Adjustments in Blackjack When the Dealer Hits on Soft 17

March 6, 2014 by

blackjack dealer 2Most blackjack games, no matter what the particular rules are, will have the dealer standing on a soft 17. However, sometimes you’ll find games with the dealer hitting on a soft 17 instead. This might seem like a small difference, but it can drastically change the correct plays in a number of circumstances. It also drastically changes the fundamental way that the dealer plays because it’s a much more aggressive (and usually more correct) way to play when they automatically hit with a soft 17 instead of standing.

Aggression When the Dealer Hits on Soft 17

In blackjack, you usually have to be more aggressive when the rules allow you to or when they force you to in some way. You also have to be more careful when you’re facing a strong dealer card if the dealer is allowed to be more aggressive against you. This is the aggression principle of blackjack: Aggression determines everything.

The Adjustments to Make

When you have a hard 11 and you’re facing a dealer with an ace, you would typically hit in games with the dealer standing on a soft 17. However, when the dealer hits on a soft 17, this actually turns this particular situation in your favor enough that you can double. This is one of the more specific situations that comes up, and it doesn’t come up all that often, but it’s extremely important to know because it has a big impact on your bottom line.

While you gain an advantage when you have a hard 11 against an ace, you are at more of a disadvantage when you have hard totals of 15, 16 or 17 against an ace with this rule change. If you have the option to surrender, then you should do so against an ace if you have any of these three totals. This includes if you have a pair of eights against an ace. It’s such a disadvantageous situation that you shouldn’t even bother with splitting like you normally would if the dealer stood on a soft 17 instead.

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