A hard hand in blackjack is any hand that doesn’t feature an ace, or if it does, an ace is counted as a 1. Hard Handĭifferentiating between hard and soft hands is key to mastering the blackjack game. Stay with us to learn not only the difference between the two hands but also the basic blackjack strategy involving soft hands, which, in turn, can help you decrease the house edge and improve your chances of winning.