What Is A Soft 17 In Blackjack?

Table Of Content:

Soft 17 is a special case that many players often encounter when playing Blackjack. If you've ever wondered about its meaning and significance, you're not alone. This article aims to demystify the concept of a soft 17, exploring its definition, implications, and its impact on your blackjack strategy.

What Is A Soft 17 In Blackjack?

Soft 17 is another method of defining a blackjack hand worth 17 that contains an Ace, where the Ace counts as either 1 or 11. If you take one more card, a Soft hand cannot burst. A hard hand, on the other hand, is one that does not have an Ace or that has an Ace but can bust if another card is taken.

This technique can be created in a variety of ways. The Ace-6 hand is the most popular Soft 17 hand that most blackjack players are familiar with, however Soft 17 may also be made with 3 or more cards as long as the Ace is classified as 11 or 1.

Ace-3-3 and Ace-Ace-2-4 are two common examples for soft 17. These are known as 'soft' blackjack hands since you cannot break them and you can still enhance or worsen your hand value by accepting extra cards.

As a result, we play Soft 17 quite differently than we do Hard 17, which you would always stand. In a traditional 8-deck game, we either hit or double Soft 17, based on the dealer's upcard and the rules.

However, Soft 17 is more than simply a blackjack hand. It's even more significant because it's included in the Soft 17 Rule, the second most crucial rule in blackjack. So, what should you do when you own this hand, read on to find out.

Read more: How to Win at Blackjack Every Time? The Expert's Instruction

How To Play A Soft 17 In Blackjack?

The strategies we cover for soft 17 below should always apply, regardless of whether you are playing at an online or land-based casino. These include:

• Never stand
• Double down when the dealer’s upcard is from 3 to 6 (2 through 6 in a single-deck game)
• Hit when the dealer shows a 2 or 7 though ace (for single-deck, double against a dealer 2 rather than hit)

Never Stand

The fundamental method for standing on soft 17 is straightforward: you should never stand.  That's true; no matter what the dealer's upcard is, you should never stand on soft 17. That may appear strange given that most players consider 17 is a good enough hand to stand on. In fact, you will never lose more money standing than you will by hitting or doubling.

If you're still not convinced that standing on soft 17 is a negative bet, consider the dealer's soft 17 rule. When the casino regulations require dealers to hit their soft 17 (rather than stand), the house edge rises, implying that striking a soft 17 is preferable to standing. The situation is the same for players, hitting soft 17 is always preferable to standing.

Double Down

Many players miss up on their chance to double down because they don't comprehend the reasoning behind it. When you double on soft hands, it is not so much to outdraw the dealer as it is to put extra money on the table when the dealer is at risk of busting. The latter is more common when the dealer displays a low-value upcard (cards from 3 to 6).

The basic method for doubling a soft 17 is simple.

• When the dealer's upcard is 3 through 6, double down in double- and multi-deck games.
• When the dealer's upcard is 2 through 6, double down in a single-deck game.

Hitting On Soft 17

The following are the main strategic guidelines for hitting soft 17:

• Hit when the dealer's upcard is a 2 or 7-through ace in double- and multi-deck games.
• Hit when the dealer's upcard is 7 through ace in a single-deck game.

What you do next after hitting a soft 17 is determined on the sum of your hand and the dealer's upcard. You can refer to the table below for a better understanding: 

What You Should Not Do In Soft 17 Blackjack? 

After you have learned about the strategy of taking advantage of soft 17 in blackjack, the next section of the article will talk about what to avoid when using this hand. Simply, you just need to follow the instructions above. Doing the opposite of the strategies above will reduce your chances of winning.

• Standing on Soft 17
• Doubling Down on Soft 17
• Hitting on Soft 17

Soft 17 Blackjack Tips

If you're holding the Soft 17, the strategy is the same:

Hit Player's Soft 17 versus 2 - double down Player's Soft 17 vs 3 - double down
Soft Player 17 versus 4 - hit
Soft player 17 against 5 - double down
Soft Player 17 versus 6 - hit
Soft 17 vs. 7 - hit Soft 17 vs. 9 - hit

As one can expect, there is hardly any standing on Soft 17 for the players. The rationale is simple: there is no risk of busting (unlike with hard hands), and having an additional card increases your chances of beating the house greatly.

On the opposite, hitting a hard 17 is plainly a bad choice - you're practically certain to bust.

Conclusion

To be successful while using Soft 17 rules with online blackjack, players must comprehend the development of hands as well as how to adapt their gaming techniques. While the regulation may not appear to be significant to inexperienced players, those with expertise will understand that it influences the player's chances of winning. When selecting blackjack games, be careful to understand the dealer's regulations.

Players will have the advantage if the dealer must stand on all 17 hands, but with the Soft 17 rule, which allows dealers to hit on these hands, the house edge increases, and players have fewer opportunities to win, especially if they have not adapted their playing strategies to accommodate for this rule.