Blackjack Soft Hand 18

Many players, even those who have been playing for years, underestimate the importance of becoming familiar with all the terms in blackjack. Some do not even realise that the phrase ‘soft hands’ exists, let alone understand its meaning in depth.

• Dealer’s Up Card Is from a 3 through 6
• Dealer’s Up Is a 2, 7 or an 8
• Dealer’s Up Card is a 9, 10 or an Ace
• Importance Things To Consider
• The Best Move against a 9, 10 or an Ace
• Conclusion

If players aim to leave the casino as winners, they need to devote a considerable amount of time to examining every possible hand they may receive and how to proceed in each particular situation.

Players can form soft hands in several ways, and, as already mentioned, some of them will not even realise they have such a combination. It is crucial for anyone who wants to master the game to acquire as much knowledge as possible.

In this chapter, we will focus on one particular situation – when players have soft 18. The reason is that, if gamblers want to make the best choice every time, they need to be aware of all the possible hands they can receive.

Additionally, they need to follow a reliable strategy and know it by heart so that they can apply it whenever needed. It is true that, if players want to master blackjack, they need to invest a lot of time and effort. In the end, they will certainly be pleased with what they have achieved, as the game really pays off in the long run.

When the Dealer’s Upcard Is 3 through 6

Soft 18 is among the most frequently misplayed hands in blackjack. With this hand, you have a total of 18 that contains an ace which can be assigned a value of 11 without the hand exceeding 21. If players have an ace and a 7, they have a soft 18 hand.

Other examples of soft 18 include multi-card hands such as 4-3-A, A-2-5 and A-6-A. The basic strategy recommended for soft 18 differs from that used for hard 18. Players who are dealt a soft total of 18 can choose from several viable plays, namely doubling, standing and hitting.

Their choice is based on the dealer’s exposed card. Other factors also play a role, including the composition of the soft 18 (whether it comprises two cards or more), the number of decks in play, and whether the dealer draws to soft 17.

Let’s commence with the correct plays for soft 18 in double-deck blackjack and shoe-dealt games. First, we shall look at the best move when the dealer’s exposed card is small. If the dealer’s upcard is 3 through 6, players should double down.

These plays are correct for blackjack games where the dealer must stand on all 17s (S17) under the house rules. If it is stated on the table layout that the dealer must hit soft 17 (H17), then players must double down against upcards 2 through 6.

For single-deck variants of the game where the S17 rule is in place, players must again double against low upcards 3 through 6, but never against the dealer’s deuce, which is a stand with soft 18.

Doubling down is the best move because, when the dealer is in an unfavourable position, gamblers need to take full advantage and make as much money as they can. This way, they can compensate whenever the dealer’s upcard is a powerful one and balance their bankroll successfully.

It is common for inexperienced gamblers to shy away from doubling down on their soft 18 against cards 3 through 6. In reality, soft 18 holds well against these small upcards no matter how one plays it. However, a player who refrains from doubling on this soft total ends up trimming their profits from such advantageous spots.

This statistical tendency is demonstrated in the EV chart posted below, which shows the expectation of the three viable plays for soft 18 versus the dealer’s weak 5 and 6 upcards.

Let’s expand on the example of soft 18 versus 5 to show how each possible play impacts your earnings from this hand. Assuming you are a £10 flat bettor, hitting this soft total against the 5 would earn you net winnings of £1.48 on average.

Standing will result in net earnings of £1.99 on average. Meanwhile, doubling offers the optimal expectation since it earns you an average of £2.95, which is £0.96 more than standing and £1.48 more than hitting. In other words, you give up significant long-term profits when you systematically refuse to double in such favourable situations.

When the Dealer’s Upcard Is a 2, 7, or an 8

When the dealer’s upcard is a 2, 7 or 8, players should stand. The reason players should stand, rather than hit, when the upcard is an 8 is that the dealer does not have a particularly powerful card and is therefore not in the best position. You double down on soft 18 against a deuce only in multiple-deck and double-deck games that require the dealer to hit soft 17. If doubling is not an option, as is the case with multiple-card soft 18, then you make the second-best move and stand versus the 2.

Although basic strategy is perfectly clear about how to play this hand, many inexperienced players end up misplaying their soft 18 against dealers with deuces. As you have probably seen, the optimal play for this hand against a 2 depends on the rule the dealer must abide by. For this reason, players must familiarise themselves with the house rules before they sit down at a new table or try a new online blackjack variant.

Unversed blackjack players often forget to adjust their strategy for soft 18 in line with the dealer rules. Many fail to make the distinction and double on their soft 18 against the deuce in multiple-deck S17 games. This takes away from their expectation, albeit slightly. They forget the dealer has plenty of opportunities to improve their hand when starting with a 2.

It becomes apparent that hitting is out of the question, as it offers the lowest expected value. If you hit instead of standing on soft 18 versus a 2, you remove roughly £0.60 from this hand’s expected value for every £10 wager.

Doubling on this soft total in multi-deck S17 games gives you more value than hitting, yet increasing your wager is still not optimal in the long term because it trims your winnings by £0.02 if you are a £10 bettor. Recreational gamblers may laugh at this reduction, thinking “Right, who cares about a two-pence difference?!”.

However, it is these small details successful blackjack players pay attention to. They know full well that misplaying tricky hands like soft 18 systematically is tantamount to losing more money in the long term. This is the opposite of what a good player seeks to do.

As writer Beau Taplin says, “Whoever said the small things don’t matter has never seen a match start a wildfire”. The bottom line is that, if you ignore basic strategy’s recommended plays consistently enough, you will inevitably bring your blackjack career to an abrupt close sooner rather than later.

Another “small” mistake that ends up costing you big time over the long haul is misplaying soft 18 when the dealer’s exposed card is a 7. Some players underestimate the strength of the 7, treating it like small cards 3 through 6. What needs to be taken into account is that a dealer starting with a 7 is not as weak as one showing a 5 or a 6. Their chances of breaking are reduced to 26.2%.

The correct play for soft 18 versus a 7 coincides in both H17 and S17 blackjack – one must always stand in this situation. Some aspiring players adopt a more aggressive approach by doubling down on soft 18 against a 7, effectively trimming around £1.80 from their expectation per £10 wagered on this hand. Hitting is even worse in this scenario, as it leads to a £2.30 reduction in your expectation.

When the Dealer’s Upcard is a 9, 10, or an Ace

If players find themselves in a situation where the dealer’s card is a 9, 10, or an ace, they should hit. This is because there are only three cards that can improve their hand and ten more that will not. Let’s have a closer look at the possible outcomes.

If players draw any card from 4 through 8, their hand will total 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 respectively, all of which are referred to as breaking hands. The chances that gamblers will go bust with such totals are extremely high, so it is best to avoid these situations whenever possible.

The same applies when gamblers draw a 9, as this leaves them with a total of 17. The bottom line is that, if the dealer’s upcard is a powerful one and players have soft 18, they are in a disadvantageous position. Hitting is the gamblers’ best choice. Even though it does not guarantee they will improve their hand, it will help them lose the least amount of money.

The correct strategy for soft 18 versus a 9 or a 10 fortunately coincides across all blackjack variations, regardless of deck number, house rules and overall playing conditions. In shoe-dealt blackjack and double-deck variants, you must always hit your soft 18 when the dealer’s exposed card is a 10 or an ace.

Here the dealer is in a particularly strong position and stands a good chance of outdrawing you and beating your 18. Their probability of busting is reduced to 22.9% with the 9 and 23% with the 10. The 10 gives them a decent head start, as they will draw to 20 roughly 36.4% of the time. This is why players should take their chances and hit against these high cards rather than settling for a total of 18.

The rationale for hitting against a 9 is that, even though players have 18, they should remember that the average winning hand is 18.5. This means the hand is not strong enough.

As for the dealer’s ace, you should always hit against it unless you are playing a single-deck game where the house rules require the dealer to stand on soft 17. Under these conditions, the odds of soft 18 versus the ace shift slightly in favour of standing rather than hitting. You are in an adverse situation regardless of what you do, but standing will help you lose a little less money over time.

Important Things To Consider

Whenever players have a soft 18, it is essential to know which move to make in order to play the hand in the best possible way.

Such tough situations reveal how well players understand the game and its patterns. Gamblers need to remember that, whenever they face a situation where the dealer’s upcard is a powerful one and their hand totals 18 or less, they are in a weak position.

Also, players need to choose a strategy and stick to it throughout the game. If they try a different move every time they face the same situation, their odds of winning will decrease significantly.

The Best Move against a 9, 10 or an Ace as the Dealer’s Upcard

Many experienced players have witnessed numerous instances where other patrons at the table decided to stand instead of hitting when their hand was soft 18 and the dealer’s upcard was a 10. In such situations, hitting and standing do not lead to vastly different outcomes and are almost interchangeable.

The odds are that, if players decide to stand against a 10 as the dealer’s upcard, they will lose around 59 out of 100 hands. On the other hand, if players choose to hit, they will lose approximately 57 hands out of 100.

Even though the difference is very small, whenever players have the chance to increase their chances of winning, they should take advantage of it. This is why the best move here is to hit, owing to the slightly better odds it provides. Check the table below to observe what effect the three viable plays for soft 18 against powerful upcards have on players’ long-term expectation.

Conclusion

Whenever players are dealt a soft 18, they need to be extra careful. This hand is commonly misplayed as it puts players in a tricky situation. Regardless of the strategy gamblers decide to follow, they must adhere to it throughout the game if they want it to work.

When players hold such a hand, they are bound to face a difficult situation. As blackjack involves money, gamblers must ensure they always make the best possible move in order to reduce their losses to a minimum. Most moves in tough situations aim precisely at this rather than giving the players a better hand, as improvement is sometimes simply impossible.