The Soft 17 Rule in Blackjack - Playing a Soft 17

You may be wondering, what is a soft 17 in blackjack? The soft 17 blackjack rule is one of the most important concepts to learn as it not only changes the actions of the dealer, but will also influence the player’s strategic approach and has a significant impact on the house edge. Knowing how to play a soft 17 blackjack hand can be the difference between winning and losing.

In this guide, we look at the blackjack soft 17 rule in detail and answer the following key questions:

• What is a soft 17 in blackjack?
• What is the impact of the soft 17 blackjack rule on the player?
• How should you play a blackjack soft 17 hand?
• What happens to the house edge if a blackjack dealer hits on soft 17?

What is the Soft 17 rule?

To grasp the concept of the blackjack soft 17 rule, you must first understand what is classed as a ‘soft hand’. This is really simple as it is any blackjack hand that includes an ace, which can be counted as a 1 or 11. For the soft 17 blackjack rule to be applied, the cards in hand must total 17.

The most common example of a blackjack 17 soft hand is ace-6. However, other soft 17 blackjack hands include A-A-5, A-2-2-2 and ace-3-3. Due to the flexibility of the aces, all of these soft hands can be valued at 7 or 17, and more importantly, you cannot ‘bust’ by taking one more card.

Now that we’ve clarified what the soft 17 in blackjack is, let’s go back to the question in hand. The soft 17 rule refers to the dealer’s actions when faced with a blackjack soft 17 hand as to whether they ‘hit’ or ‘stand’. As a player, you have a choice to do whichever action you see fit, but dealers are confined to the blackjack game rules of that specific table.

Many blackjack variants insist that the blackjack dealer hits on soft 17. Some require them to stand. However, you’ll know the difference as it will be clearly displayed on the table’s green felt and highlighted in the game rules. You may find blackjack games referred to as S17 or H17. This means that the dealer ‘stands’ on soft 17 (S17) or ‘hits’ on a soft 17 hand (H17).

The impact of the soft 17 rule on the player

If a dealer needs to take a hit on soft 17, it becomes a more aggressive game as the dealer is looking to make a similar total or improve their hand value, thus increasing their chances of a win. Their odds of busting increase slightly by around 0.4%, but their odds of totalling 18 or above increase by around 0.8%, which makes the soft 17 blackjack rule in H17 games more favourable to the dealer and in turn increases the house edge.

Alternatively, if we look at the more player-friendly variants of S17 blackjack games where the dealer must stand on a blackjack 17 soft hand, we will see the house edge reduce and the odds of winning decrease. Obviously, these blackjack tables are more favourable to the player and highly popular among casino-goers.

How should players play a soft 17?

It’s important to remember that blackjack is still a game of chance and there is no sure-fire way to influence the outcome of any given hand. However, by deploying certain strategies, you can at least increase your odds of success.

The soft 17 blackjack hand is not just exclusive to the dealer – it is also a hand that can be dealt to players. However, whilst the dealer actions are determined by the table’s soft 17 rule, players are free to choose whatever action they deem fit in the current scenario.

How you play your blackjack soft 17 hand will be determined by multiple factors, including what the dealer’s upturned card is. Let’s take a look at the actions and their potential consequences when playing a soft 17 blackjack hand:

• Standing on a soft 17 hand: A low-value upturned card for the dealer would suggest a weak hand, which may invite the action of standing on soft 17. However, this is deemed a somewhat conservative approach as there is no fear of busting, and by hitting you could improve your hand.
• Hitting on a soft 17 hand: With a hard 17, you would not be advised to hit, and if you did it would be purely down to luck if you are saved from busting. However, with a soft 17 the optimum action is to hit, especially if the dealer’s upturned card features a high card such as a 9, 10 or ace. You cannot bust and by taking another card, you are aiming to improve your hand against a potentially strong dealer hand.
• Doubling down on a soft 17 hand: Players may opt to double down when the dealer displays a weak upturned card such as 3, 4, 5 or 6. By doubling down, you commit yourself to doubling your initial bet and receiving just one more card.

After hitting on a blackjack soft 17 hand, you will have acquired at least one more card. Let’s see what this could mean for your chances of winning:

• Should you draw a 10, jack, queen or king, it will turn your soft 17 into a hard 17. In this instance, the only real option available is to stand and hope that the dealer busts.
• Should you draw an ace, 2, 3 or 4, you will have improved your hand value to a total of 18 or more and have a higher probability of winning.
• Should you draw a 5 through to 9, your hand value dips to 12 through to 16, which is the least favoured scenario. You will either take your chances and hit to hopefully improve your hand or stand and hope that the dealer busts. Considering the dealer’s face-up card is important here.

Do most casinos hit on soft 17?

Not every blackjack variant will be a H17 game, and not every casino will offer a H17 blackjack game. Before playing any game of blackjack, check the game rules to understand which version you are playing.