Ace in Blackjack: Maximizing Your Soft Hands Strategy

Ah yes, the Ace in blackjack. The strongest and the most desirable card. Today we’re going to take a look at what makes the Ace the strongest card in the game.

Once you’ve read this guide, you will know what advantages the Ace brings to the table, how it works with soft and hard hands, and how to play your hand when it has an Ace in it.

Here we go . . .

How Much is an Ace Worth in Blackjack?

Curious about the role of an Ace in Blackjack? It’s one of the most versatile cards in the game! Watch our video below to learn more and improve your understanding of the game.

The Ace can be worth either 1 or 11, depending on what the player wants it to be and the other cards she has.

It is this flexibility that makes the Ace so effective and such a desirable card. 

If the Ace is counted as 11, the hand is referred to as a Soft hand because if we hit the hand, it cannot bust.  

Let’s say we are dealt an Ace and a 5, so we have a Soft 16.  Which means it is either 6 or 16.

If we take another card and draw a 10, our hand wouldn’t bust, we would just change the value of the Ace to 1, and now we would have a Hard 16 which is 10 + 5 + 1 = 16.

If the draw card was another Ace instead of a 10, we would have 7 or 17, called a Soft 17.  

Ace + 5 + Ace = 1 + 5 + 11 = Soft 17

The Ace when paired with a high-value card like an 8 or 9 gives the player a very strong hand right from the initial deal.  

It would usually be played by standing with our Soft 19 or Soft 20.

Check out the Basic Strategy charts below for the one instance where you would double down on a Soft 19 if you were allowed to.

When to Hit and When to Stand with A Soft Hand

Attached below are two Basic Strategy charts for a double deck blackjack game.

Our first chart is for when the dealer hits a Soft 17, the second one is for when the dealer stands with a Soft 17.

The row across the top of the chart indicates the dealer’s up card.

The column down the left-hand side is your hand.

There are three sections to the chart.

The top section includes the Hard hands, the middle section covers the Soft hands, and the bottom section is when to split a pair.

The middle section, which includes all the Soft hands, gives you the exact right play for how to play a Soft hand against a specific dealer’s up card.

What to do With a Pair of Aces

A pair of Aces is a Soft 12, which is a weak hand.

If you split those Aces, you have a much better chance of making two good hands than if you play the weak Soft 12. 

It is a standard Basic Strategy rule that you always split a pair of Aces.

The dealer will give you one card on each Ace, and if it’s a 10 or a face card, it doesn’t count as a blackjack, it only counts as 21.
Some casinos may allow the player to double down after a split on Aces.

Review the charts above to see if you should double down after a split.

Expert Advice / Tips

1. Always split a pair of Aces.
2. Make sure you maximize your opportunity to get more money on the table when you have an Ace in your hand.  Check out the Basic Strategy charts above for how many ways there are to double down with a Soft hand and make sure you do when you can.
3. The Ace is the players’ friend, and here’s why:

Let’s say you’re playing $100 a hand.

The dealer gives you two kings, but deals himself a blackjack, so you lose your $100.

The next hand, he deals you a blackjack, and gives himself an 18.

Now he pays you $150.

You played two hands; you lost one and won one.

And came out $50 ahead.