What Makes a Blackjack Hand Hard or Soft?

When it comes to playing blackjack, one of the most important things to understand is the concept of a hard hand versus a soft hand. Simply put, a hard hand is one where the player is at risk of busting if they hit, while a soft hand gives the player some room to work with.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at hard and soft hands in blackjack, and offer some tips on how to play them.

A hard hand in blackjack is any hand that contains an Ace valued at 11 points. Since an Ace can be worth either 1 or 11 points, it’s considered a riskier proposition than other cards.

For example, let’s say you’re dealt a hand with an Ace and a 5. This is considered a hard 16, because if you hit and receive another card valued at 10 points (like a 10, Jack, Queen or King), you would bust.

Conversely, a soft hand is any hand that contains an Ace valued at 1 point. So, using our previous example, if you were dealt an Ace and a 6, that would be considered a soft 17.

The Ace in this case acts as insurance against busting, as you can always count it as 1 point if need be.

Generally speaking, hard hands are more difficult to play than soft hands. This is because there’s less room for error – if you hit on a hard 16 and receive a 10-valued card, you’re almost certainly going to bust.

With a soft hand like 17, however, you have the option of hitting or standing depending on what the dealer is showing.

When it comes to playing hard and soft hands, the best advice is to err on the side of caution. If you have a hard 16 and the dealer is showing a 7 or higher, it’s probably best to stand and hope they bust.

Similarly, if you have a soft 17 and the dealer is showing a low card like 2 or 3, hitting may be the better option. As always, use your best judgment and remember that blackjack is meant to be fun!.