A soft 19 is A,8 — an Ace counted as 11 plus 8. 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 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
S = stand · H = hit · D = double · Ds = double if allowed else stand
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 19 is A,8.