Understanding the Blackjack Soft 17 Rule at the Casino – Can the Dealer Hit?

The blackjack soft 17 rule is one of the most important things to know before playing. 

In essence, a hand worth 17 comprising of an ace will fall into this classification. As the ace counts as 1 or 11 in blackjack, the potential for confusion is present. As a dealer must stand at 17 or over, it is worth exploring your options when met with this combination.

Today, I will examine what does soft 17 mean in blackjack and everything else there is to know about the soft 17. This should ensure you’re fully equipped with the best knowledge ahead of hitting the tables. 

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One of the most common questions among those new to blackjack is, “Does a dealer hit on soft 17?”

As I explained the blackjack soft 17 meaning in the introduction, the dealer will stand on the blackjack soft 17. That is unless the casino you are playing at has rules stating they can draw.

Now, if you are playing the game at a table, this rule is in effect, leave. Immediately.

It is always worth finding a guide on how to play blackjack if things don’t make sense. Especially, in this case, I will distinguish between hard and soft hands. If you’re comfortable with that, let’s carry on.

In simple terms, blackjack is a straightforward game of comparison. Both the player and dealer each start with a two-card hand. The one with the higher points total for their hand wins the bet, but only if they keep their total to 21 or below—a total of 22 or higher, known as a bust, automatic loss.

Points are based on the ranking of cards. The numbered cards have the same number of points as their numbers: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The face cards (jack, queen, and king) are also worth 10 points each. The only card that does not have a singular value is the ace.

Now, I wouldn’t blame you for assuming that an ace is worth 1 point. It is, in fact, in many situations, worth a single point. But it’s also worth 11 points.

For example, if you hold a jack and a 3, you have a hard total of 13. There’s no wiggle room there. But you have a soft total if you have an ace and a 3. That’s because the ace counts as 11. However, if you get a card that would otherwise give you a total of 22, you can count it as a 1 instead.

When you’re playing, it’s worth thinking about what to do with a blackjack dealer hitting on soft 17 when you have an ace. For example, with an authority and a 3, you have a soft 14. If you hit that hand and get a 10, you have a hard 14.

Any hand where the ace must be considered 1 point to avoid busting is also considered a hard hand.

The strategy for a player with a soft hand, as opposed to a hard hand, is significantly different. Since you have that added layer of protection from busting, the right move is often to play a soft total more aggressively.

But when we talk about a soft 17 “rule” in blackjack, we talk about how the dealer plays his hand. Ergo, thinking about what to do on a soft 17 in blackjack will be limited to sticking for the dealer.

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I believe you should never play on tables where the blackjack dealer hits on soft 17. But sometimes, there is no option.

The soft 17 in blackjack does not apply everywhere. Some land-based and online live casinos permit the dealer to deviate from the classic rules. Always be careful with checking the rules before you play, as this can affect your strategy.

When playing a blackjack hand, you can decide whether to stand, hit, split or double down, right? Right. There are no rules governing your decision, provided that they are covered in the table rules. You can hit on 20 if you like. Or stand on a hard 15.

On the other hand, the dealer is not afforded the same level of freedom. This is because casinos have a set of prescribed procedures for how dealers must play hands in blackjack. One of the most important blackjack rules has to do with how a dealer’s total of 17 is handled.

At the risk of sounding like a parrot, always ask yourself, “Does the dealer stay on soft 17 in blackjack?” when you arrive at a table for the first time.

This means that they always stand on a total of 17 or more. This is the best possible situation for the player regarding the soft 17 rule. And this rule doesn’t consider whether the total is soft or hard.

But in some casinos, at some blackjack tables, the dealer is required to hit a soft total of 17. Remember, a soft total of 17 is a hand which includes an ace. And that ace can be counted as 1 or 11, depending on which is more favorable.

Unsurprisingly, the blackjack soft 17 for the dealer improves the casino’s game conditions. And if the casino is doing better, you’re in a worse position. In this case, it is because the dealer holds a slightly higher mathematical edge over you. 

It also affects the correct strategy for playing each hand, which I will explain as we go along.

The first logical step in the blackjack strategy is to ascertain the table rules. In short, does a blackjack dealer hit on soft 17 or not?

When you’re playing blackjack, the approach should be simple. There’s only one way to play each hand that holds the highest expected value. A “basic strategy” table will help. This is essentially a blueprint featuring all possible situations and the right way to play these hands.

Another important thing to remember is that when gambling writers discuss how low the house edge is in blackjack, they assume you’re playing with perfect basic strategy. Most players don’t use perfect basic strategy, however. Most of them don’t even come close.

You’ll often see casinos with blackjack games where the house edge should only be 0.56% based on the rules in place, but the actual casino hold for the games is 4% or 5%. This is because many players are not using the perfect strategy.

More than this, they are making crucial errors. 

In a game where the dealer hits on a soft 17, the correct basic strategy changes, but not by too much. The big changes have to do with some of the doubling-down strategies. 

If the dealer hits a soft 17, you should double down on an 11 if the dealer is showing an ace. You should also double down if you have a soft 19 and the dealer has a 6. Finally, always double down on a soft 18 if the dealer has a 2.

The number of decks in play also matters, regardless of if the dealer hits on soft 17. In a single-deck game, you’ll hit a soft 18 if the dealer has an ace. In a game with four decks or more, you should double down on a soft 17 versus a dealer 2.

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I will get stuck into a little more about the blackjack soft 17. But I recommend you read our blackjack basic strategy guide to help you understand the information above.

It can also help you get a better handle on what to do on a soft 17 in blackjack.

You shouldn’t feel too uncomfortable if a blackjack dealer is hitting on soft 17 and stands there looking like a robot. They are paid to do that.

When I’m toying with the idea of playing at a table and have ascertained do dealers hit on soft 17 or not, I start thinking about house edges.

To put it simply, the house edge approximates the percentage of each of your bets that the casino will win from you in the long run. When I talk about the long run, I’m talking about thousands of hands. In the short run, anything can happen. 

So, if I say that a game has a house edge of 0.56%, this means that the house is mathematically expected to win 56 cents. On average, I place a $100 bet every time.

You can use this to estimate how much money you will spend per hour playing certain casino games. It’s a matter of the number of bets per hour, average bet size, and the house edge, all multiplied together.

So, if you’re playing in a game where your average bet size is $20, the hands per hour are 70, and the house edge is 0.56%, your expected hourly loss is as follows.

Changes to table conditions, especially regarding the blackjack dealer rules for soft 17, affect the house edge.

When a dealer hits a soft 17 instead of standing on it, the house edge goes up 0.2%. That doesn’t seem like much, of course. But the difference between 0.56% and 0.76% in the example above is significant.

The difference is $7.84 an hour vs. $10.64 an hour. That’s 1.5 times as much in your average hourly losses. If you think of it as paying $7.84 rather than $10.64 for a movie ticket, it should hit home. 

If you need help some help with understanding the house edge, then check out the page below.

Some blackjack players think this rule helps the player, not the dealer.

This is because the dealer will bust more often. While it is true that the dealer will bust more often, the dealer’s hand usually improves enough that it more than compensates for this.

Here are the probabilities for the dealer’s final hand after hitting a soft 17 versus standing on a soft 17, according to Mike Aponte (assuming it is a 6-deck game.)

The probability of busting goes up by 0.4% if the blackjack 17 rule is in place.

The probability that the dealer will improve to one of these other hands increases by 0.8%, which is twice as big a gain on the winning side of things for the casino. 

As you see, my preference for playing at tables that make a dealer stand on 17 is backed by the numbers.

Understanding the blackjack soft 17 can decrease your chances of losing at the tables.

The numbers above might look negligible, from certain perspectives. But if you are a long-term player, those pennies will soon add up to dollars. That means less profit and a thinner bankroll for you to play with. 

Naturally, we want to get the most value for our buck. In many ways, comprehending how strategy can lift your game is the first step toward making discernible gains.

Or would that be asking something like, “Do dealers hit on soft 17 on this table?” the next time you play blackjack?

You may think the game of blackjack is hard, especially when playing online. Many people will probably agree with you. That’s why you should check out these casino games for beginners to help you gain some confidence and experience.

Some people may think blackjack is rigged, but we have a piece covering on why blackjack online isn’t rigged.

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Footnote:

• The officinal Mike Ponte website discusses if hitting soft 17 is a friend or foe.