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Lesson 4 · The Game
A hand is 'hard' if it has no aces, or if the ace counts as 1. It is 'soft' if the ace counts as 11 without busting.
Understanding hard vs soft is essential — they completely change the optimal decisions.
10 + 6 = hard 16. No ace, or ace already counted as 1.
A + 6 = soft 17. The ace counts as 11. If you draw an 8 → A+6+8 = 15 (ace now counts as 1).
Total > 21 → bust → you lose immediately.
You and the dealer tie → draw, bet returned.