A soft 18 is A,7 — an Ace counted as 11 plus 7. Here is the correct basic-strategy play against each dealer upcard (6-deck, S17, DAS).
| Dealer | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play | S | Ds | Ds | Ds | Ds | S | S | H | H | H |
S = stand · H = hit · D = double · Ds = double if allowed else stand
Against 2, 3 and an Ace the correct play moves once the count does. The other 7 hold across every true count you will see at a six-deck table.
The other 7 never move: against 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 the correct play at true count -3 is the same as at +7.
Break points come from the same count-dependent table that powers the strategy charts. The point gaps are computed by the engine for a full six-deck shoe.
See the row above for the correct play against each dealer upcard. It's for 6-deck, dealer stands on soft 17, DAS.
A soft hand contains an Ace counted as 11, so it can't bust on the next card. Soft 18 is A,7.
Yes, against 3 of the ten upcards. versus 2, stand becomes double at a true count of +1 or higher; versus 3, double becomes stand at a true count of -3 or lower; versus A, hit becomes stand at a true count of +2 or higher. The rest hold at every count you will see at a six-deck table.
