Blackjack Doubling a Soft 13 - Doubling Soft Thirteen

When to Double Down on a Soft Thirteen

When playing blackjack, while on the Internet or in a casino, it would not be so uncommon to be dealt two cards that total a soft thirteen, which would be an ace and a two. This hand is called a soft thirteen because if you took a hit and got a ten valued card, it would not be a breaking hand, it would only be a hard thirteen. You could also count the hand as a three. A lot of players will argue about what to do with a soft thirteen, some say always hit it, some say sometimes double down on it and some say, go with your gut. Players often decide their strategy on math, gut instinct, card counting or basic strategy. I always advise to follow basic strategy when playing blackjack, it is the best way play consistent, and since basic strategy is calculated by odds, it is a lot better than guessing.

You can find and purchase a blackjack basic strategy card at a lot of casino gift shops and even on the Internet. It is very important to remember when shopping for a blackjack basic strategy card that to make sure it is designed for the game in which you plan to play. For example, the small, credit card sized basic strategy chart that I follow is designed for tables in which the dealer stays on all seventeens, as opposed to the dealer hitting a soft seventeen. I suggest that if the table you plan to play at hits soft seventeens, then you should shop for a basic strategy card that applies to those conditions.

According to the blackjack basic strategy chart that I am looking at, if you are dealt an ace and a two, as your first two cards of blackjack, and the dealer is showing an up card of a two, three or four, then you should simply hit your soft thirteen, not double down and not stand. However, if the dealer's up card is a five or a six, then instead of hitting your soft thirteen, you should double down. Doubling down on your soft thirteen means, that when the dealer offers you a hit, you would place a second bet out there, up to the amount of your original wager, but not more than your original bet and the dealer will give you only one additional card, good or bad card, it's the only one you are going to get. Ideally, it would be a seven for twenty, or an eight for twenty one, that does not always mean it will be a seven or an eight, but hopefully. If it is not a seven or an eight, and it is more like a two, three, four, five, six, nine, ten valued card or ace, you are still not looking at a loser, you could still pull it off, hopefully the dealer will break and every hand on the table, even your ugly twelve, will get paid. Basic strategy for blackjack also suggests that if you are dealt an ace and a two, and the dealer is showing an up card of a seven, eight, nine, ten valued card or ace, you should not double down or stand, you should simply hit your soft thirteen.

Now, just because you chose to follow basic strategy for blackjack for every hand you get, and double down on your soft thirteens when you are suppose to and simply hit it when you are not suppose to double down, does not mean you will always win, does not even mean that you will win every time you put a big bet out there and get a soft thirteen and double down against the dealer's up card of a five or a six. It simply means that hopefully you will come out ahead more times than not, when you follow basic strategy when playing blackjack.