17Soft17
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Lesson 1 · Soft Totals

Soft 13-16 — Double Zone

Soft 13-16 (A2-A5) are as weak as hard hands, but the flexible ace makes them candidates for doubling vs a weak dealer.

You can't bust with a single card — this safety lets you be aggressive.

Examples

S13 vs 5
A♣A♣A
2♥2♥2
YOU
VS
5♣5♣5
DEALER
✓ Double

Double Down — A,2 vs dealer 5. The dealer is weak, the ace protects from bust.

S15 vs 2
A♥A♥A
4♥4♥4
YOU
VS
2♥2♥2
DEALER
✓ Hit

Hit — vs 2 the double advantage is not sufficient for S15.

Common mistake

Standing on soft 15-16 'because 16 busts'. A soft 16 can't bust with one card — it's a double against 4-6 and a hit otherwise. Standing is never the play.

Guided practice

Try 8 hands from the category you just studied before the quiz.

Soft
A♣A♣A
2♠2♠2
YOUR HAND
VS
Dealer
4♥4♥4
DEALER

Quiz

Answer 8 out of 10 correctly to continue.

Check this hand on the full chart →