One of the best blackjack tips we can give you involves how to utilize the option of soft doubling, because it’s possible it can become one of your best friends at the table. The idea of soft doubling applies when you are holding a “soft hand.” What does this mean?

Well, it means that you have a two-card hand that contains an Ace. Therefore, it can have either of two values – one which involves counting the Ace as one, and the other counting it as 11.

Basically, that presents us with the hands that go from Ace-2 through Ace-9. Of course, there are a couple of hands that are technically “soft” but you wouldn’t include on this list: Ace-10 is a “blackjack” or a “natural,” and under most circumstances will pay off at 3-to-2 odds immediately. And a pair of Aces immediately requires a split as per any responsible Basic Strategy, so doubling is completely out of the equation.

One blackjack tip that you should always follow is to refer to these hands as the Ace and whatever the other card is. For example, an Ace and a 2 should be referred to as “Ace-Two” and not as “3 or 13″. When you get dealt a soft hand, you have the option to take a one-card draw for twice the original bet, which represents the idea of doubling.

There is a potential strength in doubling soft hands as opposed to hard hands because you have flexibility. Remember, you can use either the soft or hard total of the original hand, whichever will give the you the best overall hand after the doubling action. With a hand like Ace-Six, you can improve your hand by drawing a high card (Ace), bringing the total to 18, or with a low card (3, for example), which would bring the total to 20.

The other side of this blackjack tip is that you could actually make things worse by using the option of soft doubling. Let’s say, for example, you held an Ace-7, which totals 18 (if you want it to). The house has a five, which is certainly a signal for you to double. But then you get dealt a six, producing a very weak total of 14. There’s not much you can do with that. The house now has to bust for you to win. yet you have still made the decision that is most mathematically sound.

The soft doubling option is very important to you, and critical to learn as part of your portfolio of blackjack tips. When this option is removed, it represents a disadvantage of approximately .14%.

As you learn more and more about this game, you’ll find that it is quite consequential.

Your decisions as per Basic Strategy with regard to soft doubling will get less confusing as you progress. What you want to do is divide these types of hands into groups of two — (A,2-A,3), (A,4-A,5), (A,6-A,7), and (A,8-A-9). The Ace-8 and Ace-9 hands are already “pat” (or standing) hands, and should be left alone. In all likelihood, these are winning hands, so we’ll leave them alone.

When you play a multiple-deck game, which is what you are going to encounter most of the time online, the Ace-2 and Ace-3 hands need to be doubled upon when the house has a 5 or 6 as the upcard. The Ace-4 and Ace-5 are doubled with the house having a 4,5, or 6 showing. You will double the Ace-6 when the house is showing anything from a 3 through a 6. Please take note of these blackjack tips, because they will be of immense help when all is said and done.

And by the way, here’s another blackjack tip for you that is part of this overall discussion – when the house’s upcard is anything except what is mentioned above, you are going to hit. There is one exception: the Ace-7 operates in a way that is similar to the Ace-6, since a doubling action is required by Basic Strategy when the house shows 3 through 6. But there is something different about Ace-7, as opposed to all other hands, because you have to stand with it when the house shows either 2, 7, or 8 as an upcard. You will never do any soft doubling against a two, and there is a strong likelihood that the hand where the house has the upcard of seven can be beaten with a soft 18.

A push (or tie) is very possible with the 8 showing. If you were going to project a total of 18 for the house, and the only way to beat that by doubling is to draw an ace, 2, or 3, and that is not a high percentage play.

And after all, high percentage plays are what we are looking for when we give you these valuable blackjack tips!

One of the best blackjack tips we can give you involves how to utilize the option of soft doubling, because it’s possible it can become one of your best friends at the table. The idea of soft doubling applies when you are holding a “soft hand.” What does this mean?

Well, it means that you have a two-card hand that contains an Ace. Therefore, it can have either of two values – one which involves counting the Ace as one, and the other counting it as 11.

Basically, that presents us with the hands that go from Ace-2 through Ace-9. Of course, there are a couple of hands that are technically “soft” but you wouldn’t include on this list: Ace-10 is a “blackjack” or a “natural,” and under most circumstances will pay off at 3-to-2 odds immediately. And a pair of Aces immediately requires a split as per any responsible Basic Strategy, so doubling is completely out of the equation.

One blackjack tip that you should always follow is to refer to these hands as the Ace and whatever the other card is. For example, an Ace and a 2 should be referred to as “Ace-Two” and not as “3 or 13″. When you get dealt a soft hand, you have the option to take a one-card draw for twice the original bet, which represents the idea of doubling.

There is a potential strength in doubling soft hands as opposed to hard hands because you have flexibility. Remember, you can use either the soft or hard total of the original hand, whichever will give the you the best overall hand after the doubling action. With a hand like Ace-Six, you can improve your hand by drawing a high card (Ace), bringing the total to 18, or with a low card (3, for example), which would bring the total to 20.

The other side of this blackjack tip is that you could actually make things worse by using the option of soft doubling. Let’s say, for example, you held an Ace-7, which totals 18 (if you want it to). The house has a five, which is certainly a signal for you to double. But then you get dealt a six, producing a very weak total of 14. There’s not much you can do with that. The house now has to bust for you to win. yet you have still made the decision that is most mathematically sound.

The soft doubling option is very important to you, and critical to learn as part of your portfolio of blackjack tips. When this option is removed, it represents a disadvantage of approximately .14%.

As you learn more and more about this game, you’ll find that it is quite consequential.

Your decisions as per Basic Strategy with regard to soft doubling will get less confusing as you progress. What you want to do is divide these types of hands into groups of two — (A,2-A,3), (A,4-A,5), (A,6-A,7), and (A,8-A-9). The Ace-8 and Ace-9 hands are already “pat” (or standing) hands, and should be left alone. In all likelihood, these are winning hands, so we’ll leave them alone.

When you play a multiple-deck game, which is what you are going to encounter most of the time online, the Ace-2 and Ace-3 hands need to be doubled upon when the house has a 5 or 6 as the upcard. The Ace-4 and Ace-5 are doubled with the house having a 4,5, or 6 showing. You will double the Ace-6 when the house is showing anything from a 3 through a 6. Please take note of these blackjack tips, because they will be of immense help when all is said and done.

And by the way, here’s another blackjack tip for you that is part of this overall discussion – when the house’s upcard is anything except what is mentioned above, you are going to hit. There is one exception: the Ace-7 operates in a way that is similar to the Ace-6, since a doubling action is required by Basic Strategy when the house shows 3 through 6. But there is something different about Ace-7, as opposed to all other hands, because you have to stand with it when the house shows either 2, 7, or 8 as an upcard. You will never do any soft doubling against a two, and there is a strong likelihood that the hand where the house has the upcard of seven can be beaten with a soft 18.

A push (or tie) is very possible with the 8 showing. If you were going to project a total of 18 for the house, and the only way to beat that by doubling is to draw an ace, 2, or 3, and that is not a high percentage play.

And after all, high percentage plays are what we are looking for when we give you these valuable blackjack tips!