Should You Hit On A Soft 17 In Blackjack
When the Soft 17 rule applies, the dealer always hits on a soft 17.
In blackjack, an Ace that is counted as 11 and combined with another card to make a total of 17 is a soft 17. For example, an Ace valued at 11 combined with 6 is a soft 17. On the other hand, an. Lastly, as indicated on the basic blackjack strategy chart, if you are unable to double down due to the blackjack variation you are playing, you should hit except for 4 scenarios where its highly recommended to rather stand. This includes when you display a soft 18 and the dealer displays a 6, 5, 4, or 3. You cannot reasonably hit a hard 17 at the blackjack table. Nor can you hit a hard 18 or 19 or 20. These hard totals give you the best chance of winning the hand and you must stand on them in all circumstances. Of course, if the dealer shows a 6 or any lower card then you have a different decision to make based on your own hard total.
If you have a soft 19 or 20, you should always stand. You are unlikely to get a stronger hand than this. For a soft 18 against the dealer’s 2 through 8, stand. If the dealer shows 9, 10, or an ace, hit. If your total is soft 17 or less, you should always hit. More chances to win remain if you hit with 4-4 giving you an 8 and a higher chance to beat a soft 17. Splitting Other Cards in Blackjack. Along with the combinations that leave only one option on whether or not to split, there are also other combinations that can leave you with options depending on the dealer’s up card.
If you are a Blackjack fan, you are familiar with a fact that you can choose from a plethora of game variations at online casinos. They come with different rules and different house edge rates which can significantly impact your performance. On the other hand, Blackjack is one of a few casino games where a player can gain leverage by making the right decisions and moves.
One of the rules that apply to Blackjack games is the so-called Soft 17. If you have been wondering what it is all about and how you should choose a Blackjack variant based on the Soft 17 rule, you have come to the right place.
What is Soft 17 Rule?
First of all, you need to understand the concept of a soft hand. A soft hand is a hand containing an Ace that is counted as an 11. So, when you have an Ace and a 6 in a hand it is a soft 17. When it comes to the Soft 17 rule, it is a rule the dealer must play by. Depending on the game you choose, you will notice that at some tables, the dealer must hit or stand on a soft 17. When the dealer must hit on a soft 17, it means that the Soft 17 rule applies. It is always clearly stated on the table, so the player is always informed whether the Soft 17 rule is in play or not.
How It Affects Your Odds?
The Soft 17 rule increases the house edge, meaning that your odds are lower when choosing a game in which the dealer must hit on a soft 17. That practically means that with a soft 17 hand, the dealer hits for a chance to get a better hand. When the Soft 17 rule applies, the house edge increases by 0.20%. Since such a rule is not favourable to the player, casinos tend to modify other rules to even the house edge. That’s why you will typically find Blackjack tables with the Soft 17 rule applied and fewer decks in play. As you know, the fewer decks the lower house edge. Stay with us to learn about a strategy you should use when playing the games where the Soft 17 rule applies.
Blackjack Strategy when Soft 17 Rule Is in Play
When you play Blackjack you will typically double down on an 11 when the dealer holds an Ace. You will also double down when you have a soft 19 and the dealer’s first card is a 6. Another situation in which you will double down is when you have a soft 18 and the dealer shows a 2. However, when the Soft 17 rule applies, you should modify some of your moves to increase your odds. The moves you will make vary based on the number of decks in play.
In a single-deck Blackjack game with the Soft 17 rule in play, you should hit on a soft 18 when the dealer has an Ace. On the dealer’s Ace, you should split a pair of 9s and double down if it is allowed. When surrender is allowed, you should go for it on a hard 15 and a hard 17 when the dealer shows an Ace.
When you play a double-deck Blackjack with the Soft 17 rule, you should double down on a soft 14 when the dealer has a 4. Make the same move on a soft 18 against a 2 and on a soft 19 when the dealer shows a 6. If the game allows you to surrender, do it on a hard 15 when the dealer’s first card is an Ace.
If a game uses 4, 6 or 8 decks of cards and the Soft 17 rule applies, we don’t recommend you to play it.
Should You Hit On A Soft 17 In Blackjack Card Game
Final Thoughts
Although Blackjack games with the Soft 17 rule come with a higher house edge, you should not give up on them completely. If you can, always to choose those variants with fewer card decks in play and apply the modified strategy for the best odds of winning. If you don’t want to think about changing the strategy you have already learned, go for those Blackjack variants in which the dealer stands on a soft 17.
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Should You Hit On A Soft 17 In Blackjack Machine
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BACK TO TOPFirstly, what is a soft seventeen in blackjack? Its cards dealt to the player which contain an ace so to get a soft seventeen you could have an ace+3+3 or an ace+6 for example.
Basic blackjack strategy insists when dealt a soft seventeen to hit and not stand. This basic rule however isn’t always followed with some blackjack players preferring to stand assuming their cards are good enough to beat the dealer. In this article we look at why this basic rule exists and why it should always be followed.
Seventeen is a very weak hand to start off with a player standing on seventeen only has a 33.15% chance of winning against the dealer since the dealer must go bust in order for the player standing on seventeen to win. The chances of the dealer pulling seventeen which would finish the hand with a push is 14.61% leaving 52.24% chance the player will lose.
Hitting on a hard seventeen makes no sense. A soft 17 always has an ace which based on the card value received from the dealer can always revert back to the value of one. So the chances of pulling a stronger or the same hand when hitting on a soft seventeen are 61.53%
Understanding basic blackjack strategy is as important as understanding the rules of blackjack, players of online blackjack might get lucky and pull a few winning hands however overall the house will always win if they player doesn’t understand the basic fundamentals of the strategy behind blackjack from a players perspective and how to get more of an edge over the dealer. Reminding ourselves that it’s all well and good getting blackjack hand but the aim of the game is to beat the dealer and do this consistently of the course of the shoe.