Are you supposed to hit a soft 17?

If it's good enough for the dealer, it's the same for players … hitting soft 17 is always better than standing. Therefore, one of the golden rules of smart play is this: No matter what blackjack game you are playing, never stand on soft 17.

Is it better to hit or stand a soft 17?

When the casino rules specify that dealer's must hit their soft 17 (rather than stand), the house edge increases, meaning hitting a soft 17 is better for the dealer than standing. It's the same for players … hitting soft 17 is always better than standing.

Why should you hit on soft 17?

Hitting soft 17 gives the dealer the chance to make the 18, 19, 20 and 21 hands that can win on their own against a player pat hand. This comes into play most often when the dealer's face up card is an Ace and basic strategy players hit until they have 17 or better.

Do you hit on soft 17 as dealer?

The Soft 17 rule explained. As a player, you can do virtually whatever you like with your hand, but the dealer must act according to a simple rule. In every blackjack game, the dealer either stands on Soft 17 or higher, or hits Soft 17, which means they can only stand on Hard 17, plus any 18 or more.

Are you supposed to hit on 17?

It is best to hit when holding a hand of 10 or 12-16, and stand on anything 17 and over. An ace gives you a good chance of making 21 with a hit. When a dealer has a seven, eight or nine card it is impossible for them to make a blackjack, so your chances increase.

Dealer Reaches 17 Rule in Blackjack

Do you hit a 13 against a 2?

13 stands against dealer 2 through 6, otherwise hit. 12 stands against dealer 4 through 6, otherwise hit. 11 always doubles. 10 doubles against dealer 2 through 9 otherwise hit.

Do you hit on 15 against a 7?

Regardless of the number of decks of cards or the mix of playing rules, the correct playing strategy for a soft 15 is: Hit against a dealer's 2, 3, and 7 through ace.

Should you always hit 16 in blackjack?

According to basic computations, a dealer with 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace showing, is going to end with a total between 17 and 21, anywhere from 74% to 83% of the time. Therefore, a blackjack basic strategy will correctly dictate that hitting the 16 gives the player the best chance of beating the dealer.

Should I hit on 15?

Question: “When should I hit on my 15?” Sam says: “Always hit a hard 15 when the dealer's up-card is a 7 through an ace. If you stand on that 15, you will win 25.36 percent of the time and lose 74.64 percent of the time.

Should I hit 16 when the dealer has 7?

On all your two-card hard 16s, you gain by hitting whenever the dealer has 7 or higher, but the gain is biggest when the dealer has a 7 up. There are some hands of three or more cards where it's a better play to stand on 16 vs. 10, but that gets us into composition-dependent strategies — a topic for another time.

Can you make a living playing blackjack?

It's definitely possible to play blackjack for a living. It takes hard work, determination, and self control, but we are living proof that you can make a living counting cards at blackjack (not to mention the 100 people we hang out with at the blackjack ball, half of which are millionaires thanks to the casinos).

Should I hit with 14?

Hard 14 is always a stand when the dealer exposes small cards 2 through 6. The player must hit their hard 14 against all other upcards, namely 7 through ace.

Does Vegas blackjack hit on soft 17?

Beware: Some Blackjack tables are designated as "must hit soft 17". At such a blackjack table, the dealer must draw on all soft 17 hands until he or she obtains a point total of a hard 17 or higher. All Las Vegas blackjack tables will clearly state the soft 17 rule.

Why do you hit soft 18 against 10?

REASON FOR STRATEGY

Notice that you will lose more hands than you win regardless of what strategy you invoke; however, you win 2% more hands and lose 2% fewer, for a net gain of 4%, by hitting soft 18 against a dealer's 10 upcard vs. standing, making hitting the better strategy.

Do you hit 12 against a 3?

That may be true for most stiff hands (meaning, a hard 12 through 16) but it's not the case when you are holding a 12 against a 3. There are only four cards that could bust your 12 — a ten, jack, queen, or king. On the other hand, five cards will get you to 17–21 (a five, six, seven, eight, or nine).

Do you always double down on 11?

If the dealer is showing a lower card than a 10, it is good strategy to double down. If the casino rules dictate the dealer must hit soft 17, you should always double down on 11 no matter what the dealers up card.

Should you split 9s?

The basic playing strategy for a pair of 9s is to: Split when the dealer's upcard is 2 through 6 or 8, 9. Stand when the dealer's upcard is 7, 10, or Ace.

Do you double 11 against 10?

When you double down, you risk losing double your original bet, but with 11 vs. 10, you win double your bet more often, giving you a higher average profit.

Is blackjack more skill or luck?

Purely based on statistics, some casino gamblers get lucky and win money. Blackjack, however, can be beaten based on skill—no luck involved.

Do you hit 12 against 2?

Traditional basic strategy (also known as “total-dependent strategy”) says to stand on hard 12 against a dealer's 4, 5, and 6 up card, and hit against a dealer's 2, 3, and 7 though Ace up card. The biggest mistake that players make when they are dealt a hard 12 occurs when the dealer's up card is a 2 or 3.

Do you split 7s against a 5?

RESPLITTING 7S

For example, if you are dealt a pair of 7s against a dealer's 5 upcard, you should split them.

Why do you always split 8s?

Splitting eights limits one's losses and improves one's hand. Probabilistic research of expected value scenarios shows that by splitting eights one can convert a hand that presents an expected loss to two hands that may present an expected profit or a reduced loss, depending on what the dealer is showing.

Do you double 11 against 7?

Never double down when you're showing anything higher than an 11, as the chances of going bust are too high to risk. It's better to simply hit or stick on a lower total, and then hope that the dealer goes bust. Basically, if you're ever unsure whether to double down, stick to the safe option and keep your bet as it is.

Do you split 8s against a 3?

Other experts advise against splitting 8s against anything but a 7, or unless the dealer shows a bust card of 3, 4, 5 or 6. (In the latter case, you likely would split anything short of 9s or 10s.)