Soft 17 Blackjack
As players access different blackjack games online, they will find that some games have various rules for the dealer. One rule that players will encounter is the Soft 17 rule, which states that dealers must hit when they have a soft 17. A soft 17 will include an ace, which will be counted as 11. When dealers have a soft 17 and the rule is in effect, they must hit. The rules of the game will clearly be displayed and any game that states dealer Must Hit on 17 indicates that the soft 17 rule is in play. With this rule, the house edge is increased, so players may want to find games that do not use the soft 17 rule so they have better chances at collecting winnings.
Even though there is a higher house edge, players should not always avoid this game. In some cases, the edge is made up for by offering a single or double deck game over a standard game that use 6 or 8 decks. This evens out the edge, providing players more chances to win with fewer decks in play.
Adjusting Playing Strategies
Most players who play blackjack will make use of standard game strategies and there are some alterations that will have to be made when the Soft 17 rule is being used. In regards to doubling down, players should use this option when they have a hand of 11 and the dealer shows an Ace. They should also double a soft 19 when the dealer shows a 6 and double with a soft 18 with a dealer card of 2.
With single deck games the basic strategy is slightly altered and players should hit a soft 18 hand when an ace is shown. They should also split a pair of 9s is there is an Ace. If the selected game allows for surrendering, choose this option with a hard 15 with a dealer Ace and a hard 17 with an Ace.
For double deck games, always double in a soft 14 with a dealer 4 and a soft 18 with a dealer 2. Try to use the surrender option when one holds a hard 15 hand against the dealer Ace. With these basic strategies, players can benefit from having the Soft 17 rule in play and will find they are able to win more hands.
Soft 17 vs Hard 17
When determining the blackjack rules, pay close attention to the term Soft and Hard 17. This means that the value of an Ace will be 11 and will help dealers create better hands. With Hard 17, the cards used will not contain an Ace, such as hands that have 10 and 7, 9 and 8 and so on. The soft 17 is only created with an Ace. The Ace does not always equal 11, as sometimes it can be worth 1. Any hand that uses an Ace to create a hand of 17 will be considered a soft hand. It is important for players to know the difference between soft and hard hands so they can better understand game rules and know which strategies to use when playing for real money.
In gambling, breaking the bank refers to a player winning a critical sum of money from the casino. The literal, extremely rare, situation of breaking the bank, is winning more than the house has on hand. The term can also been used for the act of winning more chips than there are at the table.
In blackjack, card counting can facilitate a...
