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Top Tips for Playing Soft 19 in Blackjack
Soft 19 is one of the more ambiguous hands in blackjack. Based on the make-up of the hand, it can count as nine or 19. That leaves players in a bit of conundrum. Is the best strategy to stand, hit or double down? We provide some clarity on the hand least spoken about!
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Here is a quick tip and a bit of a titbit for you. Deciding whether to stand, hit or double down on soft 19 is not as straight forward as it appears to be. There a few variables that have to be taken into account. That said, when you know how to play soft 19 like a pro, you will win the round more often than not.
You will also bank more money in the process – and at any mobile casino South Africa, beating the dealer in blackjack is your primary pursuit. So taking time to learn the ins and outs of the soft 19 hand in blackjack will be worth your while.
Hard vs Soft Hands in Blackjack
Before we get into the variables that influence the soft 19 strategy, let’s refresh your memory on hard versus soft hands.
A hard hand does not contain an ace. When you toss 19 into the equation, it looks like one of these combinations – 10-9; 6-4-9; 8-2-4-5. In this context, the hand has an extremely high probability of busting. Hence the reference to ‘hard’.
A soft hand, however, is one that does contain an ace. Soft 19 can consist of A-8; A-5-3 and A-6-2. The fact that ace can count as one or 11 affords players more flexibility. How come? It is impossible to bust the hand with only one card to the draw.
Rule #1 – Always Play Soft 19 as 19, Not Nine
Under normal circumstances, it is a no-brainer to stand on a total of 19. Of the 10 possible card values in the draw, eight of those will bust the hand. With soft 19, the decision is not as clear cut – especially for the less experienced blackjack players at Springbok Casino.
What you must bear in mind is 19 is one of the strongest hands in blackjack. Along with 20, it is the best you can wish for at the mobile casino South Africa. That is obviously not taking a natural blackjack into account. As a result, playing soft 19 as 19 rather than nine is rule number one.
What are the Player Options?
Now you would think standing on soft 19 is the only viable option. In most instances it is. There are, however, occasions when doubling down can be a master stroke and it has to do with the variables we mentioned earlier in the article.
What are the core variables that can impact the soft 19 playing strategy? They are the:
- dealer rules
- number of decks in-play
- dealer’s up card
At Springbok Mobile Casino South Africa, the Dealer Hits on Soft 17
When we talk about the dealer rules in blackjack, we are referring to the soft 17 rule. At some casinos, the dealer stands on soft 17. At Springbok mobile casino South Africa, the dealer hits on soft 17.
What has that got to do with playing soft 19 the best way you can? There is a different strategy based on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. The strategy also changes depending on whether you are playing a single, double or multi-deck game.
RTG Blackjack is a Multi-Deck Game
The Real Time Gaming Blackjack that you can play right now at our mobile casino South Africa is a multi-deck game. To provide you with the actual facts of RTG blackjack – there are six decks of cards in the virtual shoe. This means that card counting won’t suffice as a strategy.
What is more, the cards are automatically shuffled after each game round. Why is that an important detail? It negates the efficacy of counting the cards. As a result, there is no way of knowing whether there is a higher percentage of high or low cards remaining in the deck.
The Best Play Soft 19 Strategy Applicable to Blackjack at Springbok Casino
You now have a clearer idea of how the blackjack games function at Springbok Casino. The dealer hits on soft 17 – and six consistently shuffled decks are used in the game.
In interests of expediency, we are only focussing on the soft 19 strategy applicable to Springbok Casino as per the variables outlined directly above.
Does the Strategy Deviate According to the Dealer’s Up Card?
The key question is; how does the strategy deviate according to the value of the dealer’s up card? In essence, it doesn’t. You stand… with one exception.
When the dealer shows six, you double down instead. Now why would you do that? In blackjack, a five or six up card is known as the dealer’s nightmare. Why? At 42%, it has the highest probability of busting.
Get a Higher Payout Percentage on the Double Down
What’s more is that when you double down on dealer six, the average payout rate is 49.85%. That is significantly higher than the 44.6% return you would get, had you chosen to stand instead.
With that said, there is one small caveat. The double down strategy is only applicable to soft 19 in the guise of A-8. Why? The rules of the game state you can only double down on any two cards. That instantly rules out hands like A-5-3 and A-6-2.
The Best Soft 19 Blackjack Strategy in a Nutshell
What is the best soft 19 strategy to adopt at our download, instant play and mobile casino South Africa?
- You always stand, with one exception…
- When the dealer shows six, you double down
- You wait for the loot to come rolling in to your Springbok Casino account!
Blackjack is not a complex game. On the contrary, the opposite is in fact more accurate. It is, however, all about learning the blackjack rules and the strategies. When you play the game according to the basic blackjack strategy, you can beat the edge.
If you take the time to learn the ins and outs, you can beat the edge – and consequently make a little money while having fun at the best mobile casino South Africa.
Is it difficult to learn blackjack strategies? Not really… All it takes is a little time and dedication – and you can always sign up at Springbok Casino to practice blackjack in free play mode!
