It’s time to talk about blackjack strategy. Let’s start by imagining a table on which the dealer hits on a soft 17.

The Soft 17 strategy will depend on several factors, such as the value of the player’s/dealer’s cards and the Soft 17 rule, which directs the dealer’s next move. In other words, the dealers are not liberty to make their own choices about hitting or standing; instead, the game has pre-set rules, which automatically determine the next step.

Unlike the dealers who must follow the fixed pattern, the players have the freedom to strategize, adjusting their gameplay to the dealer’s upcard. Certain Soft 17 strategic rules are universal and should always be implemented – both in the Blackjack variants where the dealer stands on Soft 17 and on the tables where the hand requires them to hit.

The following S17 guidelines can be employed regardless of the variant:

• Hit when you have hard 4-8 vs the dealer’s A or 2 through 10 upcard
• Hit when you have hard 9 vs the dealer’s A, 2 or 7 through 10 upcard
• Hit when you have hard 10 vs the dealer’s A or 10 upcard
• Hit when you have hard 12 vs the dealer’s A, 2, 3 and 7 through 10 upcard
• Hit when you have hard 13 or 14 vs the dealer’s A and 7 through 10 upcard
• Surrender when you have hard 16 vs the dealer’s A, 9 or 10. If surrendering is not an option, then hit.
• Surrender when you have hard 15 vs the dealer’s 10. Hit if surrendering not allowed.
• Double when you have hard 9 vs the dealer’s 3 through 6.
• Double when you have hard 10 or 11 vs the dealer’s 2 through 9. Hit if doubling is not allowed.
• Double when you have hard 11 vs the dealer’s 10 or hit if doubling is not allowed.
• Stand on hard 17 and up

The principles listed above are quite easy to remember as the basic Blackjack rule for all multideck games is to hit when the dealer’s hand is 2 through 7 or an Ace. Soft 17 blackjack essentially uses the same basic strategy.

Soft 17 Blackjack Tips

Speaking of tips, the strategy is just as easy if you are the one holding the Soft 17.

• Player’s Soft 17 vs 2 – hit
• Player’s Soft 17 vs 3 – double down
• Player’s Soft 17 vs 4 – hit
• Player’s Soft 17 vs 5 – double down
• Player’s Soft 17 vs 6 – hit
• Player’s Soft 17 vs 7 – hit
• Player’s Soft 17 vs 9 – hit

As one can easily conclude, there is virtually no standing on Soft 17 for the players. The reason is simple – there is no risk of busting (unlike with the hard hands), and the extra card can significantly improve your odds of beating the house.

Conversely, hitting a hard 17 is an obviously terrible idea – you’re almost sure to bust.

Dealer Stands on Soft 17 Blackjack Variant – When to Stand, Double, Split or Surender?

Once again, we need to turn our attention to the dealer’s upcard and our hand. Generally speaking, soft hands are easier to handle, as hitting is almost always the best option. There are, however, some exceptions and doubling would be the best move under the following circumstances:

• The player holds a soft 13-17 hand and the dealer’s upcard is 5 or 6
• The player holds a soft 15 through 17 hand and the dealer’s upcard is 4
• The player holds a soft 17 hand and the dealer’s upcard is 3.
• If doubling is not permitted, the players should hit instead.

Doubling is also recommended on soft 18 but only if the dealer’s upcard is 3-6. Otherwise, the player should stand or hit on the dealer’s 9, 10 or Ace. The soft 19 is generally considered a favourable hand and the majority of players will decide to stand.

When to Split?

Most pairs should be split in the Blackjack variants which require the dealer to stand on Soft 17. The question is – when not to split? Once again, we should look at the dealer’s hand for guidance:

2,2 or 3,3	Split if the dealer’s upcard is 4 through 7; the same pairs should be split if the dealer’s upcard is 2 or 3 and the players are allowed to double after a split. If not, then hit. 2,2 / 3,3 pairs vs dealer’s A, 8, 9 and 10 should be hit.
4,4	Play separately if doubling is allowed after a split and the dealer’s upcard is 5 or 6. Otherwise hit
6,6	Split if doubling is allowed after a split and the dealer’s upcard os 2, otherwise hit. The same pair should be split on dealer’s 3-6 or hit on Ace, 7, 8, 9 and 10
7,7	Split if the dealer’s upcard is 2-7, hit otherwise
8,8	Always split
9,9	Always split unless the dealer’s upcard is 7, 10 or A, in which case you should stand
A,A	Always split

In short, basic blackjack strategy changes based on whether you’re playing soft 17 blackjack or not. The differences are minuscule, but you can find them on the chart below.

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Dealer Hits on Soft 17 Blackjack Variant – Strategy Variations

Most of the rules listed above will also apply to Blackjack games where dealers are required to hit on Soft 17, but certain discrepancies can be noted:

• Instead of hitting on hard 11 when the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, the players should double and only hit if doubling is not an option.
• If the player holds a hard 15 hand and the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, surrendering is recommended. Otherwise, hit.
• Surrendering is also advised on hard 17 vs A. If the option is unavailable, then stand.
• Doubling should be applied on soft 18 vs dealer’s 2, where possible. If not allowed, the players should stand. The same principle should be applied to soft 18 vs 6.

The splitting strategy is the same – the only difference is that the players should surrender 8,8 hand against the dealer’s Ace and only split if surrendering is not possible.

Conclusion

When Soft 17 rules are being used with online blackjack, players will have to understand the creation of hands and will also have to know how to change their game strategies to be successful.

While the rule may not seem like a big deal to novice players, those with experience will know that the rules affects the player’s odds of winning. When choosing blackjack games, always be sure to know the rules for the dealer. If the dealer must stand on all 17 hands, players will have the advantage.

With the Soft 17 rule, allowing dealers to hit on these hands, the house edge is increased and players will have fewer opportunities to win, especially if they have not adapted their playing strategies to accommodate for this rule.