What is a Soft 17 in Blackjack? Rules Explained for Beginners
Look over the blackjack table during your next visit, and you’ll likely seek a phrase mentioning “Soft 17” written on the table. This instruction tells the dealer how to act when they draw to a soft 17 or higher. But what is a soft 17 blackjack, why does it matter for the dealer, and how do you handle it as a player?
What is a Soft 17 in Blackjack?
A soft blackjack hand contains an ace. The ace is the most powerful card in this game and the only one with two values: one and 11. The hand is “soft” because it’s flexible and not fixed.
For instance, if you’re dealt an ace and a six, you have either seven or 17. You don’t have to decide which one you want to play because your moves will determine your score. If you stand, it goes back to the highest score and becomes a 17. If you hit with a four or less, the ace will still act as 11. If you draw a five or higher, which would bust if the ace was 11, it goes back to a one.
If you haven’t worked it out already, that initial hand is a soft 17, which contains an ace and adds up to 17.
Why Does Soft 17 Matter to the Dealer?
A blackjack dealer has very few options. They are limited to hitting or standing and can’t double, split, take insurance, or surrender like the player. They still have the advantage, though, as they act second, and the double-bust rule means they will always win if both the player and the dealer bust.
The “soft 17” rule will dictate how far they can take their hand and ensures that all tables play the same and dealer skill is never a factor:
- Dealer stands on soft 17: The dealer will draw to 17 (including hands with an ace) and then stand.
- Dealer hits on soft 17: The dealer will continue to hit even if they draw to a soft 17.
If the latter rule is enforced, it increases the house edge by about 0.2%, which means the game is slightly more in the casino’s favor. It seems counterintuitive, as 17 is a good hand, and a hit could cause them to bust. But as it’s a soft 17, they can’t bust with a single card. They are more likely to improve to a winning hand than to bust.
Soft 17 Blackjack Strategies
A soft 17 may seem like a good hand, but the opposite is true most of the time. It gives players a false sense of security. Whether you’re playing virtual perfect pair blackjack, live blackjack, or any other variation, the dealer will draw to a soft 17 and stand or hit to improve their hand. In either case, you can only win the hand if they bust.
Therefore, the best blackjack winning strategy for a soft 17 is to hit. It wouldn’t be a good strategy for a hard 17, as it means only four cards can improve your hand, and nine will bust you. But with a soft 17, there’s no risk of going bust, and your prospects are much better than you might think.
- An ace will be worth one and give you a minimum score of 18. You can also hit again, improving with a 2 or a 3 or using both those aces as ones and then building a hand from there.
- A 2, 3, or 4 will give you a solid hand, significantly improving your score and chances of winning.
- A 5, 6, or 7 will give you 12, 13, and 14, respectively, which means your hand can only bust by drawing one of the high-value cards.
- An 8 or 9 will put you on 15 or 16. It’s one of the worst positions you can be in at this point, but there are still many cards that will improve your hand.
- A ten-card (10, jack, queen, king) will put you on hard 17. It’s not the best outcome, but the worst-case scenario is that you’re right back where you started and can now decide if you want to stand and take the 17 or take a shot at getting something better (bear in mind that most cards will not bust you).
Should You Stand on a Soft 17 in Blackjack?
Most players will claim you should never stand on a soft 17 in blackjack. This game is about playing the probabilities—that’s how basic blackjack strategy works. Probability dictates that a soft 17 will lose many more hands than it wins, as you’re basically standing on the minimum and then hoping the dealer’s hand goes horribly wrong.
As noted above, there are many ways to improve the hand: drawing another ace to nudge you a little higher, hitting a low-value card to put you close to 21, or getting a couple of middle-of-the-road cards and then standing on 18+.
Summary: What is a Soft 17 in Blackjack?
Whether playing games in your local casino or trying a spot of blackjack online betting here at BetUS, the soft 17 rule should always be considered. Ideally, you want a game that stands on soft 17 and doesn’t hit, and when you’re dealt that hand yourself, you should be hitting to improve it. A score of 17 is rarely a good hand, and while there isn’t much you can do if it’s a hard 17, you have plenty of options if it’s a soft 17, and you need to take advantage of them.
Blackjack Common Queries
What is the difference between hard 17 and soft 17?
A soft 17 hand has an ace that currently counts as one and won’t bust with a high-value card. A hard 17 is a hand that can only go in one direction and has a high chance of busting.
What do you do on soft 18 in blackjack?
It depends on what the dealer is holding. The optimal strategy usually recommends standing when they are showing a low card and taking a chance if they have a high card, as the latter means there is a good chance they will land on 19, 20, or 21 and beat your 18.
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