Soft hands are hands that make their totals without having an ace on them. The strategy is for soft hands in single deck blackjack is a bit different from the strategy most players are used to (multiple deck soft hand strategy). This is so since there are relatively less single deck games in a casino nowadays.
What we'll show here is the basic strategy for soft hands. We will not be considering other casino rules that affect the game (e.g. whether or not the dealer would hit or stand on a soft 17). We will only deal with what basically players should do given what the totals their cards have and the dealer's up card on the table.
Players who practice this basic soft hand strategy for a single deck game take advantage of getting an edge over the house. The correct moves for each given soft hand are as follows:
Soft 20 to Soft 21: The correct move for this hand is to stand since these are ultimately powerful hands in blackjack.
Soft 19: Another strong hand in blackjack. The correct move for this hand is to stand, except if the dealer's hand has a six on it thereby making your chances better. In such a case you should double down (Note: remember to check the casinos house rules first, since some casinos won't allow a double down given this situation. Your best option, if a double is not allowed in such a case, is to stand).
Soft 18: The correct strategy given this hand in blackjack is to stand on the dealer's up card of two, seven, or eight; hit if the dealer shows a nine, ten, or an ace; double if the dealer shows three to six (stand if double down isn't possible).
Soft 17: The correct moves for this hand are as follows - double down on the dealer's two to six, hit on the other cards not in this set.
Soft 16: For this soft hand, you should double down on the dealer's four, five, or six up card, the rest you should hit.
Soft 15: Hit on the dealer's two, three, seven, eight, nine, ten, or ace up card. Double on four, five, or six.
Soft 14: The correct moves for this soft hand is the same for a soft 15.
Soft 13: The correct move for this hand is also the same as a soft 15.
This is the basic strategy for soft hands in single deck blackjack. Some of the moves will change depending on a casino's house rules but these are the basics every player should know.