One of the biggest challenges in blackjack is knowing when to stand, hit or double down when you have a soft 17 hand. The answer is not as simple as it might seem. In fact, there are a number of factors that can influence whether you should play this hand in different blackjack games. The most important factor is the house edge. If the dealer hits on soft 17, the house edge will be much higher than if they stand.
Some casinos have rules in place that require the dealer to stand on soft 17. This is commonly known as s17. Others have a rule that requires them to hit on soft 17. This is often referred to as h17. The easiest way to determine which rule is in effect at a particular casino is to check the table rules on the table layout. If the words, “Dealer Must Stand on all 17’s” are written in the table rules then the dealer will stand on soft 17. However, if the words read, “Dealer Hits Soft 17”, the dealer will hit on soft.
The basic strategy charts for single deck blackjack games recommend that players should always hit their soft 17 hands against the dealer’s up card. This is because 17 is never a winning hand unless the dealer busts and hitting gives you the best chance of improving to a hand that can win against any other dealer hand.
When dealers hit on soft 17, the player’s net expectation is reduced by about 0.20%. While this sounds negligible, it makes a significant difference to the overall odds of winning when playing blackjack. This is why most advantage players avoid playing in casinos that have the dealer hit on soft 17 rule.
In games where the dealer must hit on soft 17 the best play is to double down on Ace-8 vs 6 and 10 and Ace-2-4 vs 6 and 10. This produces an average profit of 46.2 cents per dollar, which is much better than the 23.1 cents you would lose if you stood.
When a dealer must hit on soft 17, it is also the best play to split pairs of 8’s and 9’s vs A when you would normally stand. This reduces your losses by approximately 0.3 cents per dollar and further increases your chances of beating the dealer’s hand. In addition, this is the recommended play if you are dealing with a 6 or 7 as opposed to a 2 or 3 as the dealer will often have a high total when they are facing a soft 17 hand. Therefore, even though the odds are a little lower in this situation you will still improve your chances of winning by hitting.