How to Play a Soft 19 in Blackjack

Few casino games are as enduring as blackjack. For hundreds of years, blackjack has attracted players of all kinds from different backgrounds. Why is it such a popular table game though? The answer is simple: blackjack is easy to learn but hard to master. Even new players can understand the goal: get to 21, or as close to it, without going over. More experienced players, on the other hand, can take that basic information and add to it advanced strategies designed to improve their likelihood of winning. In this article, we’ll explore how to play soft 19s in blackjack, including when to double down and when to stand.

A blackjack soft 19 is one of the strongest hands in the game. In fact, it means that players are more likely to win than not. Both standing and doubling down are viable options in this scenario depending on the dealer’s upcard.

What is the difference between a hard 19 and a soft 19?

Blackjack has two types of hands: hard and soft. Soft hands are the more flexible of the two because they contain an ace. In blackjack, aces can be worth one or 11 depending on player needs, so players with a soft hand have more options than those without one. Examples of soft 19s include ace plus eight, where the ace is played as an 11. A hard hand, on the other hand, is a hand without an ace. The numbers in hard hands do not change. An example of a hard 19 is nine plus 10.

Doubling down on a soft 19

Deciding what to do with a soft 19 in blackjack can be difficult, and knowing when to push bigger wins and when to stand can make or break the round. Look to the dealer’s upcard to guide your actions. If the upcard is a four, five or six, consider doubling down to get above the house edge. Upcards worth anything else require a different strategy.

Hitting and standing on a soft 19

You may be wondering, ‘Do I stand with a soft 19 in blackjack?’ Our team at LeoVegas hears this question all the time. The answer, with the exception of doubling down as described above, is most likely ‘yes’. It is incredibly unlikely that you will improve your hand, and simply standing with a 19 gives you excellent win odds.

In blackjack, hitting soft 19s is generally a terrible idea. The chances of landing the two you need to hit 21 are very low. The more likely scenario is that you receive a card that puts the value of your hand over 21 and necessitates playing your ace as a one.

Let’s take a look at an example. Let’s say you have an ace and an eight in your hand. Using the ace as an 11, your total is 19. You decide to hit rather than stand and receive a five. Five plus the 19 in your hand equals 24, which means that you go bust. Because it is a soft hand, however, you can play the ace as a one instead. This means that instead of 24, your hand would value 14 (one plus eight plus five). This is a dramatically weaker hand than you started with.

Probabilities of success with a soft 19

We’ve discussed the basics of blackjack strategy, but there are a few specific probabilities to keep in mind. Here are some of our favourite blackjack soft 19 tips to help you play your best whether you’re playing online live casino games or in person.

There are two main strategies for a soft 19. You can double down, or you can stand. The action you take depends on the dealer’s upcard. If the dealer has a four, five or six as their upcard, you should double down. Those numbers mean that the dealer is at their weakest and that they have a higher chance of busting. Your likelihood of winning by doubling down with a four, five or six upcard is 66%, 69% and 71%, respectively. This strategy maximises your winnings because if you receive a 10, you get 19. If the dealer busts, you win even more money!

Standing is the most common strategy for a soft 19. Dealers are less likely to bust on twos and threes, so doubling down isn’t recommended. Against a seven or higher upcard, the dealer is more likely to have a strong hand, so your best bet is to stand on your 19.

Blackjack Strategy Table