While we would all like to be dealt a natural blackjack every time we play, we know that it does not happen every time. Or even half of the time. But there are two other strong hands to hope for. Unfortunately, many novice players tend to misplay these hands due to the nature of their make-up.
After a natural blackjack, being dealt a hand that totals 20 is the strongest hand to have. The only hands that a dealer can have to beat you is a natural blackjack or to hit to 21. But in order for these two hands to be worth their total they must be played correctly.
Ace-9
This is the first hand that we will look at. Because of the Ace this does count as a soft hand even though its total is 20. And that is where most novice players make their mistake. Many will reduce the Ace from 11 down to 1 and play this hand as a hard 10, often doubling down. While doubling down seems to be the most advantageous play to make it is not.
What most novice players are missing is the most basic aspect of this hand: that the total is 20. Forget the soft or hard part and focus on the hand total, and play this as a hard 20. The chances of reducing to 10 and hitting to a total that is as strong as your original 20 or 21 are slim. It is better to just play an Ace-9 as a 20.
10-10
Like an Ace-9, this hand is often misplayed due to novice players thinking that there is a more advantageous play to make. In this case, novice players see that this is a pair, and think that the most advantageous play is to split them.
This is similar to reducing the Ace and doubling down with an Ace-9; the chances of building, not one, but two hands to equal the original 20 or better is slim. It is better to play this hand as a hard 20 for the same reasons that you want to play an Ace-9 as a hard 20.