Hard and soft hands in blackjack refer to the value of your hand. A hard hand is any hand that does not contain an Ace, or any hand where the Ace can only be counted as 1 point. A soft hand is any hand that contains an Ace, and can be counted as either 1 or 11 points.
The value of your hand will determine how you play each round of blackjack. If you have a hard hand, you will need to be more careful about taking hits, as going over 21 would mean busting and losing the hand. If you have a soft hand, you have some more flexibility, as you can hit without fear of going over 21 (as long as you don’t draw another Ace).
Knowing whether you have a hard or soft hand is important in making the right decisions during each round of blackjack. It’s one more piece of information that can help you beat the house and come out ahead!
When blackjack players refer to a “hard hand,” they are talking about a hand that does not contain an Ace, or a hand in which the Ace can only be counted as 1 point. A “soft hand” is a hand that contains an Ace, and the Ace can be counted as either 1 point or 11 points (depending on what is most beneficial for the player).
The value of the Ace is what makes a blackjack hand “hard” or “soft.” If you have an Ace in your hand, it gives you more options and thus more ways to win. However, if you don’t have an Ace in your hand, you are more limited in how you can play the hand.
In general, it is better to have a soft hand than a hard hand. This is because the Ace gives you more options and thus more ways to win. However, there are some situations where it is better to have a hard hand.
For example, if you are holding a hard 17 (Ace-6), you should stand if the dealer is showing a 7 or higher. If the dealer is showing a 6 or lower, you should hit.
