Hit: When the dealer has a 9, 10 or ace. Doubling down on low cards is a must, in this position, as you will get double the reward whenever your hand is best. However, the Blackjack double down rules mean that once you activate the bet, you can only receive one more card (you must then Stand). Soft 18 (A,7) doubles against dealer 2 through 6, and hits against 9 through Ace, otherwise stand. Hit when the dealer is showing a 9,10, or 11 (Ace). Crown Blackjack (Normal Black Jack): Dealer must hit on soft 17 and stand on a hard 17 Blackjack (traditional) Dealer stands on soft or hard 17 Source: Ama Blackjack dealer at Crown. Double soft 19 vs. Using the ordinary total-depenendent basic strategy the player advantage under the Boss Media rules is 0. 18: Basic strategy exceptions for three to six cards; 19: Blackjack splitting strategy when a back-player is betting; 20: Blackjack doubling strategy when doubling after splitting aces is allowed; 21: Details on the Wizard’s Simple Strategy. 81%: 17: 14. According to some sources, the odds of achieving a soft 18 are about 1 in 500. But why is necessary to make this distinction? The key is the nature of the Ace in blackjack – this is the only card in the game that does not have a fixed value. Catatan, ACE dihitung. Make a bet from $1 to all-in. Yes--that's the right box. By standing, you avoid the risk of. bjplayer123. A soft hand is when the Ace exists as 11. Since hard 13 is more prone to busting than hard 12 (with 5 out of 13 card denominations that can break the hand), players should approach it more conservatively. This gives you a good chance of getting a high total (19 to 21) with one more card, while the dealer is likely to bust or end up with a low total. Dealer's standing on soft 18, meaning dealer hits all soft 17s (H17), gives the biggest edge (0. Some people believe that it does, while others believe that it does not. In the soft blackjack hand, the ace has a value of 11. According to the Wizard. Another Soft total Example: Say you're dealt 3 + 6 = 9. 4. Always stand on hard 17 and up. Soft 18 is classified that way because it differs from other blackjack strategies of playing. Stand on 17 and up. Blackjack Online - Home Blackjack Strategy How to Play. Basic strategy for soft totals of thirteen and fourteen. Otherwise, you stand;Zappit — This one includes the ability to “zap” or swap an initial hand if it is for a total of 15 to 18. Pairs of 8s give players the worst hand total they can possibly get at the blackjack table, hard 16. 2 for a 6 deck shoe, S17 and double any two cards, hi-lo count. If the dealer has 6 or less, we double down. A soft hand is any hand that counts an ace as 11 rather than 1. When basic blackjack strategy calls for a double down, understand that if you can’t double, you should hit instead. Fab Four Basic Strategy Variation. Having an Ace in your blackjack hand makes it a soft hand, while not having one makes it a hard hand. The basic playing strategy for doubling down in blackjack. Soft 18 in blackjack (A-7) is a commonly misplayed hand. Stay if the dealer is showing an ace and stays on soft 17. Good info. Blackjack what does soft 17 mean Miami club casino it takes between 1 and 3 business days for a cash out request to be denied or approved, including those willing to pay hefty progressive jackpots. It’s one of the only hands where you must decide whether to take a card or not. Tips on if the dealer must hit on soft 17. How to Play Free Bet Blackjack. Doubling on soft hands gets trickier when the dealer exposes a 3 or a 4 but not when you abide by the Rule of 9. The number of expected rounds to reach a quit point was 481 and finally, the expected win per day for Johnson was an impressive $125,000, on average. Multi-Deck Blackjack Strategy Tips. Why to double down on soft 15 and soft 16. TIL when using "perfect strategy" in blackjack, the casino only has a 2% edge over the player in the long run. Soft 20 (A,9) always stands. Soft 18. That's 7 out of 13 cards. ♠️ Soft 19-20: Soft 19 and soft 20 hands consist of an Ace and 8, and an Ace and 9, respectively. The basic strategy for playing Blackjack Soft 18 in online casinos, it must. 93 percent. Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks. 3 cents) vs. The dealer soft total is the same as a player soft total. Any modifications to either. Ace. 18%, a good blackjack game by anyone’s standard. A 'hard hand' in blackjack either has no Aces, or the Ace has a card value of 1 and cannot change. However, for you perfectionists out there, here are the modifications to make if the dealer hits a soft 17. Otherwise soft 18 v 9 or 10 or A is hit whether S17 or H17. the other 46. Notice how "Dh" represents "Double if possible, otherwise hit" while "Ds" represents "Double if possible, otherwise stand. If the dealer has 9 or higher, we hit. Miami dice casino mobile and download app they have agreed on one thing so far: wiping out the triangl. 18. But did you know if you play an entire lifetime of blackjack and are dealt a pat 18 on every single hand, you’d die a small loser! (that is because your overall expectation is negative when you stand on 18). Meanwhile, hard hands will likely go bust if you hit with a hand of 14 or more. Beat Multiple Deck Blackjack. The basic strategy here is to get the dealer to go bust. Join Now Demo Play i. When you are dealt a soft 18 containing three or more cards, doubling down is not allowed. You have a good chance to either improve it or stay the same via 1 or more hits. A 10-8 and a 7-A-10 hand are both hard 18s. If you draw another deuce on your soft 16, you will end up holding soft 18. Exceptions are made when the soft 18 consists of more than two cards, in which case doubling is no longer an option. The player may not Double Up on a blackjack. 36%. You should double down when you have a total of 9, 10, or 11, and the dealer has a low card (2 to 6). For example, a hand consisting of an Ace and a 6 is referred to as a ‘soft 17’ because the Ace is valued as 11 points (11 + 6 = 17). The basic playing strategy for doubling down. Here are some examples: 10 – 2 = Hard 12. Factor in the following changes: Double 11 vs. Much harder for casinos to detect this. 22% to the house edge. The stand vs. An average of 8. Always stand on soft 19 and up. If the dealer hits over 21, or busts, all remaining player hands win the round. Player may split only once. such as a soft 17, 18, or 19. Mike: Good question. One of the main reasons for its popularity is that blackjack is that it’s so simple to play. He replied that a soft 18 against a dealer ace, in a double-deck game, where the dealer stands on soft 17, was such a play. Let’s look at soft-hand basic blackjack strategy in a six-deck game in which the dealer hits soft 17. Like all things in gaming the first instinct of player is often counter intuitive to the hard. How Does Casino Work, Blackjack Soft 18, Agen 1s Casino, Slot Machines For Iphone, Situs Judi Slot Online Bonus New Member Tanpa Deposit, Roulette Odds Red Black Payout, Slot Machine Locations Borderlands 2Below are several examples for hard totals 14 through 16: Hard 14: 7-7, 10-4, 6-8, 9-5, 10-3-A, and 9-3-A-A. As my blackjack appendix 9 shows the expected value for standing is -0. Basic blackjack strategy says you should always stand on a hand of 18 no matter what, but this doesn’t apply if you have a soft 18 and the dealer shows a nine, 10 or ace. Hard 16: 8-8, 10-6, 9-7, 6-4-6, and 10-2-3-A. Yes--that's the right box. Soft 18. They often offer high payouts but also have a higher house edge than the main game. House edge: 0. Double Soft 17 or 18 if the dealer holds 3-6 Split Split aces and 8s Don’t split 5s and 10s Split 2s and 3s versus 4 and 7, and against 2 or 3 only if double after. Rank. Vegas Strip Blackjack. Whether to hit or stand on a soft fifteen or sixteen, or double down. The dealer hits on soft 17; Aces can be split and players get one card to each ace, which cannot further be re-split; The total of a hand with a split ace and a 10 value card is not a blackjack; The payout for blackjack is 3:2, winning insurance bets payout is 2:1 and the same for the other winning hands is 1:1; Single vs Multiple Deck BlackjackIf it is more than 6, Stand. What. Another way to look at it is that you are guaranteed not to bust if you hit on your soft hand because the ace can always. 8. Hit soft 18 vs. Soft 13 or 14. Standing With Soft Hands in Blackjack. Subscribe. Basically, hard hands do not have an ace. Hit soft 18 (A7) vs dealer 9, 10 and Ace. 17 or less: Always Hit. These rules include:. I have all my indices worked using risk averse indices, I'm more worried about keeping my already high ROR as low as possible than I am of increased win rate, but of course sometimes this means taking risks where greater chance of profits lay. Most of the time, the most ideal gameplay will be hitting until you reach 18 points and standing from after that. You would stand against an ace in a S17, SD game, and you would hit in a shoe game, but it is a very close play. The optimal plays for soft 18 in double-deck and multiple-deck S17 blackjack largely coincide. Always hit a hard 12 vs. Players should stay on their hard 18 if the dealer is stronger with upcards 7, 10 (10, K, Q, J), and Ace; These moves are considered optimal for this pair when one plays single-deck blackjack variations where the dealers must stand on soft totals of 17. in exchange for being allowed to offer the game. These are to double as opposed to hit on both soft 18 versus two-up and soft 19 versus six-up. Hands of A-8, A-2-6, and 3-5-A are all examples of soft 19. This hand gives you different play options and can be used to. #6. The double-down Blackjack bet is when you double your bet during the middle of a hand. Only players above the age of 18 are permitted to play our games. When playing a blackjack game, soft 17 can be created in several ways. There are a few small adjustments that you may want to consider if you are playing a blackjack game where the dealer hits on soft 17. All the information about blackjack you want, both for serious advantage players and for casual players. Finally, always double down on a soft 18 if the dealer has a 2. a 6 (lose 38. In this case, using a double down bet could make your position even better. Soft 17 (A,6) doubles against dealer 3 through 6,. What I like to tell people is to try to find what I call the liberal strip rules that consists of a six deck shoe game. The dealer’s face down card is no longer relevant. You draw a deuce for 17 (which, as we explained in the article on soft and hard hands, is still not good enough of a total). Start by knowing the difference between “hard hands” and “soft hands. Here are a few examples of hard 13 hands: 7-6, 8-5, 9-4, 10-3, 10-2-A, and 9-3-A. When on any soft 19 and above. When you have a soft 16. You take a third card an Ace. Stand, lose 52. The correct basic strategy will get you down to. Basic strategy for blackjack says hit soft 18 - ace-seven - against dealer upcards of nine, 10, and ace. It uses decks of 52 cards and descends from a global family of casino banking games known as "twenty-one". Always stand on soft 19 or more. Stand on hard 12 vs dealer 4-6. If you have a soft total of 13, 14, 15, or 16, you’ll double against a dealer 5 or 6. In a single-deck game, you. Obviously, the winner of the blackjack soft vs hard comparison is the “soft” hands: They contain an Ace and let you get 11 points from the beginning. Beware Short Pays on a Blackjack. an ace. Soft 18 - ace plus seven - is one of blackjack's most frequently misplayed hands. Never take insurance or "even money. Some standing hands will be 16 or less if the dealer’s up card is 6 or lower and the soft 17 has three or more cards. Single Deck Blackjack can return 99. Three other methods to win at blackjack without card counting. Instead of surrendering, you. Hi all, I'm interested in anyone's opinion on playing soft 18 vs. For example, an ace-5 is a soft 16 and a 3-ace-5 is a soft 19. 18: Basic strategy exceptions for three to six cards. Doubling on soft 13 through 18 is always a good idea when the dealer’s upcard is a 5 or a 6 because this puts them in the weakest possible spot and you want to take full advantage of the fact. Blackjack Strategy: How to play a Soft 18 at Blackjack - 888casino. That’s because if you use the blackjack double down bet, then you have the option to use the ace as either a 1 or an 11. What they should really worry about is people who double Soft 19. Blackjack - a card game where you must beat the dealer's hand without scoring over 21. Players should stay on their hard 18 if the dealer is stronger with upcards 7, 10 (10, K, Q, J), and Ace; These moves are considered optimal for this pair when one plays single-deck blackjack variations where the dealers must stand on soft totals of 17. If the upcard is between three and six, to your soft 18, then you should double down. The final category of hands consists of those in which the first two cards. That’s because there is a third possible result - a push. Double Down/Doubling - You can place an additional bet equal to your original one, and you will receive one extra card. If he or she is holding a 4, 5 or 6 upcard, there is likelihood that a ten will be hit and then another ten because of the higher density of ten cards being played in. (Examples are 10-8, 8-5-5 and ace-4-10-3. The reason it's a close play is because if the dealer has a 6 under his ace, you already have him beat. You should double on soft 18 when playing against an H17 dealer with small upcards 2 through 6. This is a common one, and although 18 isn’t a bad total in Blackjack, when the Dealer has a 9 there is a high chance they will get a Ten or an Ace (38% of the time to be exact), so give yourself a chance to win and Hit it! Hitting 11 when Dealer shows Ten3-Deck Hard Totals Blackjack Chart. If your case is neither, choosing to hit would be the smartest choice. Dealer Hits on Soft 17 House Edge. 93%. Ace can be counted as 11 or 1, providing flexibility on. Play Here. The chart below displays a strategy for blackjack where the dealer stands on Soft 17. However, this does not mean the house wins 57. This is particularly true when the dealer has a weaker upcard and you have a relatively strong hand, such as a soft 18 or higher. For example, 10-8 is a hard 18; 5-A-10-2 is a hard 18. Like all things in gaming the first instinct of player is often counter intuitive to the hard. If dealer has 4 or less, follow the rule of nine. If the dealer has a 9, 10, or ace, you should hit. Hit on hard 12 if the dealer does not have 4-6. With a hand totalling 14, the chance you’ll bust if hitting is at 46%. Looking at hard hands: 8 or lower is a hit. I have all my indices worked using risk averse indices, I'm more worried about keeping my already high ROR as low as possible than I am of increased win rate, but of course sometimes this means taking risks where. Quoting from Wikipedia (due to lack of an official online source for blackjack rules):. What does hitting on soft 17 mean? A soft 17 is a total of 17 consisting of an Ace. In games with four decks or more, you’ll also double down on soft 17 when the dealer’s up card is a 2. That is why I harp on it so much. In a single deck game, always hit if the dealer has an upcard between 7 through to the dealer ACE, In a double and multiple deck games, hit when the dealer’s upcard is 3 or 6 through to the dealer ACE. Offer: 50 No-Deposit Spins. For example, you should double down on 11 if the dealer shows an ace and hits a soft 17. So for your question, In a H17 game, double against a 2 for basic strategy. The house edge depends on exactly the rules followed. The house will win when players bust, regardless of the final dealer hand. With regards to hard hands, you should always stand on a hard 17 and any higher number, stand on hard 13 to 16 if the dealer has a card between two to six and stand on hard 12 when. Double soft 18 vs. This hand gives you different play options and can be used to. If you have a soft total, it’s advised that you stand on a soft 19 and 20, stand on a soft 18 unless the dealer has a nine, 10 or ace and hit a soft 17 or less. Basic strategy for a soft 18 against a dealer 10 is to hit, regardless if your hand is composed of Ace-7, Ace-3-4, or even the above five-card hand. Additional Blackjack Adjustments to Follow. You are unlikely to get a stronger hand than this. Double a soft 19 against a dealer 6 if using H17 rules. The hands are considered “soft” because they can be played in two ways. Exactly 18: Hit only if you're "behind". If you do opt to double with a soft 17/18,. Splitting pairs: Aces - 2's - 3's - 4's - 5's - 6's - 7's - 8's - 9's - 10's. If your hand contains an Ace, you can choose between a hard and a soft hand. ChesterDog. The dealer hands a card face-up to each player and then places a card face-down in front of themselves. Blackjack cheat sheet 1 – Dealer stands on soft 17. Always hit soft 17 or less, and if it becomes a soft 18 or higher, see rule # 1. Hard hands are more likely to bust than blackjack soft hands, so you should only hit if your hand totals 11 or less. For example, a two-card 21 pays only $6. dealer’s 6. 9, 10 or Ace, yet so many frown or voice displeasure when the player makes the right play. When you hit, you also lose more than you win but you don't lose quite as much as when you stand. 27%: I also have a longer list of rule variations. This move can be financially prudent if done correctly. If the strategy says to double but you’re not allowed, then hit, except you should stand with a soft 18. In a similar way, it is possible to determine the correct decisions for any player hand values in these casino games. 4 cents. [4]This is more important with soft blackjack hands than any other kind of hand, but those are also some of the harder hands to make decisions about. dealer’s Ace. The term soft hand in blackjack refers to a situation when an ace in a player’s hand can be counted as 11 points or 1. So, the combinations of 10+7 or 7+9+A. 14 - Soft 15 - 16 - Soft 17 - Soft 18 - Soft 19 to 21 Splitting pairs: Aces - 2's - 3's - 4's - 5. They get caught up in the 18 part and forget about the Ace. dealer's 2-8 (except when doubling vs. But if you have a choice, playing where they stand is better. A three card 18 is of course not worse, it just carries risk in drawing that card. D. As stated earlier, the house edge in blackjack increases by about two-tenths when the dealer hits on soft 17, which is more significant than you think. At all the Santa Fe's six-deck blackjack tables, players have the option to make an Instant 18 side bet on a second hand with exactly 18 points. a 6 and the worst move you can do is double a soft 17 vs. A fair amount of blackjack players will stand on a soft 18. In short, basic blackjack strategy changes based on whether you’re playing soft 17 blackjack or not. Hitting that soft 18 vs. As you can see, you have only 3 cards that can get you in the coveted safe zone out of 13 possible denominations. 6K views 6 years ago. Playing 18 in blackjack. 48% of blackjack games end in a push, leaving the probability of a loss at 49. Hitting soft 17 gives the dealer the chance to make the 18, 19, 20 and 21 hands that can win on their own against a player pat hand. That’s not a lot of memorizing to do, and it’s a great starting point. Double down on soft 18 (ace, seven) against a dealer showing two to six, hit against a dealer showing nine, 10 or. As with any blackjack game, soft aces change how you play many hands. They know that this can have a significant impact on their bankroll. Since the ace can either be 1 or 11, this means that the hand containing the ace can either be one of two numbers and usually it’s the number that is most beneficial to the player. Or if the dealer draws to reach a total of soft 17 you already have him beat. If it is more than 6, Stand. When I use CVCX and select the strategy ( Wong, Basic High-Low, Full Indexes, DAS, Multi-deck, H17 ); the tables show soft 19 vs 6 has an index of +1. And yes, if the dealer must hit all hard and soft 17s, the player. Whether or not to hit, double down, or stand with a hard thirteen for your hand total. Consider the following:What is that soft 18 in blackjack - Blackjack, the world famous casino banking game, holds the title of the most played game of its kind in the world. Dec 2, 2010. 100502 and for hitting is -0. The dealer gives a card to each player as well as themselves. Blackjack soft hands strategy ultimately makes it impossible to lose your hand when you have an Ace. 1. The Optimal Plays for Soft 19 under the H17 and the S17 Rules. Dealer stands on soft 17. The reason why you stand in hard 16 is that in a case when the dealer’s upcard is small let’s say between 2 and 6, the. Either stand or double (if allowed) on soft 18 (A,. Casinos which offer Spanish 21 pay royalties to Masque Publishing Inc. Soft 19 is an excellent in blackjack soft hand, as it positions players close to the coveted total of 21. Essentially, a “soft” hand includes an Ace that counts as 11 points, combined with one or more other cards. By splitting eights, you take a stiff hand (soft 16), and turn it into two potential eighteen's. 36%. Double Down: When the dealer upcard is 4, 5 or 6. On the other hand, a “hard” hand consists of cards that don’t have an Ace, or the Ace counts as 1 point only. When You Have a Soft 16, 17, or 18 (Situation 3). The basic playing strategy for, say, ace. A soft hand occurs with an Ace, while a hard hand can occur with an Ace but it has to equal one, not 11. Grab a bite at one of four restaurants, catch a show, and find yourself in. The biggest swing though is standing on soft 17 vs. Always double a soft 17 vs. Another way to look at it is that you are guaranteed not to bust if you hit on your soft hand because the ace can always. For example, an A and an 8 can be both 9 and 19. Double soft 18 against dealer’s 2. 9 to 11 is a double or a hit. Playing a total hand of 18 doesn’t always count as a soft 18. 16 - Soft 17 - Soft 18 - Soft 19 to 21 Splitting pairs: Aces - 2's - 3's - 4's - 5's - 6's - 7's - 8's - 9's - 10's. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points. If they do no bust, then the players' hands that are higher than the dealer wins and the ones who are lower loses. For example A-5 is a soft 16; A-2-5 is a soft 18; and 3-2-A-3 is a soft 19. dealer A. The dealer never splits in blackjack as that is against the rules. 10 – 6 = Hard 16. Double soft 18 vs. When you have a soft 18 and the dealer shows a two. Playing a Total of Soft. Here we are going to take a look at some common errors seen in civilians and beginning advantage players. What I. It’s okay if the players can see each others’ hands—all that matters is that they can’t see the dealer’s first card. Another reason why it may be difficult to determine whether or not there is a soft 18 in blackjack is that some casinos may not let players know if they have. This means that the chances of achieving a soft 18 are very small, even if you play the game repeatedly. The general rule of thumb is that you should always hit on soft 17, unless the strategy calls for you to double (see below for when you should do this). Min deposit €10. For instance, a hand containing A-2 is soft 13 while one consisting of A-2-3 is a soft 16. Splitting eights limits one's losses and improves one's hand. ace-6 = soft 17. However, soft 18 against a dealer ace when the dealer stands on soft 17 provides the only known exception that I am aware of for any number of decks. This is part of the decision hands group where players are usually dealt soft hands and can make decisions without going bust. Enjoy the best free blackjack games available online. Soft 17: Double down: Split 2s through 10s: Split aces: Draw to split aces: Double after split:. . A fair amount of blackjack players will stand on a soft 18. As we know, we can only see one card the dealer has, while the other one is facing. Use our blackjack calculator tool to check your answer. dealer 5. dealer’s Ace. Meanwhile, hard 16 is a high enough total to cause. But many Blackjack beginners would think about what it has to do with soft and hard hands in the game. Spanish 21 is based on blackjack, but the rules are so different that it’s often considered a separate game. Remember, these tips apply to the tables above, which means a 6-deck blackjack game where the dealer hits on soft 17. iRage89 13 years ago #1. For a shoe game, there are 3 differences in basic strategy: A7v2, A8v6, and 11vA. Critics (myself included). This is when you have an ace valued as 11 and an 8 in your hand. a hard 18 is a ten and eight, a soft 18 is an ace and a seven. Getting Ahead with Soft 18 (Ace-7) Soft 18 is considered a strong hand in blackjack, presenting favorable odds for winning. Splitting pairs in blackjack can be strategically sound. When your cards total 11. Stand, lose 52. Play blackjack online for free or for real money in Australia in 2023 ! We ranked the most trusted, legal blackjack sites with bonuses of up to AU$10,000. If you use the double down bet, you have the option to use the ace as a one or an 11, and you could then. Split aces get one card only. Multi-card soft 18s should also be hit against 9 thru Ace. New players only. You can double after split, but I think it's only one card for a. "Blackjack is an enormously popular card game, with millions of fans playing it online across the globe. tl;dr 18 v 10 is -EV, but hitting and trying to improve your hand is less -EV. Some casinos have moved this down. A hand that contains an Ace is called a "soft" hand if the Ace can be counted as 1 or 11 without the total going over 21. Soft 17 is a situation in which the blackjack hand contains a total of 17 with a single ace (6+A, 4+2+A, etc. The 12 would likely go bust, the 17 would be beat and the 18 would result in a push. Allows custom filters for variations too. Blackjack dealers have no options for the in-game decisions of whether to hit or stay; they follow a strict algorithm that will depend on the casino. I have seen a good number of blackjack players who, while they can handle their hard hands, do not seem to know what to do with soft hands. Blackjack pays 6-5: Common on single-deck games on the Las Vegas Strip, this game is a bankroll breaker for players. As an example, the following combinations would be considered soft hands:. Such is the case whenever the player gets a starting hand of 6-2 for a hard 8 against the dealer’s 5. rebm1t • 3 yr. dealer's 9 upcard or less. The strategy changes a tiny notch in games where the house rules require the dealer to hit. If an ace can act as an 11 without putting the hand over 21, it is treated as so, otherwise it’s 1. For example, A-6 and A-3-3 are both a soft 17. Rules differ slightly depending on whether or not the dealer stands on soft 17 (standard for the Vegas Strip Blackjack), soft 18, or hard 16. com ♣️ Soft 18: If you hold an Ace and 7, you will have a soft 18 hand. Likewise, a soft 13 would be made up of an ace and a 2. If you can't Double Down, then how to play Soft totals is ridiculously easy. Soft 19, in particular, is often misplayed by less knowledgeable players. Stand on Soft 18 against at 7 or 8. You hit if it is between 9 and Ace. Blackjack is a fairly uncomplicated but very compelling card game to play, and its popularity isn’t all that surprising. dealer’s 2. The odds will go more in the house’s favor and your odds of winning will significantly decrease. You can probably memorize this simplified blackjack basic strategy in less than an hour, in fact. The house requires dealers at some tables to hit soft 17s but we shall tackle soft totals in further detail later on. A hard 12 can be made up of 7-5, 8-4, 9-3, or 10-2. In other words, it's a defensive play. Worst cards in blackjack There are no stiff soft hands. Any hand that contains an ace that counts as 11 is known as a soft hand. 2. Soft 19 or more: Always stand. They stop once they hit hard 17 or above.