Wager Mage
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya Pexels Logo Photo: Ksenia Chernaya

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

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.

How can you predict the accuracy of BTTS?
How can you predict the accuracy of BTTS?

The first thing you should look out for in a BTTS market is that both teams you're looking to bet on need to have a good record of goals. ......

Read More »
Which app gives free money?
Which app gives free money?

My favorite cash back apps are Upside, Drop, Ibotta, Fetch Rewards and Dosh. Apps like Dosh, Drop, and Upside even work automatically with no...

Read More »

How Does a Dealer’s Decision to Stand or Hit on a Soft 17 Affect You?

By John Grochowski on Wednesday October 12, 2016

Not all blackjack games are created equal. There’s a set of mix-and-match rules, and you’ll find different combinations in different casinos. Sometimes you’ll even find different combinations at different tables within the same casino. One key variation comes on whether dealers hit or stand on soft 17. 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.

That brought a question from a reader, who wondered why.

“Does the dealer bust more often if he stands on soft 17?” the reader wrote. “If not, then why does the house edge increase when the dealer hits soft 17?

Dealers do not bust more often when standing on soft 17. After all, there is no risk of busting when they stand on the hand. When the dealer stands on all 17s, he busts about 29.1 percent of the time, and that increases to 29.6 if he hits 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. This comes into play most often when the dealer’s face up card is an Ace and basic strategy players hit until they have 17 or better. The house will win when players bust, regardless of the final dealer hand. But against players still in action at the end, a dealer who stands on soft 17 can’t win and a dealer who hits soft 17 can. If the dealer’s up card is 6 – or lower in the case of a soft 17 consisting of three or more cards – some standing hands will be 16 or less. A dealer who stands on soft 17 can beat them. But against players with two-card totals of 17 or more, the situation is the same as above: A dealer who stands on soft 17 can’t win and a dealer who hits soft 17 can.

Why does Martingale strategy fail?
Why does Martingale strategy fail?

Finally, the martingale fails because it does not improve players' odds. As you probably know, the winning odds in roulette are about 48.65%, but...

Read More »
How to earn money quickly?
How to earn money quickly?

How to Make Money Online: 28 Real Ways to Earn Money Online Start dropshipping. → Click Here to Launch Your Online Business with Shopify. Try print...

Read More »

Do dealers 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.

Blackjack is a simple game to play, but most novices wrongly believe following a solid blackjack strategy must be hard. That’s far from the case. The simple rule, which will improve your win rate, is that when the dealer looks weak, with a poor upcard, you can stand on more cards, and when the dealer looks strong, you should look to get your total higher and take more risks. It’s a fact that the house edge in blackjack can be as high as 4-5% for a poor player. But that tumbles to as low as 0.5% if you play a sound strategy. However, even experienced blackjack players can make strategy mistakes, especially when it comes to how the dealer plays a soft 17.

What is soft 17 in blackjack?

An ace is worth either one or 11 in blackjack. That means when you have two cards, and one is an ace, you have a choice of totals to work with. If, for example, you have an ace and a three, you have either a total of four or 14. You can take a card and then decide which total to use after that. You become accustomed to how to play soft aces soon enough. But what about the dealer? He can play soft aces just the same as you. But there is one significant difference. 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.

What does Adidas mean in slang?
What does Adidas mean in slang?

Since at least the 1970s, people have been claiming the name Adidas is an acronym taken from the initials of All Day I Dream About Soccer or...

Read More »
What does by 3's x4 wagers mean?
What does by 3's x4 wagers mean?

By 3's x4 Wagers (4 parlay bets with 3 legs each) 4 leg parlay (1 parlay bet with 4 legs)

Read More »
What is the most winnable game at a casino?
What is the most winnable game at a casino?

Blackjack Blackjack Blackjack has the best odds of winning, with a house edge of just 1 percent in most casinos, Bean said. Plus, you are playing...

Read More »
Which is better 2 or 4 wheel luggage?
Which is better 2 or 4 wheel luggage?

4 Wheel suitcases are better balanced, depending on how you pack, if the weight distribution is out of whack in a 2 wheel case they can tip over, 4...

Read More »