A soft hand is a hand that you can not bust on the next card you have an ace that counts as 11 with soft 17 you always want to take another card because of the fact that you can not bust and the dealer will always make 17 or better or bust. On a soft 17 if you hit it and get a 10 you do not have 27 after hitting you have 17 again. Hard and Soft Hands – What is a Soft Blackjack Hand? As mentioned earlier in this article, the key to both the hard and soft blackjack hands is the ace. So what is a soft blackjack hand? The soft blackjack hand is basically a hand that has an ace. In the soft blackjack hand, the ace has a value of 11.

• What Does Soft And Hard Mean In Blackjack
• Soft 12 Blackjack
• Blackjack Trainer Soft Hands
• In Blackjack What Does Hard And Soft Mean In Writing
• Hard And Soft Fishing
• Hard Vs Soft Totals Blackjack

1. I n the game of blackjack, the opportunity to double down is the chance to increase the value of your initial bet by up to 100 per cent. In return, the player must stand after taking one more card.
2. A blackjack game which is dealt from a shoe. Shoe games typically use more than 2 decks. Soft A soft hand is a hand that includes an ace valued as 11, as opposed to 1. Split If a player is dealt two cards of the same rank, they can choose to play each of them separately, putting up a bet for each one. Stand To stop asking for more cards.
3. Blackjack Game Hard Hands. Now you are fully aware of what a Soft Hand is, let us tell you about Hard Hands, a Hard Hand is simply any two card hand that does not contain an Ace, and therefore only have one possible value as opposed to two values which Soft Hands containing an Ace have!

What is a Soft 17 in Blackjack?

The game of blackjack is becoming more and more popular in gambling venues across India. Millions of players are trying to reach the magical number 21, i.e. to beat the dealer and leave the casino with a big bag of rupees. The same can be said about the online gambling market, and online blackjack in India is growing in popularity with each passing day. Even so, not all players have the necessary knowledge to ‘rob’ the casino of a few rupees. In other words, it is crucial to know the rules of blackjack if you want to win. And, the so-called soft 17 rule is one of the essential elements of the game. Yes, you’ve probably heard the term ‘soft hands in blackjack’. But, do you understand what this concept entails? Don’t worry, our comprehensive guide will tell you all there is to know about soft 17 vs hard 17 hands. That is, you will learn what is a soft 17 and how you can use this rule to your advantage. Therefore, let’s dive deeper into the basics of online blackjack.

The Basic Rules of Blackjack

However, before we get into the nooks and crannies of online blackjack, let us remember the basic concept of the game. In a nutshell, the goal of blackjack is to reach the almighty number 21. Or, you should get as close to this number as possible, without going over it. If the total of your cards goes over 21, your hand will bust and you will lose the money. Of course, the dealer also has a say in a hand of blackjack. In short, you have to beat the dealer’s hand as well. In case you have the same total as the dealer, the hand may end up in a draw or a ‘push’. To be clear, this

What Does Soft And Hard Mean In Blackjack

oversimplified explanation of blackjack rules is just a quick overview. Needless to say, the best online casinos in India can provide you with many opportunities for playing blackjack. By visiting some of those sites, you can get the first-hand experience on the mechanics of playing online blackjack.

Card values

Before you start playing, it is also important to understand the value of the cards in this game. For instance, the cards from 2 through 9 have their face value. Thus, five counts as five, and so on. On the other hand, cards from 10 through K are all worth 10. So, a Q does not have a value of 13. No, this card is also counted as 10.

The value of the Ace card

Last but not least, the value of the Ace is also important in a game of blackjack. Moreover, Ace is one of the main elements of the gameplay. The reason for this comes from the fact that Ace can be counted as a 1 or 11, depending on the situation. With that being said, the way in which we assign value to the Ace card has a direct impact on soft or hard hands. So, here is how you can recognize the soft 17 hands when playing blackjack in an online casino in India.

What is a Soft 17?

Finally, we arrive at the actual topic of this guide. So, soft hands in blackjack are the ones that contain an Ace counted as 11. If the Ace has a value of 1, the hand is not soft. For example, the combination of an Ace and a six is called the soft 17. Likewise, the total of 11+7 is a soft 18, 11+8 is a soft 19, etc. On top of that, soft 17 can also appear in the three-card form. For instance, your hand may consist of an Ace+2+4. Either way, the total of the cards in the hand must be 17, and the Ace must be counted as 11. When the hand does not come with an Ace, we call it a hard hand. For instance, a hard 17 is a combination of 10+7 or 8+9. But, why is the soft 17 so important?

Soft 12 Blackjack

Why should you pay attention to this concept when playing blackjack in an Indian online casino? Here is why.

How to Play the Soft 17?

Well, the soft 17 is a hand that causes the most headaches to novice blackjack players. In most cases, experienced and skilled players have no problems with solving the puzzle that is the soft 17. In a way, top blackjack players rely on a simple mantra:

Never stand on a soft 17!

In essence, this simple rule is the most important thing you should remember from reading this article. Millions of players across the globe decide to stand on soft 17, i.e. they do not want to receive the third card nor they take any other action. As a result, these players are wasting away thousands, if not millions of rupees. To avoid such a scenario, here is what you should do.

Hit on soft 17

One of the options for playing the soft 17 hands is to hit. In blackjack, this means that you will receive another card, which should get you closer to 21. By taking the third card, you will boost your odds of winning. If you decide to stand on soft 17, it is almost certain that the dealer will beat your hand. Yet, there are moments when you should not hit. That is, you should take another approach. For that reason, here are the situations in which you should ask for the third card:

• When the dealer’s upcard is 7 through Ace

In case we didn’t mention, the upcard is the card that stands in front of the dealer and it is turned face up.

Double down

The second option for playing the soft 17 is to double down. In short, this term means that you have to place another bet next to your starting bet. The ‘new’ bet can not be bigger than your original bet for the particular hand. So, if you win the hand, you get paid double money. Hence the name ‘double down’. When it comes to soft 17, you should double down when the dealer is showing a so-called weak hand. To clarify, this means that the dealer’s upcard is low in value. Therefore, the dealer is vulnerable and you should start the chase by doubling the money. Yet, you should double down in the following situations:

• When the dealer is showing an upcard that has value 2 through 6 (3 through 6 for multi-deck blackjack)

On top of that, it is important to note that you should never double down if the dealer is showing 7 through Ace as an upcard.

Soft 17 from the Casino’s Point of View

Since the game of blackjack is played against the casino, the dealer also has an active role in a hand. In other words, the dealer also needs to make certain calls and decisions. For instance, the decision to hit or stand on soft 17 is one that makes a lot of difference. However, different casinos offer a different approach to the so-called soft 17 rule. What this means is that some casinos require dealers to stand on soft 17. On the other hand, some casinos require that the dealer hit on soft 17. If you remember what we said earlier, it is always better to hit than to stand on soft 17. Well, this ‘rule’ applies to casinos as well. As a matter of fact, the casinos that are telling their dealers to hit on soft 17 are receiving a boost in house edge. To be precise, the soft 17 rule favors the casino and it

Blackjack Trainer Soft Hands

increases the house advantage by 0.20%. Even though this percentage may seem small, in the long run – you could lose a lot of rupees because of the difference in the house edge. Thus, we recommend that you always play blackjack in an online casino in India that does not feature the soft 17 rule. To clarify, it is best to play blackjack at a casino that tells dealers to stand on soft 17. In addition, we recommend playing a single-deck blackjack whenever you have the opportunity. By doing so, you will have much better odds than playing a multi-deck variation of the game.

Conclusion

With or without the soft 17 rule, online blackjack in the top casinos in India can provide you with a lot of fun. But, if you want to win some money, it is imperative that you learn how to play a soft 17.

Moreover, blackjack is a game of tactics, and that is why basic strategy charts are worth having by your side when playing the game. At the end of the day, soft 17 is a tricky hand, truth be told. But, strategic thinking can get you out of that station and reward you with a bunch of rupees in the end.

Chaya

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By Henry Tamburin
No other hand makes blackjack players feel queasy than the dreaded 16. Players hate to hit the hand because they are afraid tobust. So many chicken out and stand no matter what the dealer shows. Others opt for the surrender option if it’s available figuring losing half a bet is better then losing it all. If your 16comes as a pair of 8’s most players are reluctant to split if the dealer shows a 9, 10, or ace because they are afraid of losing two bets instead of one. Then there is the 16 made up with anAce counted as 11 (i.e., soft 16). So what’s a player to do when he gets a 16?

First, let’s focus on a hard 16. That’s a hand that does not contain an Ace or if it does the Ace counts as one. Some examples of a hard 16 would be 10-6 or 5-7-4 or 7-8-Ace.

The correct basic playing strategy for hard 16 is to stand when the dealer shows a small card (2 through 6) and hit when the dealer shows a high card (7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace). Following thisplaying strategy will not guarantee that you will win every time but that you are more likely to lose less in the long run.. Let me explain.

Suppose you are dealt a 10-6 and the dealer shows a 7 upcard.

If you hit you win on average 30% of the time and lose 70%.

If you stand you will on average win 26% and lose 74%.

In Blackjack What Does Hard And Soft Mean In Writing

Note that you improve your chances of winning the hand by 4% if you hit rather than stand. But the dealer is still an overwhelming favorite to beat you because he will win 70% of the hands toyour 30%. But is it better to win 26% of the time by standing or 30% of the time by hitting? You should hit because it will increase your chance of winning by 4%, not much, but every percentagewill help you in the long run when you play blackjack.

So the bottom line with a hard 16 is this. Even by following the basic strategy, you will lose more hands than you win but in the long run, you will lose less than following a seat-of-the-pantsstrategy. Losing less on hands where you are the underdog is just as important as winning more when you are the favorite.

What if your 16 consists of three or more cards like 5-7-4? Normally the basic strategy ignores the composition of the hand. However, if you have a hard 16 hand consisting of three or morecards, then you should stand when the dealer has a 10 showing. The reason is that you have consumed a few of the small cards that you need if you were to draw. This tips the odds in favor ofstanding.

Some casinos allow players to surrender. This means you give up the opportunity to play out your hand and automatically lose half your bet. Even when surrender is offered, most players don’tlike “giving up” without a fight. So they rarely surrender. That’s unfortunate because surrendering a hard 16 when the dealer shows a 9, 10, or Ace will save you more money in the long run thanhitting. In fact, surrender is always the best option when your chance of winning a hand is less than 25%. Take the hand of hard 16 against a 10. If we hit our chance of winning is 23.4%. Thismeans the dealer’s chance of beating us is 76.6%. If we played a hundred hard 16’s against the dealer 10 with those probabilities, we would end up winning about $23 and losing $77 for a netloss of $54 on average. By surrendering on every hand our net loss would be $50. Get the point? You are better off losing $50 then $54 which is why surrendering a hard 16 against a 10 is thebetter play because you will save $4.

If you happen to be dealt a soft 16 (like Ace-5), you should never surrender and you should never stand. Your first option is to double but only if the dealer shows a weak 4, 5, or 6 upcard. Ifnot, then hit.

Finally, we have a pair of 8’s. The correct basic strategy play is to always split the 8’s no matter what the dealer shows. Even though you will lose money on both 8’s when you split, thecombined loss, in the long run, will be less than the amount you will lose by playing the one hand as a 16. Splitting 8’s against a dealer 10, by the way, is also a slightly better play thensurrendering.

Hard And Soft Fishing

No question that 16 is a lousy blackjack hand. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most frequent hands you are going to be dealt in blackjack. But, by following the above playing strategy you willbe optimizing your chances of winning more, and losing less, in the long run. It’s the smart way to play blackjack.

Hard Vs Soft Totals Blackjack

Henry Tamburin has been a respected casino gambling writer for the past 50 years. He is the author of the Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide and was editor of the BlackjackInsider newsletter. You can read his latest articles on blackjack, video poker, and his personal playing experiences at https://www.888casino.com/blog/writers/henry-tamburin