Lesson 7 of 10 · 5 min
Lesson 7: how to play soft hands
Key takeaway: A-2 to A-6: never stand. A-7: stand against 2, 7 and 8, hit against 9, 10 and ace. A-8 and A-9: stand.
One card can’t bust a soft hand, so soft hands are played much more aggressively than hard ones.
A-2 to A-6: never stand
These are soft 13 to 17: weak totals that one card can’t make worse. Always hit, and where you can double any two cards, double against the dealer’s weak cards (A-2 and A-3 against 5–6, A-4 and A-5 against 4–6, A-6 against 3–6).
A-7: the soft 18 that isn’t that good
- Against 2, 7 or 8: stand.
- Against 3 to 6: double if allowed; otherwise stand.
- Against 9, 10 or ace: hit. 18 loses more than it wins against those cards.
A-7 against a 9 is the classic mistake of experienced players: standing is worth −0.18 bets on average and hitting −0.10.
A-8 and A-9: stand
Soft 19 and 20 are winning hands. Leave them alone.
In Spanish casinos
You can only double on 9–11, so soft doubles disappear: hit A-2 through A-6, and stand on A-7 against 3–6.