- Dealer Stands On Soft 17
- Blackjack Soft 18
- Blackjack Soft 17 Rule
- Blackjack Stand On Soft 17 Against
- Blackjack Dealer Stands On Soft 17
- Blackjack Trainer Soft Hands
I like to assume that anyone reading one of my posts is starting at zero. I’m not doing exactly that here, because I’m not explaining in detail all the rules of casino blackjack.
But I do want to draw the distinction between hard hands and soft hands.
The rule of thumb in most games of casino blackjack is that the dealer always hits a total of 16 or less and always stands on a total of 17 or more. This is the best possible situation for the player as it relates to the soft 17 rule. And this rule doesn’t take into account whether the total is soft or hard. Most casinos used to require the dealer to Stand on soft 17, which was and still is favorable to the player. After all, the average winning hand in blackjack has been calculated to be 18.5 (i.e. At least 18) and dealers who Stand on soft 17 are easier to beat.
Blackjack is a simple comparing game where the player and dealer each start with a two-card hand. The one with the higher total points for their hand wins the bet, but only if they keep theirtotal to 21 or below. A total of 22 or higher is an automatic loss.
Dealer Stands On Soft 17
The cards have points based on their rank. 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 alsoworth 10 points each.
The only exception is the ace. No one would blame you for thinking that an ace is worth 1 point. It is, in fact, in many situations, worth a single point.
Blackjack Soft 18
But it’s also worth 11 points.
When you have a hand with no aces in it, you have a hard total. This means that the total is what the total is.
For example, if you have a jack and a 3, you have a hard total of 13. There’s no wiggle room there. That’s the total.
Blackjack Soft 17 Rule
But if you have an ace and a 3, you have a soft total. That’s because the ace counts as 11, but if you get a card that would otherwise give you a total of 22, you can count it as a 1 instead.
Blackjack Stand On Soft 17 Against
With an ace 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 hardhand.)
Blackjack Dealer Stands On Soft 17
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 softtotal more aggressively.
Blackjack Trainer Soft Hands
But when we talk about a soft 17 “rule” in blackjack, we’re talking about how the dealer plays his hand.