Basic Winning Strategies

Hitting vs. Standing with Soft Totals

Soft Total Dealer's Upcard Decision

A 6 any up card H

A 7 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Ace S

A 7 9, 10 H

A 8 any up card S

A 9 any up card S

If you have a soft total less than 17, of course that hand should be hit and then played either as a soft or hard hand.

For example, if you are dealt an ace, 4, hit and get a 10, you now hold a hard 15, and must follow the strategy suggested in the chart on hitting vs. standing with hard totals. If the same ace, 4 was hit and you drew a 3, you'd be holding a soft 18 and would have to use the strategies of the soft-hand chart.

The only problem card in the above chart is the ace, 7 hand. The ace, 6 is always hit while the ace, 8 and ace, 9 are never hit. The ace, 7 is only hit against the dealer's 9 or 10 up card because computer studies have shown that in the long run you will have an advantage if you hit, since there is a likelihood that the dealer who shows a 9 or 10 will have a hand valued at 19 or 20, higher than your 18. Against the dealer's ace as an up card, a soft 17 is a dead-even proposition.

There are several reasons why an ace, 6 should always be hit. First of all, a 17 is a useless hand, since the only way you can win is for the dealer to bust his hand. Second, there are several cards that can improve the soft 17 and make it into a very powerful hand. Third, if you hit and get a 10-value card, you haven't hurt your hand at all. A fourth reason is that even if you get a card that weakens the total, such as a 6, giving you a total of 13 as a hard hand, it will make no difference if the dealer has a bust card as his up card. In this case you now stand with your stiff.