This strategy guide is designed to be used as a continuous source of inspiration and browsed through repeatedly. It’s a living document, but of course, you can expect the core principles laid out here to be true, accurate, and helpful. Today, we will look at the best blackjack strategies, alternating between a basic strategy for newcomers, a list of tips to stick to as catechism whenever you play blackjack, as well as recommended actions based on the current cards you have in your hand. Yet, there are time-tested strategies that will repeatedly work as you try them at different blackjack games, and those are the ones you specifically want to pay closer attention to if you want to achieve better results when playing blackjack for real money. With the dealer hits soft 17 rule, the probability of the dealer drawing to a hard 17 is 14.02%.Finding a blackjack strategy that fits your needs as a player can often prove a bit of a challenge.

With the dealer stands on soft 17 rule, the probability of the dealer drawing to 17 is 15.25%. * Probabilities rounded to the nearest one hundredth of a percent. All else being equal your odds are better when the dealer stands on soft 17. The net result of the hit soft 17 rule is that it adds. Hit Soft 17 14.82% 14.24 19.06% 7.86% 30.00%Īs you can see, when the dealer hits soft 17 rule is in effect there is a greater probability the dealer will draw to 18, 19, 20, or 21. It’s a sinking feeling when you have 19 or 20 and then dealer hits on a soft 17 and pulls 21 to wipe out the table.īelow are the dealer outcome probabilities for a 6-deck shoe for stand soft 17 versus hit soft 17.*

The reality is the dealer will improve his hand often enough that it will more than offset the increase in dealer busts. Yes, the dealer will bust more often, but the dealer also has the opportunity to improve on a weak total of 17. Not only do most players fail to recognize the difference, some believe that the hit on soft 17 rule works in their favor since the dealer will bust more often. Dealer stands on soft 17 was the standard rule in years past, but a growing number of casinos now require the dealer to hit on soft 17 (hands like Ace, 6). Most blackjack players are oblivious to whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17.

Blackjack chart dealer hits soft 17