M
Mike_25
Guest
Soft totals in blackjack basically mean you're counting an ace as 11, which gives your hand extra punch. So if you got an ace and a 5, that's a soft 16, cuz the ace is worth 11. Soft hands are awesome, cuz if you bust, that ace can drop down to 1 and you'll only be off by 1 instead of 6!
Knowing the dealer's upcard is key to deciding whether to hit or stand on a soft hand. See, if the dealer is showing a 7 or less, hit that soft 17. The odds of getting a strong 20 or closer are in your favor. But if the dealer has an ace or king showing, stand on the soft 17. No point in risking going bust on a hand that's already pretty good.
Doubling down means betting twice as much as your original bet, so you double your winnings if you get lucky. You can double anything, but you gotta make sure the odds favor you first! Consider the dealer's card and what's left in the deck.
If the dealer is showing 4-6, the deck probably still has more tens and ace-king pairs left to give them a weak hand. In that case, doubling down on a 20, 21 or strong 19 is a good play.
But if the dealer has an ace showing, they're probably holding an ace-ten or two aces. The deck is light on tens at this point, so there ain't no reason to give them more money by doubling a weak hand. Only double something real special, like a 20-22 in that spot.
Some players even try to count cards to get an edge counting the tens left in the deck. A negative count means less tens left, so fewer double down opportunities. A positive count means you burned more tens, so your money can ride more at the double down. Splitting aces and eights helps build the count in your favor too.
Does this all make sense? Let me know if you have any other questions about soft hands, doubling down or basic strategy. I'm here to walk you through this game step-by-step!
Knowing the dealer's upcard is key to deciding whether to hit or stand on a soft hand. See, if the dealer is showing a 7 or less, hit that soft 17. The odds of getting a strong 20 or closer are in your favor. But if the dealer has an ace or king showing, stand on the soft 17. No point in risking going bust on a hand that's already pretty good.
Doubling down means betting twice as much as your original bet, so you double your winnings if you get lucky. You can double anything, but you gotta make sure the odds favor you first! Consider the dealer's card and what's left in the deck.
If the dealer is showing 4-6, the deck probably still has more tens and ace-king pairs left to give them a weak hand. In that case, doubling down on a 20, 21 or strong 19 is a good play.
But if the dealer has an ace showing, they're probably holding an ace-ten or two aces. The deck is light on tens at this point, so there ain't no reason to give them more money by doubling a weak hand. Only double something real special, like a 20-22 in that spot.
Some players even try to count cards to get an edge counting the tens left in the deck. A negative count means less tens left, so fewer double down opportunities. A positive count means you burned more tens, so your money can ride more at the double down. Splitting aces and eights helps build the count in your favor too.
Does this all make sense? Let me know if you have any other questions about soft hands, doubling down or basic strategy. I'm here to walk you through this game step-by-step!
