dealer must hit soft 17. The rules of the game matters; whether or not the rule specify that the dealer must hit soft 17 or the dealer most stand soft 17 The basic strategy for playing Blackjack Soft 18 Under this basic strategy for playing the required soft hands, we’d be looking at the most straightforward blackjack strategy for playing a soft 18 in online casinos. dealer must hit soft 17

 
The rules of the game matters; whether or not the rule specify that the dealer must hit soft 17 or the dealer most stand soft 17 The basic strategy for playing Blackjack Soft 18 Under this basic strategy for playing the required soft hands, we’d be looking at the most straightforward blackjack strategy for playing a soft 18 in online casinosdealer must hit soft 17 ) To cover these differences we provide you with six blackjack strategy cards

Still, a single-deck game with the soft 17 rule is a better game for most blackjack players than a typical multiple-deck game. Double down on ace, 8 (soft 19) when the dealer's up card is a 6. Dealer must hit soft 17. If they have 17, they cannot take another card. This will largely depend on the dealer. Ever. If the player busts, the player loses. Therefore, the higher the dealer’s score (while it has still not reached 17) the more likely they are to go bust, especially if there are more high-value cards left in the deck. EARLY SURRENDEREquivalentAd1312 • 10 mo. "Dealer must draw to 16" can be translated as "Dealer must Hit, if he has 16 or less". ” Using the rule that the dealer must hit on soft 17 will increase the house advantage somewhat. 4. Or contains an Ace that counts as 1. 2. It says either “The dealer must hit soft 17” or “The dealer must draw to 16 and stand. However, if the dealer has a soft hand, he can choose to stand on the Soft 17, and the Soft 17 can be formed in a variety of ways. Split any two cards of the same rank. There are occasions, however, when a dealer hits a soft 19 with an ace; some variations of blackjack may not let you stand on a soft 19 and in other casinos, they may let you stand. In these situations, the player has the advantage . 26%, however, because the dealer must hit on soft 17. Resplit aces. Australian pokies game no download. Rules and Strategies When the Dealer Hits on Soft 17. A soft 17 is an Ace and a '6', allowing the hand to be counted as either seven or 17. The dealer. When you are dealt a total of 9, double down when the dealer shows a card between 2 and 6 (any card below 7, not including the Ace). 6/5 = player blackjack gets paid at 6 to 5. Head over to our selection of recommended casino partners and practice your card skills with free online blackjack. 2%. Always stand on hard 17 or more. Ace-6 vs. Played with one deck of 52 cards, this version of our favorite Casino game is the one you should choose if you consider yourself a beginner. Soft 18 and higher: dealer stands. If the dealer's upcard is a 3, 4, 5, or 6, then she probably has a stiff hand, which means she has a good chance of going bust. In those. Therefore, for a fixed pay table, the game will be more player-favorable with the H17 rule than the S17 rule. The basic strategy rules for hitting soft 17 are as follows: For double- and multi-deck games, hit when the dealer‘s upcard is a 2 or 7 through ace. Each of these bets has a house edge of its own. The following chart summarizes the effect of the casino's advantage over the basic strategy player when the soft 17 rule is in effect (i. A soft 17 is any combination of cards that equal seven or less with one of those cards being an Ace. The. The accompanying table shows the impact on final dealer hands for eight deck games, when they hit rather than stand on soft 17. New comments cannot be posted. On the blackjack table layout, the rule will either read “Dealer Hits Soft 17” or “Dealer Must Stand on All 17. • Split 6-6 against a dealer 7. Players have the option to play a "late surrender". This is a rule that the blackjack dealer must follow by the rules. The rule that the dealer must stand on soft 17 is denoted S17. , a 17 with an ace currently counting as 1, not 11) vary; in some places, the dealer has to hit on soft 17, in others he stands. Dealer must hit soft 17. With a soft 17, the dealer follows the casino rules printed on the blackjack table, either to "hit soft 17" or. This is because the odds are much better for you to win than if you had a hard 17. PRO TIP:Blackjack strategy dictates that the dealer must hit on a soft 17. Post author: test29200338; Post published:. When the dealer hits on a soft 17 in Blackjack a lot of things will change. An ace can be worth either 1 or 11, which is decided by the player that receives the ace. But if you’re playing any other version of the game, then you’ll have to stand. Figures given are average win or loss per $1 of your original wager. In this case, the dealer must take another card. Dealer stands on "soft" 17, meaning that if it's 7 OR 17, then dealer stands. If you see H17 instead, it means the dealer hits on the soft 17. It’s pretty simple. These concepts not only affect the rules of when the dealer must hit or stand, but also can also affect the player’s blackjack strategy. Hole Card. As a player, you can do virtually whatever you like with your hand, but the dealer must act according to a simple rule. There are three tables, the first for when the player has two cards of different ranks and no dealer blackjack, the second. Double down on soft 17 against a dealer 2 upcard. 3 HOW TO PLAY BLACKJACK THE RULES Must be 19 years or older to play Blackjack. Hard Hands. The dealer must Hit Soft 17 and must stand on All 17s. In this case it was a "soft" 17 as the Ace was being counted as 11, then he drew a 5 which brings it up to 22 pushing the Ace back down to value of 1 which makes the total 12. But at some tables at casinos, a dealer must hit on a Soft 17 which means he can bolster his score of 21, and it is worth making a note of this. A distributor may not sell or provide twenty-one and paddlewheel (betting and casino) chips to6,6 is now a hit against 2 instead of a split. They prevent a potential bust on the next hit. Just like the player, the dealer now treats it as a. Apr 19, 2011 #3. The odds will go more in the house’s favor and your odds of winning will significantly decrease. This is a side bet that players take about whether the dealer has a blackjack or not. This double zero unfortunately reduces the odds of you winning, with the house edge of this game being 5, casino hit on soft 17. Or sometimes the dealer hits soft 17. Notes [] Only the dealer and player hands are shown, even if other gambling non-player characters are present. Redoubling is only allowed on Hit soft 17 version. You should also double down if you have a soft 19 and the dealer has. Related to Dealer Must Hit Soft 17. 82% 14. a a 7 upcard Surrender strategy tips Double down on 8 vs. DAS = Doubling down after pair splitting is allowed. In blackjack, the Ace can be played at either a value of one or 11, so in direct contrast to the advice given for hard 17s, players are. There might even be blackjack tables with different rules within the same casino. Without knowledge of the rules, you won’t know the right move to make. Notations used in this article: S17 = Dealer must stand on soft 17 (A-6) H17 = Dealer must hit soft 17. Vegas Single Deck Blackjack. Thanks in advance! Standing is better for the player. How to Deal in Blackjack. If the dealer goes over 21 points, then any player who didn't already bust will win. If the soft 17 rule is applied, the dealer will not hit again. This is because the dealer has two chances to make a stiff hand of 17 or better. Soft hands are useful as you basically have two different hands in one to bet with. • “Dealer Must Hit Soft 17” - This means that the dealer will hit their hand up to and including an ace or aces that can be totaled as either 7 or 17. The following color-coded chart summarizes the strategy for playing a two-card 10 (including 5-5). The player may switch a card between hands. The variation where the dealer must hit soft 17 is abbreviated "H17" in blackjack literature, with "S17" used for the stand-on-soft-17 variation. This means that they always stand on a total of 17 or more. 2. When the dealer stands on all 17s, he busts about 29. A “hard hand” is a hand with no ace. Stand on all hard totals of 17 or higher. The big factor is ace-up. In every blackjack game, the dealer either stands on Soft 17 or higher, or hits Soft 17, which means they can only stand on Hard 17, plus any 18 or more. 65%. -Hard 17 is like 10+7, or 9+6+Ace (Ace here being a. On Game 1, the dealer must stand on soft 17. As for the number of decks in play, the above-mentioned rules should be considered mostly for games with 4, 6, or 8 decks. the house rules. The dealer must hit soft 17. Nevertheless, doubling down is the best play with a total of 11 because it results in twice as large profits , which, in turn, improves the expectation of the player with this. and I would have lost!The dealer must hit soft 17 or less. You may see blackjack dealer rules like “dealer must hit soft 17” printed on the felt. Standard 6-deck, dealer must hit soft 17. This is an extreme close call. However, there are general rules, namely: The dealer can’t make bets. But with an extremely low vigorish. Once the dealer's hand totals 17 or higher, they must stand and cannot take any. At the end of the game, if your count is the same as the Dealer’s it is a Stand-Off (nobody wins). Players may wager up to. But at some tables at casinos, a dealer must hit on a Soft 17 which means he can bolster his score of 21, and it is worth making a note of this. Single-deck blackjack has the lowest house edge among variations: Games, where the dealer must hit on soft 17s (ace-six hand, where the ace is counted as 11) and allows players to resplit aces,. These guidelines dictate how every dealer must play their hand in every single winning round of a game. The dealer must hit until their hand totals 17 or higher. Many casinos have tables with the s17 rule (dealers stand on soft 17. If the total is 16 or less, they must bring a card. 12 if you double and $1. The truth of the matter is the win frequency when doubling down slightly decreases in single-deck blackjack against an ace, particularly when the dealer must hit soft 17. Blackjack pays 3 to 2. Doubling down on Soft 17 isn't just a move to get the best hand, but it's to increase your play when the dealer has a bust card. The dealer will stay at a soft 17 hand. Dealer hits on soft 17. Payouts are also regular, with blackjack paying 3:2, insurance 2:1, and all other winning bets 1:1. 23 if you stand, and $1. However, in some variants of blackjack, the dealer is required to hit on soft 17, which means that the dealer must hit if they have a 17 that includes an Ace. The food. The dealer then follows the house dealing procedures. Besides betting rules, dealers must. If so, hit your soft 18. 3 cents. If the dealer has a soft 14, hits, and gets a 10, they now a soft 24 or a hard 14. 11. Vikki and Vance Casino (Primm) [] Blackjack pays 3 to 2. How to Split, Double Down and Surrender. In most blackjack games at the casino, a dealer must take a card if he hits 16 or below and stand at 17 or above. This professional, casino-quality blackjack layout features a stylish spade background and is available in black, blue, burgundy, and green. For the player, this increases their odds. Standing. dealer doesn't get to make decisions; she must play according to the rules set for her by the casino. Dealer Hits Soft 17 Generally, the dealer in blackjack must hit if he has a total of 16 or less, and stand if he has 17 or more. 15 versus ace is surrender instead of hit. Four-deck blackjack with the dealer standing on soft 17’s and allowing the player to double after splits have an edge of 0. Against a dealer’s 4 upcard, you should play your. DEALER MUST STAND ON 17 AND MUST DRAW TO 16 or If a site allows the dealer to take a hit card when the dealer has a soft seventeen: BLACKJACK PAYS 3 TO 2 and DEALER MUST HIT SOFT 17 9. Double down on soft 19 against a dealer 6 upcard. No surrender. Stand on soft 18 except hit against a dealer 9, 10, or A. Some casinos require their dealers to hit on soft 17, while others require them to stand. DAS = Doubling down after pair splitting is. The Dealer will stay on all hard hands 17 or higher. Blackjack dealers must hit on any score of 16 or less, and must stand on 17 or more. The bets in single-deck blackjack payout as follows – Blackjack 3:2, Insurance bet 2:1, and other winning hands 1:1. Dealer Hits on Soft 17 House Edge. THEN the dealer goes. The “soft 17 rule” is a rule that requires the dealer to hit on soft 17. H = Hit. For the benefit of those of you who are new to the game, a soft 17 is a hand including an Ace, whose total value can be either 7 or 17, depending on whether the Ace. What Number Does A Blackjack Dealer Have To Hit: In the captivating world of blackjack, the dealer’s actions play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of each hand. Thus, the decision of whether to hit or stand on soft 17 is a big one for the dealer. The rule soft 17 means the dealers have to hit when they land a soft 17 hand. In certain. Dealer Must Hit on Soft 17: In some games, the dealer must hit on what is known as a “soft 17. Be the first to comment Nobody's responded to this post yet. Dealer must hit soft 17. Players can figure out whether or not. Soft hands are flexible since their aces can revert to a value of 1, if necessary, as more cards are added to the total. If you are playing in a six-deck game and the dealer must hit soft 17, then you should double down 11 against the ace (not hit). The other rules are eight decks, dealer stands on soft 17, and the dealer always plays out his hand, even if the player gets blackjack. 39% if the dealer shows an ace, and 0. Rules. Payout: Your Hand: Payout: Blackjack* 3 to 2: Insurance: 2 to 1:. The term should be "gets" to hit on soft 17. (Just as a reminder: soft 17 is any hand that contains and ace and totals 17 when counting the ace as 11. Joined: May 15, 2012. In most casinos, blackjack dealers must stand on soft 17s -- combinations like ace-six or four-ace-two. The dealer must count their ace as 11. 6 comments. That way, you'll already be seated in a top online casino when you're ready to up the ante. The major difference between standard Blackjack is the payouts on Bonus hands, so hitting and standing strategies may be slightly different: Let’s say you have a hand with a value of 15 points, and the dealer is showing a Four. I'm sure that happened on your cruises but mine followed the Carnival Rules of standing 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. Dealer must stand on soft 17. Winning insurance bets pay 2 to 1. 8-4 and 7-5 vs. Share Add a Comment. Introduction. Each table has a table tag defining the table limit and collection rate. • Insurance, if required, must be requested before a third card is dealt to any player, or the dealer receives their next card. Dealer hits soft 17 Each game has a rule about whether the dealer must hit or stand on soft 17, which is generally printed on the table surface. , a 17 with an ace currently counting as 1, not 11) vary; in some places, the dealer has to hit on soft 17, in others he stands. In single-deck games, hit soft 18 against dealer’s Ace. Any 6:5 or Even game. If the dealer stays when they have a soft 17 (S17), you are going to treat a few hands differently than if the dealer will hit until they have a hard 17 or better (H17). When playing Blackjack, dealers must decide whether to hit or stand on a soft 17. Under this rule, the house edge is slightly increased, but the dealer does not have the opportunity. Net Entertainment – 6 decks. 24 19. The big factor is ace-up. Ace-6 vs. Redoubling is only allowed on Hit soft 17 version. In some establishments dealers must hit these totals. Resplit aces. <5 cards pays 2:1 5 is 4:1 6 is 15:1 7 is 50:1 8+ is 250:1 However, it seems like it's potentially possible for a dealer to bust with as many as 13 cards in this scenario. Further, if the dealer has a total of 17 or greater. • Split 7-7 against a dealer 8. According to the second variation of house rules, a dealer must hit if he gets a ’soft 17’. If, after receiving your ˜rst two cards, the dealer's up cards is. A soft 17 includes an Ace being counted as 11. The table will display one of these two rules: “Dealer must hit soft 17” “Dealer must stand on 17”And on that note, how would "dealer must hit soft 17" and "dealer must stay soft 17" vary too? Just trying to figure out the math behind it. Double down on soft 17 against a dealer 2 upcard. The dealer’s hand stands or requires additional cards drawn based on the following rules: i. This means we need to change some. The player should always take this into account when making their decisions. Do most casinos hit soft 17? The rule of thumb in most games of casino blackjack is that the dealer always hits a total of 16 or fewer. That’s thanks to the advantage of going second and making decisions based on your position. This is because a soft 17 is a hand which contains an ace and a 6 and taking a hit can only. All in all, the ability to play on with soft 17 can be the dealer’s get out of jail card. Dealer must hit soft 17. Yes--that's the right box. The dealer must continue to be dealt cards until the total is 17 or more, at which point the dealer must stand. So what exactly is a soft 17? In Blackjack, a soft 17 is when the dealer has an Ace and 6, which can be counted as either 7 or 17. The dealer must hit on a soft 17 or lower value hand. The dealer must count their ace as 11. The dealer’s standing on soft 17 rule is whether or not the dealer must hit on a soft 17 (which is an ace and a six). And it is usually stated that the casino "must" hit soft 17 so as to sound like a penalty action - which it is, but the penalty is to you. 0 cents if the dealer hits soft 17, 6. That means you can play that bad 0. In these situations, the player has the advantage . 4% more frequently compared to when she must stand. Dealer must stand on soft 17. Microgaming – Stand Soft 17, Cannot hit split Aces. Doubling after pair slitting allowed. This means that the dealer’s decisions are automatic while the players. Players can figure out whether or not the soft 17 rule is in effect for the dealer by finding the rule. Casino rules specify that a dealer must draw if her hand totals less than 17 and stand when the total is 17 to 21. There are bigger problems with the rules in this program; for example, a player total of 21. Surrender any first two cards. The player has to hit (take another card) if his/her hand is valued at 14 or lower. 4 to 8 standard decks of cards are used, and the dealer must stand on soft 17. Dealer must hit 16 or less and stand on cards totaling 17 or greater. A,A – always split. Blackjack 17 hit or stand. If it is under 16 the dealer must hit. Dealer stands on soft 17. If all players bust their blackjack hands, but one or more has made a. The Soft 17 rule is applicable at virtually all casinos for which there are two prime variations. Hit 21 – or at least get closer than the dealer – and win the game. The soft 17 is any hand that uses the ace 11 because there is a choice available still. Hitting soft 17 increases the house edge about . Average profits are 6. A special situation is when the dealer has an ace and any number of cards totaling six points (known as a "soft 17"). Soft Hands. The dealer must stand on a hard 17 or any total above 17. Minimum and maximum table limits are posted at each table. 6% vs 47. Player goes first, and might bust. Fun 21 (which is an abomination), I did not note the minimum. The dealer must hit soft 17. . The above house edges assume you are using the basic playing strategy for every hand. 021 percent. DAS = doubling after pair splitting allowed. In this case, the dealer must hit a 16 or lower and they must also hit a soft 17. Secondly, we have differences because the dealer hits soft 17: 15 versus ace is surrender instead of hit. That's why so many casinos changed their rules from S17 (casino stands on soft 17) to H17. u The Dealer must draw to all hands below 17 and will hit soft 17 (ace and a 6). If the dealer has a total of less than 17, they will continue to hit. SP. This is known as an ‘S17’ game. The dealer must always stand on hard 17 but the rule on soft 17 varies from table to table. News. Online Blackjack. One exception to this rule is made in the so-called H17 games where the dealer must hit their hand if it is a soft 17, or A-6 (the Ace can be assigned a value of 1 or 11 which makes it impossible for the dealer to bust on the very next hit). However, some tables say the dealer must hit soft 17, meaning he has a chance to increase his score up to 21. The rules summary states, “On some games, the dealer must hit on a ‘soft’ 17,” but that should probably be updated to read “on all games with minimum stakes under $100. . Cora Blood. When this is the case, it gives the house a small advantage, and this rule must be stated clearly on the table so that the players are aware. You can split ace pairs, and get an additional card for each but aren’t allowed to split the hands further. 786. By Alan Krigman. If a player with a live poker hand busts, the hand can still play like a poker hand. As players strive to outwit the dealer and secure a winning hand, understanding the rules that dictate the dealer’s moves becomes crucial. 35%. For the last 4-5 years (perhaps longer) they ABSOLUTELY stand on hard 17, and HIT on soft 17's. Insurance pays 2 to 1. If the. But whether the dealer stands or hits on this. A tie with the dealer is considered a push (no win or loss for the hand). Mission146. If they have 17, they cannot take another card. Other rules depend on the exact game variation, but you can generally split a hand up to three times (except for aces with only one split), and the dealer must hit on soft 17. 8,8 – always split. 4: Hit. And not only that, it’s also where you can find the largest jackpots of all time. Many players find this hard to believe. You should forfeit paired 7s against the dealer’s 10 in single-deck S17 blackjack. Double, lose five-tenths of a cent. In blackjack, the dealer is required to hit if he has 16 or less with his cards and has to stand with 17 or more. In this situation, an ace must. The dealer must hit soft 17 or less. u After all of the cards are out and the dealer has finished the play of their hand, they will either collect, push, or pay the bets of the players. Welcome to the beauty of casino-marketing. For double deck blackjack, double down soft 14 if the dealer has 4. SP. At some tables, the dealer will also hit a soft 17. As a single deck blackjack strategy, a player must optimally Stand on the hard hand of 17-21 and on the soft hands of A-9 and A-10. There is no surrendering. • “Dealer Must Stand on 17” - This means that the dealer will hit their hand on anything less than a total of 17. So, pay attention to the words written in front of the dealer. Double after split allowed. Soft 17: depends on if the game is H17 or S17. A second rule of thumb in basic strategy is to always hit a soft 17. ” Using the rule that the dealer must hit on soft 17 will increase the house advantage somewhat. When the sum of a hand is equal to 17 and includes a 10 value card, that is called hard 17 and the dealer stays. The dealer has no choice on how to play their hands. A hard 15 is any hand that totals 15 that either: Doesn’t contain an Ace. A few are only open on weekends. 2% when the h17 rule is in effect. Players may elect to draw additional cards until they break or reach. Every casino establishes its guidelines dictating how the dealer approaches their blackjack hand, such as directing them to hit on a soft 17 (an ace and a six). This makes doubling down against a weak dealer 6 upcard in an H17 game better than standing. This means that the dealer must hit when holding an Ace and a six for a total of 17 points. Here, the dealer must always be on all 17s, and you can split up to three times to make four sets of hands. This is regardless if it was one of the initial cards or if it was subsequently hit. For example, a hand containing an Ace and a 6 would be a soft 17. Blackjack buffs are better off when dealers must stand on rather than hit "soft 17s" hands like ace-six or ace-four-two where ace is valued at 11. ) To cover these differences we provide you with six blackjack strategy cards. 5977 Explaining The Soft 17 Rule in Blackjack As you access different blackjack games online, you will likely notice every table states an important rule –. 06% 7. All of the casinos in the Fallout game follow these rules:This applies to games where the dealer is required to hit on soft 17. S = Stand. The same rule applies to players as well, hitting a soft 17 would reduce the house edge in your favor. If the dealer must hit soft 17, “H17” is often on the table. A dealer wishes to replace an unsafe or unserviceable. Double down on ace, 8 (soft 19) when the dealer's up card is a 6. If the dealer hits a soft 17, you should double down on an 11 if the dealer is showing an ace. So, why does this matter? Well, if the dealer hits on soft 17, it means that they have more opportunities to improve their hand. In every game of blackjack, the dealer either plays Soft 17 or higher, or hits Soft 17, which means they can only play Hard 17, plus any 18 or higher. ♥️ Soft 15-16: Soft 15 and soft 16 hands are formed with Ace and 4, and an Ace and 5, respectively. Overall, the player’s net expectation is reduced by about 0. • “we”, “us”, “our” and similar terms mean Xxxxx. They prevent a potential bust on the next hit. Edge is the same with either rule when the dealer starts with seven through 10 because these upcards can't lead to soft 17. Soft-17 – a soft-17 is a hand with a value of 17, but one which can also be counted as a total value of seven (hand must have an Ace). For instance, if the dealer’s up-card is low, players may choose to hit and draw another card to improve. Dealer hits soft 17 and stands on hard 17: (H17) You will see this rule on basic strategy charts as H17. In the world of blackjack some casinos require dealers to stand when their hand is a soft 17 (designated as s17), whereas others require dealers to hit soft 17 (i. Some casinos implement the soft 17 rule, meaning, dealers must hit soft 17 rather than stand. The dealer must hit Soft 17. Thu Dec 22 2022 01:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) A dealer hitting soft 17 may seem natural in a blackjack game. The player has to go first though, that's where the house gets the edge. Upcoming Events. Of course, the level of risk rises too. Dealer stands on "soft" 17, meaning that if it's 7 OR 17, then dealer stands. There are really only a few hands that are played differently depending on the game: A,8 versus 6; 11 versus A; A,7 versus 2. From a playing strategy standpoint, if the rules specify the dealer must hit on soft 17, then you should make the following three modifications to your basic playing strategy: Double down on hard 11 when the dealer shows an ace. This means that one of the dealer’s cards is an ace and that taking a hit cannot bust his hand. A soft 17 is any combination of cards containing an Ace and that totals 7 when the Ace is counted as 1 point and 17 when the Ace is counted as 11 points—this hand cannot bust. Nicely stated! I'm a. 6 decks. 6 decks. An upcard of four, five or six carry the highest chances of the dealer busting. If the blackjack rules state that the dealer must hit on soft 17 then your next action should be to double. You can double down after splitting your cards. If any automatic shuffle machine is used in conjunction with this game, it must be a WSGC approved model, manufactured by a. In other games, the dealer must hit on any Soft 17. Standing on a hand that is 21 or lower, while the dealer goes over 21. top of page. Players must clearly wave their hand above the felt to stand on their hand. The same rule applies to players as well, hitting a soft 17 would reduce the house edge in your favor. While in Vegas, look for unique games at top casinos so you can enjoy the game of blackjack in a different way! Check our playing blackjack in Las Vegas page for more information. An ace can be worth either 1 or 11, which is decided by the player that receives the ace. PLAYING STRATEGY. The dealer standing on soft 17 lowers the house edge by about 0. Players must use hand signals over the table layout for all game actions. Fortunately for players, the playing strategy against a dealer’s ten upcard is nearly the same for any number of decks of cards or mix of playing rules, with only a few exceptions discussed below. Insurance is allowed on the “ 21” bet only. bet. If you have 9, 10 or 11, the same is true but doubling down often becomes the most profitable play. Beware: Some Blackjack tables are designated as "must hit soft 17". Dealer must draw to 16, and stand on all 17's. ) Single Deck. · Player can Double at any point when they have 4 or less cards. Dealer forced to hit if it has a soft 17 (score of 17 with at least one Ace).