The basic strategy suggests standing on a soft 18 against a dealer’s 2 or 7 but hitting against a 9, 10, or Ace. If you have an Ace and a 7, you have a soft 18.
Soft & Hard hands: In Blackjack, a soft hand is a hand that contains an Ace that can be counted as 11 without busting, while a hard hand doesn’t have an Ace or has an Ace that can only be counted as 1.
It means that for every $100 you bet, you can expect to lose 50 cents on average. For instance, the house edge for a standard six-deck game of Blackjack is around 0.5%. By understanding the house edge, you can choose the games and rules that give you the best chance of winning. For example, if you have a 16 and the dealer has a 10, the basic strategy says to hit, as your chances of busting are lower than your chances of improving your hand. The basic strategy chart shows you what to do in every possible scenario and is easy to memorize. It is the most widely used and effective strategy for reducing the house edge.
