What is a soft hand in blackjack?
A soft hand in blackjack is any hand that contains an ace being counted as 11 without the total exceeding 21. Because the ace can switch from 11 to 1, a soft hand cannot bust on the next card — that flexibility changes the optimal strategy for these hands.
Soft hand examples
Ace-6 is a soft 17. Ace-5 is a soft 16. If you hit a soft 17 and draw a 10, your ace shifts to 1 and you have a hard 17 — you didn’t bust. This is why basic strategy recommends hitting or doubling soft hands in situations where you’d stand with a hard equivalent. The ace’s flexibility means you have no downside risk of busting on the first additional card.
Why soft 17 matters for the dealer
You’ll often see tables labeled S17 or H17. S17 means the dealer must stand on soft 17. H17 means the dealer hits soft 17. H17 rules give the casino a slightly higher edge because the dealer can improve their soft 17 to a stronger total. S17 tables are slightly better for players.