Why hit on a soft 17?

It's a standard rule in many casinos that the dealer must stand on a soft 17, such as ace-6 or 4-ace-2 combinations.

In some casinos, the rules require the dealer to hit these totals.

Which is better for players?

Many players wonder which rule benefits them more. Basic strategy instructs players to hit or double soft 17 against certain dealer upcards. This suggests that if the dealer follows suit, it favors the house.

Recall what defines a soft hand: A blackjack hand with an ace counted as 11 is soft. Ace-6 and ace-3-3 are both soft 17. These differ from hard 17s like 10-7 or 7-9-ace (ace counted as 1). Hands without aces or with aces as 1 are hard.

Soft and hard hands play differently. Stand on 10-7, but never stand on ace-6.

Think of players standing on 16 or less against a dealer 6, betting on a bust. They lose if the dealer's hole card is an ace, making soft 17.

If the dealer hits that soft 17, the outcome might improve to 18+, costing no extra loss beyond standing. But there's a good chance the dealer busts instead, paying all players.

Does dealer hitting soft 17 favor players?

What are the probabilities?

Calculations show the casino gains a greater edge when the dealer hits soft 17 rather than stands.

In eight-deck games with no ace resplitting—assuming doubles on any two cards, including splits—the house edge is 0.486% if the dealer stands on soft 17, and 0.699% if they hit.

Games where the dealer hits soft 17 give the house roughly 44% more advantage (0.213% increase). The penalty is sizeable.