What does soft 17 mean?

A soft 17 includes an Ace being counted as 11. Ace-6 is a soft 17, as are Ace-2-4, Ace-3-3, Ace-Ace-5 and others. When the dealer hits soft 17, the house edge against a basic strategy player is about two-tenths of a percent higher than if he stands.

What does hitting on a soft 17 mean?

In literal terms, Soft 17 is another way of describing a blackjack hand worth 17 which includes an Ace, where the Ace counted either as 1 or 11. A Soft hand cannot bust if you take one card more. In contrast, a hard hand is simply one without an Ace, or which includes an Ace but it can bust if another card is taken.

What is an example of a soft 17?

A soft hand is any hand that contains an ace that is counted as 11. For example, an ace-6 is a soft 17; so is ace-3-3 and 2-2-ace-2. The basic playing strategy for, say, an ace-6 is much different than it is for a 10-7 (known as a hard 17 because It doesn't contain an ace counted as 11).

Do you hit a soft 17 against a 7?

The correct basic strategy for hitting a soft 17 is as follows: For a single-deck game, hit soft 17 when the dealer's upcard is 7 through ace. For double- and multi-deck games, hit soft 17 when the dealer's upcard is a 2 or 7 through ace.

Do you double down on soft 17?

Player is dealt a Soft 17. Dealer's Up card is a 6. Player should Double Down.

Dealer Reaches 17 Rule in Blackjack

Do most casinos hit on soft 17?

These days you almost have to play in games where the dealer hits soft 17, as most casinos have adopted this policy. But if you have a choice, playing where they stand is better.

Is it better if blackjack dealer hits or stands soft 17?

However, a dealer who stands on soft 17 can't improve the hand. 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.

Should you always hit 16 in blackjack?

When holding nine or less or 12-16 it's best to hit, but stand on a total of 17 or more. If the dealer's card is a four, five or six it is vital you do not bust.

Should you 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.

Do you hit a 13 against a 6?

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.

What can you do with soft 18?

Players who are dealt a soft total of 18 have a choice from several viable playing decisions, namely doubling, standing, and hitting. Their choice of a move is based on the exposed card of the dealer.

Do casinos stand on soft 17?

In most casino blackjack games, a dealer must take a card if he hits 16 or below and stand at 17 or above. Some tables, though, say the dealer must hit soft 17, meaning he has a chance to increase his score up to 21. Please reload the game.

Do you hit a 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).

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 you split 8s against an ace?

A split pair of eights is expected to win against dealer upcards of 2 through 7 and to lose less against dealer upcards of 8 through ace. If a player hits on a pair of eights, he is expected to lose $52 for a $100 bet. If the player splits the eights, he is expected to lose only $43 for a $100 bet.

What not to do in blackjack?

What do you never split in blackjack?

Do you always split 9s in blackjack?

For example, if you are dealt a pair of 9s against a dealer's 6 upcard, you should split them. Suppose on the first 9, you are dealt another 9 on the draw. You should resplit to form a third hand. If the casino allows resplits up to a total of four hands, then you should resplit again if you are dealt another 9.

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.

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.

When should you surrender in blackjack?

Surrender is simply an optional rule in blackjack that allows you to give up half your bet after you have seen your first two cards and the dealer up card. If your hand has less than a 50 percent chance of winning against the dealer, then it's time to consider surrender.

What is the dealer weakest hand in blackjack?

the dealers 10 up card is the worst possible starting hand a player can have. This total yields a negative expectation of 0.5398%. This means that for every $100 wagered in the situation where the player has a total of 16 against the dealers 10 up card the player will lose $53.98, over the long term.

What's the worst bet in a casino?

Keno – House Edge 20–40%

This is usually the worst game to play at the casino in terms of your odds of winning, so if you do play, know that you're unlikely to win. Ever.