Definition
Soft Hand
Also known as Soft Total, Soft 17, Ace Hand
By Abhinav VasudevanReviewed Editorial policy
In short
A soft hand in blackjack contains an ace counted as 11, so it cannot bust on the next card. Soft hands are played more aggressively than hard hands of the same total.
A hand is soft when it contains an ace being counted as 11. Ace + 6 is a soft 17: it is 17 now, and if you draw a 9 it becomes 16 rather than 26, because the ace revalues to 1.
Once the ace must count as 1, the hand is hard. Ace + 6 + 9 is a hard 16.
Why softness matters
A soft hand cannot bust on a single card. That makes drawing free of downside risk, which changes the correct play substantially.
Compare hard 17 and soft 17:
- Hard 17: always stand. Any card above 4 busts you.
- Soft 17: always hit. You cannot lose the hand by drawing, and 17 loses to the dealer far more often than it wins.
Standing on soft 17 is one of the most common and most expensive basic strategy errors.
Soft strategy
| Hand | Play |
|---|---|
| Soft 13–14 (A2, A3) | Double vs 5–6, otherwise hit |
| Soft 15–16 (A4, A5) | Double vs 4–6, otherwise hit |
| Soft 17 (A6) | Double vs 3–6, otherwise hit |
| Soft 18 (A7) | Double vs 3–6, stand vs 2, 7, 8, hit vs 9, 10, A |
| Soft 19+ | Stand |
Soft 18 is the genuinely awkward one. It looks like a good hand and is mediocre. It loses to 19, 20 and 21, and against a dealer 9 or 10 hitting is correct despite feeling reckless.
Dealer soft 17
Many tables have the dealer hit soft 17 rather than stand on it, usually marked on the felt as H17.
This adds about 0.22% to the house edge, because it gives the dealer a free chance to improve a weak hand. Where both options are available in a venue, the stand-on-soft-17 table is the better game.
Common questions
What is a soft 17 in blackjack?
Ace plus six, where the ace counts as 11. It cannot bust on the next card because the ace revalues to 1, which is why you should always hit it. Standing on soft 17 is one of the most common and expensive errors.
What does it mean when the dealer hits soft 17?
The dealer draws rather than standing on a soft 17, usually marked H17 on the felt. It adds about 0.22% to the house edge by giving the dealer a free chance to improve a weak hand.