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.

Is it better for dealer to hit soft 17?

That's important because if a player makes a hand of 17 or better, the best the dealer can do is push. 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.

Do you hit on soft 17s?

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.

What is the strategy for hitting soft 17?

But if the dealer hits soft 17, basic strategy players go ahead and double against the Ace, too. With Ace-7 — a two-card soft 18 — we double down against 3 through 6 if the dealer stands on all 17s. If the dealer hits soft 17, we double against all those up cards, and also double against a 2.

Does dealer hit or stay on 17?

The Dealer's Play

If the total is 17 or more, it must stand. If the total is 16 or under, they must take a card. The dealer must continue to take cards until the total is 17 or more, at which point the dealer must stand.

Dealer Reaches 17 Rule in Blackjack

Do you hit if dealer shows 7 and you have 16?

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.

Do you hit on 17 with dealer showing 10?

If the dealer's card is a 10-value-card, you still need a strong hand. 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.

Is it better to hit soft 17 or stand 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 hit soft 17 against 7?

Doubling yields optimal value in all single-deck games no matter what the standing rules for the dealer are. Given that a single-deck table disallows soft doubling altogether, you should hit your soft 17 instead. Hitting on soft 17 is advisable against dealer upcards 7 through ace as well.

Do you hit soft 18 against 9?

The correct strategy for soft 18 versus a 9 and a 10 luckily coincides across all blackjack variations without regard to deck number, house rules, and overall playing conditions. In shoe-dealt blackjack and double-deck variations, you must always hit your soft 18 when the dealer's exposed card is a 10 or an ace.

What are the odds of a soft 17 vs hard 17?

With the dealer stands on soft 17 rule, the probability of the dealer drawing to 17 is 15.25%. With the dealer hits soft 17 rule, the probability of the dealer drawing to a hard 17 is 14.02%.

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).

Do you hit 12 vs dealer 2?

Respectively, the reasoning is that the dealer would flip over a ten next to their deuce, draw another high card, and bust. The player stands rather than hits their 12 out of fear they would “take the dealer's bust card”. Unfortunately, there is no such thing since the true odds favour hitting 12 versus 2.

When should you double down on soft hands?

But first, understand that as a basic strategy player, the only soft hands you should even consider doubling with are when you have Ace/2 through Ace/7.

Do you hit 13 against 3?

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

Do you split 7s against a 9?

SINGLE-DECK PLAYING STRATEGY

You should split against a dealer's upcard of 2-8. Hit against a dealer 9 and Ace upcard. Surrender against a dealer 10 if allowed, otherwise stand.

Should you split 7s against a 7?

Splitting 7s serves a multi-fold purpose.

The reason why is that when the dealer has a 7 as their upcard, their position is considered to be a weak one. In this case, it is best for players to split. If they do so and get one card on each hand, the odds are that both hands will be better than the dealer's upcard.

What are the odds of a soft 17 in blackjack?

If the Dealer Stands on a Soft 17: They have a 14.62% probability of a total of 18; a 14.04% probability of a total of 19; an 18.85% probability of a total of 20; a 7.65% probability of a total of 21.

Should you hit on soft 14?

Soft 13 and soft 14 should be hit against all dealer cards except for 5 and 6. Soft 15 and soft 16 should be hit against all upcards of the dealer except for 5, 4, and 6. Soft 18 is hit when the dealer has 9 through ace.

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).

Should I always double down on 11?

For most people, particularly those who are newer to blackjack, it's almost always a good idea to double down when you are showing an 11.

Should you always hit 12 in blackjack?

Blackjack: When to hit

Ultimately, the game's main aim is to beat the dealer's hand. While it's not advised, some players choose to hit when they have a hand total of 12 or 13 and the dealer has a lower card. That hand is very unlikely to win but it just might, depending on what card you'll draw next.

Does dealer stay on soft 17 in blackjack?

The Dealer must draw on 16 or under and must stand on 17 or over. The Dealer's first ace counts as 11 unless it busts the hand. Subsequent aces count as one. If the player's total is closer to 21 than the Dealer's, the player wins even money (1 – 1).

Should I hit on 14 when the dealer has a three?

When dealt A-3, you have a soft 14. This is a much better situation to be in since it is impossible to break this hand with a one-card draw. You have an advantage against a dealer who starts with weak small cards 4 through 6. In single-deck S17 blackjack, you must double on soft 14 versus the dealer's 4, 5, and 6.