Blackjack 101: Playing the Soft Hands

When you play blackjack you'll always get a chance to play a hand that has an Ace. This presents a really unique opportunity for you when you get to crack at it. Any hand in blackjack that has an Ace on it is defined as a soft hand.

The good news is that if you do get a soft hand or soft total when playing blackjack, by using correct strategy you now have a chance to reduce the house advantage and make some money. Here's how you can capitalize on such opportunities when you have a soft hand in blackjack.

The very first step when playing soft hands in blackjack is to check out what is the dealer's up card. This should become a habit for you whether you're playing soft hands or not. Knowing what to do depending on the dealer's up card should be basic since basic strategy does build on this little habit.

We all know that one of your cards is an Ace, so we've got both bases checked out - your Ace and the dealer's up card. Here's what you have to do next when playing soft hands in blackjack.

If the dealer's up card turns out to be a Five or a Six, check your other card. If you have an Ace and a Three or an Ace and a Two you double down. If you have other cards rather than a Two or a Three, you hit.

Moving forward, now let's say you other card (besides the Ace) turns out to be either a Four or Five here's what you do. Check the dealer's up card, if that card is within the range of Four to Six, you double down, if not then you hit.

Let's say your blackjack hand consists of an Ace and a Six what do you do? After checking the dealer's hand, if the dealer's up card is within the range of Three to Six you double down, if not then you hit.

Now if you have an Ace and a Seven you must stand if the dealer's up card is a Two, Seven, or Eight. If the up card is between Three to Six you double down. If it's none of the above mentioned then hit.

The last bit of blackjack soft hands strategy is pretty easy to remember. If ever you get an Ace and an Eight or an Ace and a Nine you always stand.

This is the basic blackjack strategy to play the soft hands. If you play the soft hands in blackjack correctly in the above-prescribed method, you will reduce the house advantage and win some money.