Soft 14 vs dealer ace: hit, stand, or double down?
Hit. Soft 14 against a dealer ace is played the same way whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17.
- Dealer hits soft 17Hit
- Dealer stands on soft 17Hit
- Hit: take one more card.
Why
A soft hand cannot bust on one card, because the ace drops from 11 to 1 if it has to. A soft 14 is too weak to stand on against a dealer ace, so take a card to improve it.
Soft 14 means an ace is counted as 11 without busting. With two cards it is an ace and a 3.
The numbers
- A dealer ace busts about 20% of the time when the dealer hits soft 17 and 17% when the dealer stands on soft 17, counted after the dealer has checked for blackjack.
- A soft hand cannot bust on one card, because the ace drops from 11 to 1 if it has to.
| Dealer rule | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Bust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dealer hits soft 17 | 8% | 21% | 21% | 21% | 10% | 20% |
| Dealer stands on soft 17 | 19% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 8% | 17% |
| Play | Dealer hits soft 17 | Dealer stands on soft 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Hit | -0.13best | -0.09best |
| Surrender (where offered) | -0.50 | -0.50 |
| Double down | -0.58 | -0.62 |
| Stand | -0.60 | -0.67 |
Scoring: a win scores +1, a loss -1, a tie 0, and a doubled hand counts twice. Surrender scores -0.50. Hit means take a card, then play on as well as possible. These are averages over many hands from the strategy audit behind the app, rounded and approximate. Any single hand can go either way.
Rules assumed
- 4, 6, or 8 decks (the chart is the same for all three)
- The dealer checks for blackjack when showing a 10 or an ace, before you act
- Double down is allowed on any first two cards
- Double after split is allowed
- Late surrender is offered, as your first decision only
- Split up to four hands; split aces get one card each and cannot be resplit
One-deck and two-deck games, tables without surrender, and dealers who do not check for blackjack change some plays. Check your table's rules before relying on any chart.
Both soft 17 rules are shown. The two charts differ on only 6 of 360 hands: see the dealer hits and dealer stands charts. The plays come from the verified 4 to 8 deck tables behind the Blackjack Trainer app (bs_4to8_h17_peek and bs_4to8_s17_peek).
Common questions: Soft 14 vs dealer ace
What is the correct play for soft 14 against a dealer ace?
Hit. This is basic strategy for 4 to 8 decks, and it is the same whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17.
Does the soft 17 rule change soft 14 against a dealer ace?
No. The play is the same whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. Only a handful of hands on the chart change with that rule, and this is not one of them.
Why hit with soft 14 against a dealer ace, and not stand?
A soft hand cannot bust on one card, because the ace drops from 11 to 1 if it has to. A soft 14 is too weak to stand on against a dealer ace, so take a card to improve it. Average result per hand over many hands (a win scores +1, a loss -1): when the dealer hits soft 17, hitting scores -0.13 and standing scores -0.60; when the dealer stands on soft 17, hitting scores -0.09 and standing scores -0.67.
Is doubling down better than a hit here?
No. Basic strategy hits here, because doubling down does worse on average against a dealer ace. Average result per hand over many hands (a win scores +1, a loss -1): when the dealer hits soft 17, hitting scores -0.13 and doubling down scores -0.58; when the dealer stands on soft 17, hitting scores -0.09 and doubling down scores -0.62.
Does the play change if soft 14 has more than two cards?
No. This chart uses only your total and the dealer card, not how many cards made the total. Exact card makeup can shift a few close calls by a fraction of a percent, which is why basic strategy ignores it.
Does this assume the dealer has already checked for blackjack?
Yes. In US-style games the dealer checks for blackjack when showing an ace before you act, so this play applies once the dealer is known not to have one. In games where the dealer does not check, some plays change.
Should I take insurance when the dealer shows an ace?
No. Basic strategy always declines insurance: insurance is a bad bet.
Does basic strategy guarantee a win?
No. It picks the play with the best average result, but any single hand can go either way, and the house keeps a small edge. This site and the Blackjack Trainer app are for practice only.