The dealer knows what both of his cards are. In casino play, the dealer has no options. He always has to hit values below 16/17 (the exact number varies by casino), and has to stay when his cards are higher. This is not really blackjack and will not use the same strategies as casino blackjack..
Accordingly, is it better for dealer to hit soft 17?
When the casino rules specify that dealer's must hit their soft 17 (rather than stand), the house edge increases, meaning hitting a soft 17 is better for the dealer than standing. It's the same for players … hitting soft 17 is always better than standing.
Likewise, can a blackjack dealer hit after 17? Yes. Officially, the rules of blackjack are for the dealer to hit until he has 17 or more, regardless what the player(s) have (unless the players have all busted). Furthermore, in some casinos and in some formats of blackjack, a dealer will hit again on a 'soft 17' (i.e. an A and a 6).
Consequently, when should I hit at 17?
1. If you have soft 17 or less, always hit (i.e., never, never stand with soft 17 or less regardless of what the dealer shows). 2. If you have soft 18 - 21, always stand, except hit a multi-card soft 18 against a dealer 9, 10, or ace.
Do dealers stay soft 18?
Yes--that's the right box. Dealer's standing on soft 18, meaning dealer hits all soft 17s (H17), gives the biggest edge (0.79%) for the house against perfect basic strategy by players. That's why so many casinos changed their rules from S17 (casino stands on soft 17) to H17.
Related Question Answers
What does it mean dealer must hit soft 17?
A hand with an ace valued as 11 is called "soft", meaning that the hand will not bust by taking an additional card. The value of the ace will become one to prevent the hand from exceeding 21. (At most tables the dealer also hits on a "soft" 17, i.e. a hand containing an ace and one or more other cards totaling six.)What does dealer hits soft 17 mean?
Hitting soft 17 gives the dealer the chance to make the 18, 19, 20 and 21 hands that can win on their own against a player pat hand. This comes into play most often when the dealer's face up card is an Ace and basic strategy players hit until they have 17 or better.Do casinos hit on soft 17?
However, when the dealer's 17 contains an ace that is counted as 11, the hand is known as a soft 17 (e.g. Ace, 6 or Ace 2, 4 are soft 17's). And in some casinos, the rules specify that dealers must hit their soft 17 rather than stand and it will state that on the layout (this is known as the soft 17 rule).What is a soft 14 in blackjack?
Soft Blackjack Hands A soft blackjack hand is any hand of two cards which contains an ace. The following would be examples of soft hands: A-2 = Soft 13. A-3 = Soft 14.Does a blackjack dealer have to hit a soft 17?
The rule of thumb in most games of casino blackjack is that the dealer always hits a total of 16 or less and always stands on a total of 17 or more. But in some casinos, at some blackjack tables, the dealer is required to hit a soft total of 17. (Remember, a soft total of 17 is a hand which includes an ace.Does the house have to hit on 17?
4 Answers. Blackjack dealers have no options for the in-game decisions of whether to hit or stay; they follow a strict algorithm that will depend on the casino. The dealer waits until the players have exercised all their options, then the dealer reveals his hidden card and hits until he has at least 17 (most common).Does the dealer stand on 16?
The Dealer's Play When the dealer has served every player, the dealers face-down card is turned up. If the total is 17 or more, it must stand. If the total is 16 or under, they must take a card. The dealer must continue to take cards until the total is 17 or more, at which point the dealer must stand.Do you hit on a 17?
In basic blackjack strategy, the worldwide consensus supports the same idea; never hit on 17. Players are advised to always stand on a hand of 17 (and higher), as hands of this value are considered strong enough, while the chances of improving your total is slim, and busting is likely.Do you hit on 12 against a 3?
There is a rule in blackjack that says you should never risk busting your hand when the dealer shows a weak upcard (weak meaning a 2 through 6 because the dealer could break with a one-card draw). The bottom line is that you will win your hand a little more often by hitting than by standing on 12 against a dealer's 3.Do you hit 13 against a 2?
Basic strategy recommends standing on hard 13 against upcards 2 through 6 because these put the dealer in a breaking position. Conversely, the optimal approach for hard 13 when the dealer shows cards 7 through Ace is to take a hit.Do you hit on 12 against a 2?
Many players don't hit 12 because they believe the dealer has a ten in the hole and, therefore, they won't risk busting when the dealer has a weak upcard. With a 2 upcard, the dealer has a 35% chance of busting and 65% chance of making a 17 though 21. If you stand, you'll win 35% of the time and lose 65% of the time.Should you always double down on 11?
If the dealer is showing a lower card than a 10, it is good strategy to double down. If the casino rules dictate the dealer must hit soft 17, you should always double down on 11 no matter what the dealers up card.Do you hit a 16 against a 7?
That's a hand that does not contain an Ace or if it does the Ace counts as one. Some examples of a hard 16 would be 10-6 or 5-7-4 or 7-8-Ace. The correct basic playing strategy for hard 16 is to stand when the dealer shows a small card (2 through 6) and hit when the dealer shows a high card (7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace).Should you ever split 10s?
Mark said splitting 10s is a good strategy so long as the dealer's confirmed total is “13, 14, 15 or 16.” Pilarski also noted that, for an experienced card counter, it is a good idea to split 10s against a dealer's 6 if the count favors a lot of high cards left in the deck, such as a count of 6 or above.Should you split 8s against a 10?
There is no question that the dealer has the upper hand when you hold a pair of 8s against her 10. Even though you are the underdog when you are dealt a pair of 8s against a dealer 10, you are less of an underdog when you split the 8s and play two hands with an 8 on each hand.What is considered a hard 17 in blackjack?
Any blackjack hand that contains an ace counted as an 11 is a soft hand. For example, ace-6 is soft 17 whereas 10-7 and 7-9-ace hands are hard 17's (notice that if your hand contains either no ace, or one or more aces that are each count as one, the hand is hard). What is the 5 card rule in blackjack?
5 Card Charlie is a blackjack rule that gives an edge to the player. It simply states that if you collect five cards without busting, you automatically win. The exception is the dealer's blackjack, which usually wins even if the player has a blackjack too.How do blackjack dealers always win?
In blackjack, the house edge comes from the dealer having a hidden card about which the player has to make assumptions. In addition, if the player busts, the dealer wins, even if they then bust in the same round.Which game has the best odds in a casino?
Blackjack Blackjack has the best odds of winning, with a house edge of just 1 percent in most casinos, Bean said. Plus, you are playing against only the dealer, not hooded poker champions. "Blackjack is one of our easiest games to play," Bean said. 
