How to play soft hands in blackjack (A-2 to A-9)
Quick answer: a soft hand has an ace counted as 11, so one card can’t bust you. Never stand on soft 17 (A-6). Double soft 13–18 against the dealer’s weak cards (mostly 4, 5 and 6), stand on soft 18 against 2, 7 and 8, hit soft 18 against 9, 10 and ace, and always stand on soft 19 and 20.
What a soft hand is
A hand is “soft” when it contains an ace that’s being counted as 11. A-6 is soft 17: if you draw a 10, the ace simply drops to 1 and you have hard 17. Because one more card can’t bust you, soft hands are opportunities: you can improve freely, and against a weak dealer you can double your bet.
That’s why the most common soft-hand mistake isn’t taking too many risks, it’s being too timid.
The soft hands chart
Six decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double on any two cards. H = hit, D = double (hit if not allowed), Ds = double (stand if not allowed), S = stand.
| Hand | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-2 (soft 13) | H | H | H | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| A-3 (soft 14) | H | H | H | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| A-4 (soft 15) | H | H | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| A-5 (soft 16) | H | H | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| A-6 (soft 17) | H | D | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| A-7 (soft 18) | S | Ds | Ds | Ds | Ds | S | S | H | H | H |
| A-8 (soft 19) | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| A-9 (soft 20) | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
The full chart, with hard hands and pairs and adjustable to your table’s rules, is on our basic strategy chart page.
Soft 17: never stand
A-6 looks like 17, and 17 feels like a hand to stand on. But a dealer who doesn’t bust finishes with 17 or more, so standing on 17 rarely wins. Since one card can’t hurt you, A-6 is a hand to improve: double against 3 through 6 and hit against everything else.
Soft 18: the trickiest soft hand
A-7 is the one soft hand where all three plays appear in the same row:
- Against 2, 7 or 8: stand. 18 is a solid total here.
- Against 3 through 6: double if allowed; stand if not.
- Against 9, 10 or ace: hit. Against those cards 18 loses too often, and you can’t bust on the next card.
| Table | Stand | Hit | Double | Split | Surrender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas (S17, surrender) | −0.180 | −0.143 | −0.345 | — | −0.500 |
| Spanish casino (no hole card) | −0.241 | −0.207 | — | — | — |
Bet units per hand (−0.500 = you lose half a bet on average). Best option in green. “—”: not allowed at that table. Computed with the Veintiuno engine (6 decks unless “Double deck”), with the visible cards removed.
How the rules change soft hands
- Dealer hits soft 17 (H17): also double A-7 against a 2 and A-8 against a 6 (stand if doubling isn’t allowed).
- Double on 9–11 only, as in Spanish casinos: you never double soft hands. Hit the ones marked D, and stand on A-7 against 3 through 6.
The most common soft-hand mistakes
- Standing on A-6. Soft 17 is always a hit or a double.
- Standing on A-7 against 9, 10 or ace. It feels safe, but hitting is better.
- Not doubling A-7 against 3 through 6 when the table allows it.
More on these doubles in when to double down, and the full list of costly errors in common blackjack mistakes.
Soft hands are where intuition fails most often, which makes them perfect for drilling. Practice them on the free practice table, or follow the blackjack course.
Frequently asked questions
Do you hit or stand on soft 17?
Always hit or double soft 17 (A-6); never stand. On a six-deck S17 table you double A-6 against 3 through 6 and hit against everything else. Standing on soft 17 is one of the most common mistakes at the table.
What do you do with soft 18 (A-7)?
Stand against 2, 7 and 8; double against 3 through 6 if allowed (stand if not); and hit against 9, 10 and ace. Soft 18 is a weak total against a strong dealer card, and one more card can’t bust you.
Should you ever double soft 19?
Only A-8 against a 6 when the dealer hits soft 17 (H17). Otherwise, soft 19 and soft 20 always stand.
What if my table only allows doubling on 9, 10 or 11?
Then you never double soft hands. Hit the ones the chart would double, except A-7 against 3 through 6, which you stand on instead. This is the rule in Spanish casinos.