Although you‘ll lose more hands by hitting, you‘ll win significantly more by making more 21s.Hitting gains a +4% advantage over standing.Now let‘s analyze the numbers behind this strategy, using two common dealer upcards as examples: Soft 17 vs Dealer 7 Stand against 2 through 6 since the dealer likely busts. Pretty simple right? You should hit soft 17 against dealer 7 through Ace. This chart summarizes the proper plays for soft 17 based on the dealer‘s upcard: Dealer Upcard Let‘s examine what expert strategy recommends for soft 17, along with the statisical and mathematical evidence supporting those optimal plays… Basic Strategy – To Hit or Stand on Soft 17?īasic strategy provides the mathematically optimal decision for every hand situation in blackjack. For these reasons, properly playing soft 17 provides a major opportunity to improve your long-term results. It also represents a turning point hand right on the edge between the 'hit' and 'stand' zones. Soft 17 comes up quite frequently – in about 6.5% of hands dealt to an average player. Compare this to a 'hard' 17 hand like 8-9, which has no Ace and likely busts if you hit. That flexible Ace can revert to a 1 if needed to avoid exceeding 21. This 'soft' designation is crucial, because it means you cannot bust by taking a hit. Common examples are Ace-6, Ace-4-2, and Ace-3-3.

It contains an Ace counted as 11 rather than just 1 point.It is a two card starting hand that totals 17 points.Let‘s dive into the data and expert insights that support hitting soft 17, so you can boost your win rate the next time this tricky hand pops up! Defining Soft 17 and Why it Mattersīefore we get into specific strategy, let‘s make sure we‘re on the same page about what exactly a 'soft 17' hand is in blackjack: Standing seems safer, but the odds favor hitting to increase your chances of beating the dealer‘s hand.

That borderline total of 17 seems pretty good, so why risk going bust by taking another card?Īfter digging into the math and theory behind optimal blackjack strategy, I now understand that hitting soft 17 is almost always the statistically superior play. Hey there fellow blackjack enthusiast! Have you ever been dealt a starting hand of an Ace and a 6 in blackjack? This 'soft 17' hand often leaves players scratching their heads, wondering if they should 'stand' or 'hit.' I faced the same dilemma many times when first learning the game.

Blackjack strategy dealer hits on 17