Part I: Games & Gaming · Card Games — Baccarat & Blackjack

Soft Hand

BlackjackREPORTED

A hand containing an Ace that can be counted as either 1 or 11 without causing the hand to bust. For example, Ace-6 is a soft 17 (can be 7 or 17). Soft hands are advantageous because the player can hit without immediate bust risk. The optimal strategy for soft hands differs significantly from hard hands.

In practice

A soft 17 (Ace-6) is the most commonly misplayed hand by recreational players. Some casino rules require the dealer to hit soft 17 (H17), while others require standing (S17): this rule significantly affects house edge.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary, 1,090 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.