blackjack basic strategy chart stand soft 17

For a single-deck game, double down when the dealer’s upcard is 2 through 6.For double- and multi-deck games, double down when the dealer’s upcard is 3 through 6.The basic strategy for doubling a soft 17 is easy to remember. The latter occurs more often when the dealer shows a low-value upcard (e.g., 3 through 6). The reason you double on soft hands is not so much to outdraw the dealer as it is to get more money on the table when the dealer is vulnerable to busting. Many players pass up the opportunity to double down because they don’t understand the logic for doing so. It’s the same for players … hitting soft 17 is always better than standing. When the casino rules specify that dealer’s must hit their soft 17 (rather than stand), the house edge increases, meaning hitting a soft 17 is better for the dealer than standing. If you are still not convinced that standing on soft 17 is a bad play, think about the dealer’s rule for soft 17. 'If you remember just one thing from this article it’s this: never stand on soft 17!' In fact it’s not because you will lose more money standing than either hitting (or doubling). That might seem odd since most players believe that 17 is a good enough hand on which to stand. The basic strategy for standing on soft 17 is simple: never stand! That’s right you should never stand on soft 17 regardless of what the dealer’s upcard is. Hit when the dealer shows a 2 or 7 though ace (for single-deck, double against a dealer 2 rather than hit).Double down when the dealer’s upcard in 3 through 6 (2 through 6 in a single-deck game).

Regardless of whether you are playing blackjack in a land-based or online casino, when you are dealt a soft 17, if you are not counting cards, you should always follow the basic playing strategy, which is as follows. Yes, both hands total 17, but you play a soft 17 differently because you can never bust with a one-card draw (not so with a hard 17).

The basic playing strategy for, say, an ace-6 is much different than it is for a 10-7 (known as a hard 17 because It doesn’t contain an ace counted as 11). For example, an ace-6 is a soft 17 so is ace-3-3 and 2-2-ace-2. Should I stand or hit? What about doubling down? What follows are the facts on how to play this hand accurately every time you play blackjack.įirst, let me review some basics. A soft hand is any hand that contains an ace that is counted as 11. One of the hands that often confound blackjack players is when they are dealt a soft 17.

Blackjack basic strategy chart stand soft 17