The two best cards in blackjack are Aces and Tens. When combined in the initial deal, they get you the best hand possible: Blackjack for a 3-to-2 payout.
However, when the dealer flips an Ace as his up-card, it’s not so great for you. In this scenario, you get the option of taking insurance to protect yourself from the potential of the dealer having Blackjack. Online games at Bodog all have insurance included as an option.
Aces hold special value in many card games. Aces in blackjack have the highest value and can convert from 11 points to 1 to save your hand; they are critical to landing the best hand possible. Knowing how to use your Ace in every hand combination will get you ahead in your journey to developing a sound blackjack strategy.
In this guide, we explain how Aces make soft and hard hands, and when you should split and double, among other things. Once you’ve mastered the art of playing Aces in blackjack, you can move on to our other blackjack guides that cover every part of the game.
The Dual Value of Aces in Blackjack
In blackjack, only one rank can convert from one value to another, and that’s Aces. In its natural form, the Ace value is 11 points and referred to as a “soft” Ace—soft because it can switch down to 1 point if needed.
The conversion happens when your hand exceeds 21 points. This would normally result in a bust, which is an automatic loss, but if you have a soft Ace, it switches to a “hard” Ace that’s worth just 1 point, thus preventing the bust. We’ll illustrate with an example.
Let’s say you have an Ace and a Five in your blackjack hand for a soft score of 16. According to basic blackjack strategy, you should hit (or double). If you get dealt a Six or higher, you’ll bust. But with the Ace in hand, adding a Six would change your score of 22 to 12, keeping you in the game.
This flexibility has such great impact on play that there’s a secondary strategy chart for soft hands. Only by following both charts will you get optimal blackjack strategy.
Soft vs. Hard Hands Involving Aces
With an Ace in blackjack, you can have soft hands and hard hands. A soft hand includes an 11-point Ace that can be converted down to 1 point; it’s flexible. A hard hand, conversely, has a 1-point Ace and cannot be converted; it’s inflexible. If you have two Aces in your hand, one will be soft (11 points) and the other will be hard (1 point); this hand is still a soft hand since it has an 11-point Ace.
There is a different approach for soft vs hard hands in blackjack. In the next sections we’ll look at how they compare and how you should play them based on the dealer’s up-card.
Soft Hands
Soft hands can and should be played more aggressively than hard hands. Having an 11-point Ace that can switch to 1 point will encourage hitting more than standing. A soft 17 or below should always be hit or doubled; the double down is reserved for when the dealer has a strong bust card. Conversely, a hard 12 to 16 should be a hit just half of the time.
To stand with a soft hand, you should aim for a score of 20 or more. With a score of 19, you should stand against anything except a dealer Six, which is a high bust card for the dealer. In that case, you’re advised to double down on your bet.
Lastly, a soft score of 18 needs some extra consideration. This Ace-Seven combo is strong enough to face the dealer if he has a high bust card (Seven, Eight). But, if he has a strong up-card (Nine, Ten, Ace), you’ll need to hit and hope for a 10-value card or Ace. You should double with this soft 18 hand when the dealer shows a Two through Six.
Hard Hands
A hard hand locks you in to your score. This type of blackjack hand has an Ace that’s been converted to 1 point and can’t change back to 11. The result is a more restrained approach that balances hitting and standing.
With hard hands, your aim is to build a score of 17 or higher. Less than 17 requires you to check the dealer’s up-card and stand when it’s weak (Two through Six), hit when it’s strong (Seven through Ace) down to and including a score of 13. With a score of 12, you should still stand when the dealer has the highest odds of busting (Four, Five Six), otherwise hit.
When you find yourself with a hard score of 4 through 8, you have to hit if you want a chance to win. As for 9, 10 or 11, that’s double down territory, which we’ll discuss in the section below.
Splitting Aces: Maximizing Winning Potential
No pair in blackjack is as ideal for splitting as Aces. Right off the bat, you’ve got a soft score of 12, which means there’s a good chance you’ll bust if you hit and land one of those pervasive 10-value cards. But if you split those Aces and are dealt 10-value cards, the result is a perfect score of 21 for both hands.
This advantage is so great that most blackjack games have rules around split Aces. The following three are the most common ones:
– Split Aces that receive a 10-value card don’t count as Blackjack (and don’t pay 3-to-2)
– You will be dealt just one card on split Aces
– You won’t be able to re-split if you get another Ace
Splitting Aces is one of the best moves you can make and should be part of everyone’s blackjack strategy.
Doubling Down with Ace Combinations
To double down in blackjack is to add a second bet equal to the first on the table and request just one more card. That way, if you win, you get a payout that’s twice as big as what you would have gotten with just the initial bet.
Doubling down is reserved for scenarios when getting a 10-value card added to your hand would put you in a winning position. For example, if you have a soft score of 13 or 14 (Ace and Two or Three), and the dealer has the highest chance of busting (Five or Six), you should be more aggressive and double down. If you got 10-value cards, you’d have a score of 13 or 14, which is usually good enough when the dealer’s upcards are in bust territory.
As you reach higher Ace combinations, such as Ace-Four (soft score of 15), Ace-Five (soft score of 16), you can widen your double down range to include Four, Five and Six as dealer up-cards. Furthermore, a soft score of 17 (Ace-Six) encourages double down for Three, Four, Five and Six dealer up-cards, and a soft score of 18 includes Two in that same range. Lastly, a soft score of 19 (Ace-Eight) advises double down only against a dealer Six.
Playing Against a Dealer’s Ace Upcard
The best card a dealer can flip over for himself is an Ace. Your odds of winning against a dealer’s Ace are low and your best options are the forfeit (surrender) or hit. You’ll be offered a chance to take the insurance bet, which essentially gets you your money back if the dealer has a Blackjack. Insurance, however, is not advised according to basic blackjack strategy, as the probability and payout don’t justify it.
If you’ve got a weak score, including 15, 16, 17, against a dealer Ace, your best bet is to surrender and retrieve half of your bet. Our standard six-deck blackjack lets you surrender any first two cards.
A hard score of 18 or higher leads to standing, while a hard score under 15 is low and you’re better off hitting. If you happen to have a hard score of 11, however, you should double down and hope for a 10—even against a dealer Ace.
Soft scores are a different animal when you’re up against a dealer Ace. Hit if you have a score of 18 or below, and stand with anything higher.
Common Mistakes When Playing Aces
If you can avoid making the mistakes that plague many beginners, you can get off to a running start at the blackjack tables. For one, always split Aces no matter what. Every time a blackjack dealer sees a player keep a pair of Aces intact, they cry a little inside. Remember that by splitting them, you eliminate a weak score of 12 for a strong chance of landing a Ten for a score of 21—with both hands. That’s the best upgrade you can hope for at the blackjack tables.
A second mistake that’s all too common with beginners is that they aren’t aggressive enough with soft hands. That flexible Ace will back you up if you get a card that’s bigger than you expected. Take advantage and hit with 18 and below. One exception to this rule is if you have a soft score of 18 against a dealer Seven or Eight; in these cases, you want to stand.
Advanced Ace Strategies for Online Blackjack
Applying basic blackjack strategy to your session is a good approach for beginner players. You can practice online blackjack risk-free while following along with a strategy chart that reflects the game you’re playing.
To take things up a notch, you could learn about composition dependent advanced strategies in blackjack. This advanced strategy incorporates the composition of your hand on the probabilities. To compare it with the basic strategy mentioned above, your running total is the only thing considered against the dealer up-card, but with the advanced composite dependent strategy, you go deeper and consider the cards that make up the total.
For example, if you have a score of 12, the composition of that hand is needed to determine the best move. Is it a Ten and Two, Nine and Three, Eight and Four, or a Seven and Five? Each scenario can lead to a different recommendation with composition dependent strategy, making it more accurate than total dependent strategy.
The fewer decks in the shoe, the more relevant composition dependent blackjack strategy becomes. Out of all the blackjack games variations, Single Deck Blackjack is really the best option with this approach. Composition Dependent Strategy Charts assume you’re playing Single Deck and have individual charts for a two-card hand, three-card hand, four-card hand, five-card hand and six-card hand. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Enhancing Your Blackjack Skills with Ace Mastery
The best way to put this newfound blackjack knowledge to use is to practice at your own pace from the comfort of home. Playing blackjack online allows you to take your time and consult your notes as you play each round, making it superior to live blackjack at this point in your blackjack journey.
Once you get comfortable, you can carry on with our online blackjack games, or switch over to the Live Dealer blackjack options in our casino. With either option, there are several variations to choose from, and they all pay real money when you win. With every Ace that comes your way, you’ll know how to get the most out of it. Enjoy flexing your blackjack muscles and we’ll see you at the tables. The learning never stops when it comes to blackjack. How to deal with perfect pairs? When to split? What is insurance? Bodog Casino is always on hand to help explain your basic blackjack strategies. Good luck.