The latter is known as a hard 17 because it doesn’t contain an ace counted as 11. The basic playing strategy for, say, ace-6 is much different than it is for, say, a 10-7. For example, an ace-5 is a soft 16 and a 3-ace-5 is a soft 19.

In the game of blackjack, hands that contain an ace that can be counted as 11 are known as soft hands. In fact, below are five common mistakes made by players but first, I want to be sure you understand what is meant by a “soft 17” hand. So what’s the big deal with a soft 17? It’s that most blackjack players frequently misplay this hand.