one consisting of A-2-3 is a soft 16. If you draw another deuce on your soft 16, you will end up holding soft 18. You can draw again without the risk of breaking your hand. If you catch a higher card, such as a 9, your ace will automatically assume the value of 1, preventing a bust and giving you a total of hard 17. The flexibility soft hands give the blackjack player is what makes them so valuable.

Gamblers must understand that having an ace in their hand gives them the opportunity to be very flexible and decide whether they would like to count it as 1 or 11. It allows them to adjust their hand’s total accordingly, and it is the card gamblers hope for the most. Additionally, soft hands present players with great opportunities for profit maximisation when the dealer is weak. This usually happens with the help of soft doubling, but we shall tackle this topic a little later on.

To illustrate how players should proceed when they have a soft hand of 13 to 17, it will be best to consider some example situations with which players most often struggle. Gamblers need to bear in mind that whenever they have an ace in their hand, they have a soft hand and should take full advantage of the situation.

Such hands give players the chance to double down, and this can really work in their favour. However, players need to ensure they thoroughly understand what the term “soft hands” means in order to make the best possible move.

Soft 13 Cases

A very favourable situation arises when players’ two cards are a deuce and an ace, which leaves them with a soft 13 hand, provided they count the ace as 11. This is advantageous because whatever card players draw next, they cannot go bust, as the ace gives them the flexibility to adjust its value.

If gamblers draw, let’s say, a 10, they can simply count the ace as 1, which leaves them with a hard 13.

In such cases, it is best for players to be prepared in advance regarding how to proceed. This preparation involves familiarising themselves with the playing conditions that await them at their chosen table. This is because the recommended playing strategy for soft 13 is affected by the number of decks the blackjack variation uses.

If the dealer’s upcard is 5 or 6, players should double down if the game is dealt from two to eight decks. The dealer’s fixed standing rule does not influence the strategy for soft 13. With all other dealer upcards, players should hit.

Aggressive play through doubling is advisable against a 5 or a 6 because the dealer’s probability of busting is highest with these two upcards. Players should strive to capitalise on this weakness by doubling their wager on soft 13 and generating twice as much profit in the process.

As for those of you who enjoy single-deck blackjack, you must double on your soft 13 when the dealer shows 4, 5, or 6. Hit soft 13 against all other dealer upcards, namely 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, and ace. If players follow this strategy, their chances of going bust are significantly reduced.

Soft 14-15-16 Cases

Whenever players receive a combination that results in soft 14, 15 or 16, they should make the same move, as the strategy applies to all three when playing with a single deck of cards only. If the dealer’s upcard is a 4, 5, or 6, players need to double down. The penalty for failing to double in this spot, according to a basic strategy chart intended for multiple-deck S17 games, is very small when you play single-deck blackjack. You would surrender only 0.008% of your advantage.

Making the optimal moves is of greater importance at single-deck tables because of the more pronounced effect of card removal. The bad news is that many single-deck variations of the game prohibit players from doubling on soft hands, restricting this move to hard totals of 9, 10, and 11 only.

For all other possible dealer upcards, players should hit. It is noticeable that the only difference between the strategy for soft 13 and that for soft 14, 15, and 16 is when players are against 4 as the dealer’s upcard.

Let’s examine a scenario in which gamblers hold soft 15 and the dealer’s upcard is 6, and see the possible outcomes if players follow the strategy and double down.

If gamblers draw a 3, their hand totals 18, which is pretty good, but we must remember that the average winning hand is 18.5 and 18 does not guarantee victory.

If players draw a 2, their hand totals 17, and if they draw an ace, the total value of their hand will be 16. What players should hope for is to receive a 4, 5, or 6, which would give them hands totalling 19, 20, and 21 respectively. The rest of the cards will form a hand totalling 15 or less, which is unfavourable for the players.

There are small deviations from the above strategy when one is up against multiple decks. Specifically, soft 14 calls for soft doubling only when the dealer’s face-up card is either a 5 or a 6. You hit against the 4 and all other possible dealer upcards.

As for doubling on soft 15 and soft 16, you should do it against 4, 5, and 6, and hit against the rest of the dealer upcards. In double-deck blackjack with a dealer who draws to soft 17, doubling is also recommended with soft 14 against the dealer’s 4. This brings a minuscule gain for the player but still allows you to earn more from your soft 14.

Holding soft 16 is one of the trickiest spots in which rookie players can find themselves. Some novices approach this hand the same way they would play hard 16. Standing on soft 16 is never recommended for the simple reason that you cannot exceed 21 with a one-card draw.

So why not try to improve your situation by doubling or hitting on your soft 16? In reality, the only way for you to win by standing on soft 16 is if the dealer goes over 21. The probability of winning with a hard total of 16 coincides with that of winning with 3-2 or A-A (soft 12).

Soft 17 Cases

If players have an ace and a 6 in their hand, they hold a soft 17. A soft 17 (e.g. A-6, A-2-4, A-3-3) is, by and large, one of the most commonly misplayed totals in the entire game of blackjack. To make the best possible move, gamblers should always act according to the dealer’s upcard and their own total. In this sense, if the dealer’s upcard is 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, the optimal move is to double down, provided they are playing single-deck variants.

Doubling yields optimal value in all single-deck games, regardless of the dealer’s standing rules. If a single-deck table disallows soft doubling altogether, you should hit your soft 17 instead. Hitting on soft 17 is also advisable against dealer upcards 7 through ace.

The reason is that if players have a soft 17 and draw a 10 or any face card, they will finish with a hard 17. Following this strategy and doubling down therefore gives them a better chance to win more money, as it places them in a favourable position.

As for multiple- and double-deck blackjack, doubling down on soft 17 is a good move only when the dealer’s upcard is between 3 and 6. Hitting is the best play against all other upcards in multiple-deck blackjack.

Mistakes to Avoid when You Have Soft 17

Soft 17 is a very tricky hand that rookies often do not know how to approach correctly. Many people choose to settle for a total of 17, declining additional cards. This is a terrible idea because a total of 17, soft or hard, generally does not hold up well regardless of the value of the dealer’s upcard.

The sad reality is that declining cards on your soft 17 would cost you more money than both doubling and hitting. Under no circumstances should you stand on soft 17, period. If you are still sceptical that this is a bad move, consider the following.

One of the two common house rules is for the dealer to hit rather than stand on soft 17. This boosts the casino’s advantage (by 0.22%) as it gives the dealer room for improvement with no danger of busting on the next one-card draw. Exactly the same goes for the player with soft 17.

Apart from that, new players often struggle with playing soft 17 hands that contain multiple cards, i.e. hands that have already been drawn to. One example is a hard hand that starts with 4-2 versus the dealer’s 5. The player hits as basic strategy dictates and pulls an ace, so now they have a soft 17 (4-2-A).

Doubling down on a multi-card soft 17 is no longer possible in most variations of the game. Many rookies would choose to stand on this hand, whereas the correct strategy is to hit the soft 17. What happens next depends on the player’s total and on what the dealer holds. Do not hesitate to consult your strategy chart if you are unsure about the move.

As we already told you, doubling on soft hands 13 through 17 is normally advisable against small upcards that result in greater bust rates for the dealer. Some misguided players, however, double on soft 17 against the dealer’s 7. This is an unwise decision because the dealer is not as weak when holding a 7.

The dealer’s probability of exceeding 21 is not that high, at 26.19% of the time in six-deck S17 games. Meanwhile, the dealer would manage to reach a total of 17 roughly 37% of the time and push with the player’s soft 17. Hitting is recommended over doubling because the dealer is not at such a high disadvantage with a 7 to justify risking additional money.

Another common scenario inexperienced players struggle with involves holding a soft 17 versus the dealer’s 6. Here we have another action hand, meaning that standing on it is out of the question.

In standard six-pack blackjack, standing on soft 17 versus the 6 will earn you around £1.20 on average, whereas hitting nets you roughly £12 for every £100 wagered in the long run. Doubling is the best play in this case, giving you long-term profits of approximately £26 per £100 wagered.

Conclusion

It is of crucial importance for players to understand the meaning of a soft hand, as it will give them a better understanding of how the game works. Because this concept is not described in the basic rules, many gamblers who have played for years still do not know what it means. To play their hand in the best possible way, players need to know what the result of every move is likely to be.

Soft hands can be formed in a number of ways and this is the reason why gamblers need to know the meaning behind the phrase. Only then will they be able to make wise choices for every hand and achieve the desired result.