Pairs to Definitely Split: Ace/Ace

On 03.03.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Another pair that is most advantageous to split. Being dealt two Aces is not exactly the most normal of hands and it is probably the most fluid.

Obviously you do not want to play both Aces as 11’s since your hand total would be 22 and a bust. The other non-split option is to reduce one Ace to a 1, but then you hand total is 12—another stiff hand that is more difficult to win with.

A hard 12 is tricky because basic strategy says to stand if faced with a dealer’s 4-6. And while you will not lose every single time against those three up cards, you are defiantly the underdog in those instances.

So if there is another way out of being stuck with a hard 12 why not take it? Doubling your original wager and splitting those Aces will allow you to start two new hands, each with its own Ace.

The advantage is that you will be playing with two hands that each have a second chance built in. A third chance really when you count splitting them as the second chance to your hand—that makes reducing to a 1 as a fallback the hands’ third chances.

By splitting your Aces into their own hands you are playing with two soft hands. This is advantageous because if you hit one too high you can reduce the Ace from 11 to 1 and still have a shot at creating a good hand. Whereas if you were to split any other pair you do not have that fallback ability to reduce the value of a card like the Ace allows.

Being able to split a pair of Aces and then playing them as soft hands—with the ability to reduce the value of the Ace if necessary—is what makes splitting a pair of Aces so advantageous.

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How to Play a Soft 17

On 01.27.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Being dealt a soft 17 can be a rather tricky hand to play with.

A good many players will play this hand as if it were a hard 17. And while a 17 has the potential to be a relatively strong blackjack hand, playing a soft hand like its hard counterpart is not always the most advantageous why to play it.

The Ace that makes a soft hand what it is creates a whole other way to play. This is why basic strategy has a different way to play soft hands.

But the first thing that you need to know is that a soft 17 is not the same as a hard 17. It gives you flexibility.

Let’s say that you have been dealt a soft 17. And we are going to assume, like a serious blackjack player should, that the dealer’s hole card is a 10—that is the worst case scenario. If the dealer’s up card is an 8, 9, 10 or Ace, you would normally be stuck if you had a hard 17. But a soft 17 allows you to switch to a more defensive strategy.

With the Ace’s ability to serve as a 1 or an 11, you can reduce a soft 17 to a hard 7 and hit. This is giving you another chance to build a stronger hand. You might be able to hit to a hard 18 or more, and give yourself a bit of a better leg to stand on. At any rate, it is better than simply playing a soft 17 like a hard 17.

In fact, hitting is what basic strategy advises. It also advises to take further advantage of a soft 17 by doubling down against a dealer’s up card of 3, 4, 5 or 6. That is when the dealer has the greatest chance of busting, and your strategy should put you in place to take advantage of it.

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Blackjack Strategy for Soft 18

On 12.30.09, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Soft 18 is one of those hands that is not always played to its best advantage. Most blackjack players see that their hand total is 18 and stand, thinking that they have a pretty strong hand.

And in some cases standing is still the most advantageous blackjack strategy play to make. If the dealer’s upcard is a 2 through 8 it is better to stand.

If your blackjack strategy includes assuming the worst case scenario is that the dealer’s hole card is a 10, then he could have a 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18. Since the dealer has to up on the 12 through 16, he stands a pretty good chance of busting. If he has a 17 you will beat him with your 18. And if he has an 18 you will push, but at least you will not have lost any money.

It is only when the dealer’s upcard is a 9, 10 or Ace that your blackjack strategy changes.

Normally if you were playing with a hard 18 you would be stuck and would have to stand. Assuming that the dealer’s hole card is a 10, he would then have a 19, 20 or blackjack. This would cause the hard 18 to lose, but having a soft 18 gives your hand a second chance.

While there is nothing you can do to beat a dealer having blackjack, you do have a shot at beating his assumed 19 or 20. Here, your strategy would be to reduce your Ace from 11 to 1 so that you are now playing with a hard 8. Now you can hit and possibly build a hand to compete with the dealer’s assumed 19 or 20.

You might beat him or you might not. But at least playing your soft 18 this way against a dealer 9 or 10 you have a chance, whereas a hard 18 would leave you standing with no chance to rebuild your hand

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