Soft 18 (Ace-7) in Blackjack

Stand, hit or double? The hand that is most often played wrong, with the numbers behind the answer.

Basic strategy says

Double against 3 to 6, stand against 2, 7 and 8, hit against 9, 10 and ace

Soft 18 is ace and 7. It looks like a decent hand, but it is the one that is most often played wrongly. Against a dealer 9, 10 or ace, 18 is not good enough to stand on.

The numbers

These are the average results per £1 of your original bet for soft 18 (ace and 7) against each dealer card. They assume an infinite deck, a dealer who stands on soft 17 and checks for blackjack, and they are calculated exactly, not simulated.

Dealer card	Stand	Hit	Double	Best play
2	('+£0.122',)	+£0.063	+£0.120	Stand
3	+£0.148	+£0.090	('+£0.178',)	Double
4	+£0.176	+£0.119	('+£0.237',)	Double
5	+£0.200	+£0.148	('+£0.295',)	Double
6	+£0.283	+£0.191	('+£0.382',)	Double
7	('+£0.400',)	+£0.171	+£0.220	Stand
8	('+£0.106',)	+£0.040	−£0.030	Stand
9	−£0.183	('−£0.101',)	−£0.290	Hit
10	−£0.242	('−£0.210',)	−£0.397	Hit
A	−£0.377	('−£0.372',)	−£0.559	Hit

Against a 9, hitting loses about 10.1 pence per £1 on average and standing loses about 18.3 pence. Against a 10, hitting loses 21.0 pence against 24.2 pence for standing. Against an ace the two are very close: hitting loses 37.2 pence and standing 37.7 pence, a gap of about half a penny.

Why hit soft 18?

Because it is a soft hand, you cannot bust on the next card. The ace simply counts as 1 instead of 11. Most cards either improve the hand (a 2 gives 20 or a 3 gives 21) or leave you with a similar total that you can play again. Against a dealer 9, 10 or ace, the dealer often ends up on 19 or 20, and an 18 loses to both, so standing is a weaker position than it feels.

Against a dealer 7 or 8, an 18 is likely to win or tie, so you stand. Against a 2, 18 is already a good hand when the dealer stands on soft 17.

How to play soft 18 against every dealer card

Here is the ace-7 row from the basic strategy chart. First with the dealer standing on soft 17, then with the dealer hitting soft 17.

Dealer stands on soft 17

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,7	S	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	S	S	H	H	H

Dealer hits soft 17

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,7	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	Ds	S	S	H	H	H

H HitS StandD Double (else hit) · Ds Double (else stand)P SplitR Surrender (else hit; 17 v A else stand; 8,8 v A else split)

Ds means double if you can, otherwise stand. The only change when the dealer hits soft 17 is against a dealer 2, where doubling beats standing (+£0.115 against +£0.110). Where the dealer stands on soft 17, standing is better (+£0.122 against +£0.120).

Other things to know

Soft 18 is not the same as hard 18. A hard 18 is a stand against everything except a few special cases. See soft hands strategy for every soft total.
If you cannot double, the fallback is to stand, apart from the dealer 9, 10 and ace where you hit.
Ace and 7 can be a pair of different cards, not a pair. Splitting does not apply. See when to split pairs for real pairs.

More blackjack strategy guides

Blackjack basic strategy chartA printable chart for hard totals, soft totals and pairs that changes with your table rules.16 against a dealer 10Hit, stand or surrender? The numbers behind blackjack's most famous decision.Soft hands strategyHow to play soft 13 to soft 20, such as ace and 7 or ace and 6.When to double downWhich hands to double on 9, 10 and 11, and the close calls.When to split pairsWhich pairs to split against each dealer card, and which never to split.Should you split 9s?Split against some dealer cards, stand against others, and why.When to surrenderThe few hands where giving up half your bet is the best move.Dealer hits or stands on soft 17What the rule changes and which plays are different.Blackjack insuranceWhy the side bet loses money, and what even money means.Blackjack house edgeHow much the casino wins, and how much each rule changes it.

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Frequently asked questions

What should I do with soft 18 in blackjack?

Double against a dealer 3 to 6 (stand if you cannot double), stand against a 2, 7 or 8, and hit against a 9, 10 or ace. If the dealer hits soft 17, double against a 2 as well.

Should I stand on soft 18 against a 10?

No, hit. Hitting loses about 21.0 pence per £1 on average against about 24.2 pence for standing.

Is it ever wrong to hit soft 18 against an ace?

It is close. Hitting loses about 37.2 pence per £1 against about 37.7 pence for standing, so the choice makes very little difference. Basic strategy says hit.

Why can I hit soft 18 without busting?

The ace can count as 1 or 11. If the next card would take 18 over 21, the ace drops to 1 and the hand becomes a hard total.