Should You Hit On A Soft 17 In Blackjack
However, if the dealer doesn't have an upcard of 3 to 6 then the chances of a player winning with 17 is slim to none. Therefore, it is always wise to hit or double down on soft 17 to increase your chances of a win. (More on blackjack odds. 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.
Play Ona Table Where the Dealer HitsSoft 17's
Should You Hit On A Soft 17 In Blackjack Games
NOTE: This information is no longertrue... Yahoo! changed their code! I'll go ahead and leave thisup here but then be sure to read my update
| A 'soft 17' is a hand totaling 17 points, which includes at least one Ace, which can be valued at 1 or 11 points. Examples would be Ace, 6 or Ace, 4, 2 or Ace, 3, 3, 3, etc. The following hands are not soft 17's since, if the Ace is counted as 11, the hand exceeds 21: Ace, 5, 6 or Ace, 3, 9 etc. Now, normally the opposite would be true. It is a slight advantage (.2% according to Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston) to the player to play at a table in which the dealer stands on a soft 17. The people at Yahoo! however, are either not up to speed on what a soft 17 is, or more likely, simply did not do enough error checking while testing their code. As I write these words (May of 1998) if you create a table in which the dealer must hit on a soft 17, the dealer will hit on a hard 17 if it contains an Ace !!! Here's a screen capture I made, proving this: |
| I was dealt a Jack and a 5, for a total of 15, against the dealer's upcard of a 6. Basic Strategy calls for one to stand here, which I did. The dealer promptly flipped over an Ace giving him a soft 17. Because I specifically choose the option for the dealer to hit soft 17's the dealer then took a hit and received a 6 for a total of 13. He then took another hit and received a 4 for what is now a hard 17! The programming logic should have stood at this point... and I would have lost! As you can see, the dealer took another hit and busted with 26! |
| Because of this error (or flaw or bug or whatever you want to call it) it is now beneficial to play at a table where the dealer hits soft 17's. Just this week alone I have already benefited from this numerous times. Since a 10 is a common card, it actually happens quite frequently! Many times the dealer has had a soft 17 of some type, taken the required hit and received a 10! And then on almost every occasion, when the dealer hits that hard 17, he proceeds to bust. Note the dealer doesn't actually have to ever have a soft 17 for this to happen. Earlier today, I noticed the dealer held a 10 as an upcard, flipped over a 6, took a hit and received an Ace for 17 and then took another hit! At no time did the dealer ever have a soft 17! The dealer hitting on all hard 17's which include Aces, is a HUGE advantage for the player! |
| UPDATE! I was just informed from another player Yahoo! changed their code. The dealer no longer hits on a hard 17 which contains Aces. To confirm this, I decided to come back out of 'retirement' and play for just a short while. He was right -- the dealer is now correctly standing when he should be. So all of the above is now incorrect. It is now beneficial... ..to play at a table where the dealer STANDS on soft 17's !!! Got it?? Good. Now explain it to me! <grin> |
Some players avoid blackjack because they don’t quite understand the ‘dealer must hit on soft 17’ rule on a blackjack table, but this rule can be quite favourable to a player provided they know how to play their hand.
Additionally, players who have played blackjack with the soft 17 rule, may have been tricked into thinking the basic strategy chart is universal and there is only one applicable to every set of rules. This is incorrect. S
o for players who either avoid the game because they can’t understand the rule, or for those have have been using the wrong strategy chart, we offer some information on the rule which may come in handy, the different basic strategy charts involved, as well as the best variations that offer the rule to help players play 21 at their optimum.
What is a soft 17 in blackjack?
A soft 17 not only affects the dealer, but it also effects the player. A soft hand occurs with an Ace, while a hard hand can occur with an Ace but it has to equal one, not 11. A soft hand is when the Ace exists as 11. So when we are talking about whether a 17 is hard or soft, the Ace is integral to the hand.
Basically, a hard 17 is when an Ace, seven, and nine occurs, with the Ace existing as one, as if the Ace was an 11 it would bust as it is amounts over 21.
Should You Hit On A Soft 17 In Blackjack Card Game
A soft 17 however, exists as a six and an Ace, so the Ace counts as an 11.
The rule soft 17 means the dealers have to hit when they land a soft 17 hand. Players can figure out whether or not the soft 17 rule is in effect for the dealer by finding the rule written on the virtual table online, or by asking a croupier at land-based venues.
Why would a dealer hit on a soft 17?
Since it is soft, once dealers draw their third card, they can change the Ace amount from 11 to one. For example, say the dealer got a soft 17, so an Ace and a six, then drew a nine. It would appear they had 26 meaning they busted, but since the Ace can turn into a one, the amount actually totals 16.
So why is this a favourable rule for players?
Well take the aforementioned example. Drawing a nine totalled the dealer’s hand to 16, which is considered a terrible hand in blackjack and carries a 62% bust out rate with it, which in turn is favourable to the player. However, if the dealer revealed a two, three, four, or even a five when hitting on a soft 17, players may not be so lucky.
There tends to be this idea that standing on a soft 17 is more favourable, but it may not always be the case. Regardless, the best thing to do is ensure you take the basic strategy chart in account when considering which rule variant to play, which we discuss below.
Can players hit on a soft 17?
This rule isn’t exclusive for dealers; however, it’s only included in some variants, while players can hit on soft 17 in all titles. It isn’t advised for players to always hit on a soft 17 and that is when the basic blackjack strategy enters, suggesting to double down if allowed depending on the dealer’s up card.
What is the basic blackjack strategy?
The basic blackjack strategy is a chart, or multiple charts due to the amount of blackjack variations, which basically tells you the best move to make when the dealer has a certain card in relation to your hand. It isn’t a sure thing, but it is the best move to make according to mathematical calculations.
There are actually two predominant charts involved with one specifically made for variants where the dealer hits on a soft 17 and another for where the dealer stands on a soft 17. This is because it is recommended to do certain actions differently in accordance to whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17.
Basic strategy with soft 17
As mentioned above, there are modifications needed to be made when playing with the soft 17 rule. This in includes a number of hands against certain dealer cards. We have listed most of them, but remember to look it up yourself, especially if you are playing with less than four decks.
- Player has a total of 11 and dealer has an Ace: Double Down instead of hit
- Player has a soft 18 and dealer has a two: Double down instead of stand
- Player has hard 15 and dealer has an Ace: Surrender if allowed instead of hit
- Player has a pair of eights and dealer has an ace: Surrender if allowed instead of split
Blackjack variations with the soft 17 rule
There are multiple variations available online which offer the soft 17 rule where the dealer hits. It is important to note which title you are playing and even the software provider incase they have varying payouts. When searching for a strategy chart ensure you have the right game rules along with the soft 17 rule.
Should You Hit On A Soft 17 In Blackjack Machine
Single Deck Blackjack Pro – This title is by Net Entertainment and includes the dealer hits on soft 17 rule. With just a single deck, players will need to look up a basic strategy chart with one deck and the soft 17 rule. There is also a high and low limit version which both offer the same rules.
Spanish 21 – From Micgrogaming, this is an interesting variation of blackjack which offers the soft 17 rule. Players will need to look up a blackjack strategy chart specific to the Spanish 21 title and the soft 17 rule.