Among the many blackjack hands, the soft 17 hand is particularly notable. Why? Because the impact of the soft 17 is felt by the house, the dealer, and the player. No one is spared.
Want to know more about this rule? Today’s casino news will dive into soft 17 rule details in the simplest way possible. The effects mentioned above will also be explained. Read on to learn more.
Soft 17: An Ace Up Your Sleeve
In blackjack, the rule is that you should get a hand total that sums up close to 21, or you get the actual 21 but must not be over 21. And one of the constituents of your hand that can help you achieve this faster is to have an ace card. The unique edge an ace card gives is the basis of forming a soft hand in blackjack.
A soft 17 hand means that you have an ace and a 6. Ace can be counted as an 11 or as a 1 (depending on your need to remain below 21). Therefore, the “17”, since 11 plus 6 gives 17.
The Power of a Soft 17
The influence of it on blackjack odds can be noted in the following ways.
Effect on a Player
The singular advantage for a player is that it removes the fear of bursting. For example, if you have a soft 17 and during the next draw of cards, you pick a 5, following the standard blackjack rules, you would have are already busted because your hands total would now be over 21.
Here comes your rescue…
Remember that it composes of an ace? This ace card automatical counts as 1 lowering your hand sum and temporarily saves you from exiting the game.
Effect on a Dealer
Depending on the blackjack variant being played, two actions can be taken: hit or stand. When a dealer chooses to stand on soft 17, the chance of bursting is lower. It is about 29.1%. However, such a dealer cannot move to improve the hand. Hitting on soft 17, on the other hand, increases the chance of the dealer busting to about 29.6% but has the advantage of improving the hand to win against a player.
Note: Since hitting a soft 17 is good for the dealer than standing, hitting on soft 17 as a player is better than standing.
Effect on The House
The blackjack game rules differ depending on the location of the online casino you are playing at and the online casino itself. In some casinos, the dealers can only stand on soft 17, while in some, they can hit. The earlier is better for players.
In blackjack variants, where dealers can hit on 17, The house edge increases by 0.2%, meaning more money for the casino.
Strategies You Can Employ When You Have a Soft 17
As a blackjack player, if you have a soft 17, you can stand, hit, or double down. While many free online Blackjack casinos allow you to stand, hit, or double down, most often than not, double down is not allowed (depending on the casino, and the blackjack variant you are playing). But, if allowed, take note of the following tips usually found in a blackjack strategy chart.
If you are holding a soft 17 in a single-deck blackjack game:
- Against Ace, hit
- Against 10, hit
- Against 9, hit
- Against 8, hit
- Against 7, hit
- Against 6, double down
- Against 5, double down
- Against 4, double down
- Against 3, double down
- Against 2, double down
If you are holding a soft 17 in a double or blackjack multi-hand game:
- Against Ace, hit
- Against 10, hit
- Against 9, hit
- Against 8, hit
- Against 7, hit
- Against 6, double down
- Against 5, double down
- Against 4, double down
- Against 3, double down
- Against 2, hit
Final Thoughts
Although it stands out, having a soft 17-hand is not the best chance. If you are going to play blackjack online or at land casinos, chances are that you will be faced with the rules explained above.
However, before you make a move, what are the rules for the dealers? You should know. Can they only stand, or are they allowed to hit as well? Make sure to learn these rules, and others like what is insurance in blackjack, as these are highly related to the dealer.
Blackjack is an exciting casino game, but the best way to win is to employ the right strategies. To learn blackjack strategies, you can start by using guides like the Pirate 21 guide, and visit Vegas Aces Casino to practice many casino games for free.
Read the latest online casino reviews by joining our exclusive community on Vegas Aces Casino’s social media, and tag someone who needs to see this!
