Do you always hit a soft 17 in blackjack?

Hey friend! In blackjack, you‘ll often find yourself dealt a hand containing an ace and 6 – giving you the flexible soft 17. Do you stand, hit, or double down in this common scenario? Making the right move can significantly boost your chances of beating the dealer! I‘ll share some expert insight to help you play soft 17 optimally every time.

Understanding the soft 17 hand

A soft hand in blackjack contains an ace counted as 11, rather than 1. This gives you flexibility to draw another card without going bust. With a soft 17 specifically – an ace + 6 – you have a couple options:

• Stand – Play the hand as a 17 and don‘t draw another card.

• Hit – Take another card, trying to improve beyond 17.

• Double down – Double your bet and take only one extra card.

So when should you stand, hit, or double on your soft 17? Let‘s examine basic strategy to find out.

Basic strategy for playing soft 17

Basic blackjack strategy is mathematically calculated to maximize your expected return based on the dealer‘s upcard. Here‘s what it recommends for soft 17:

• Stand when the dealer shows 2-6. They have a high chance of busting if they hit.

• Hit when the dealer shows 7-Ace. They could have a 10-card in the hole to outdraw your soft 17.

• Double down on A,6 vs the dealer‘s Ace if they hit soft 17. This increases your bet in a favorable situation.

The table below summarizes the basic strategy:

Dealer Upcard	2-6	7	8	9	10	A
Stand on 17	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Double on A,6	No	No	No	No	No	Yes*

*Yes, if dealer hits soft 17

Let‘s examine the reasoning and math behind this strategy…

Why stand on soft 17 vs lower dealer upcards

When the dealer shows a 2-6, they have only a 31% chance of beating your 17 by drawing again. That‘s because their average final hand value will be only 12-16 if they hit. Standing preserves your strong 17.

The probabilities confirm standing as the best play:

• Dealer chance of busting if they hit: 69%
• Dealer chance of beating your 17 if they hit: 31%

Standing retains a solid 69% chance of winning. Hitting jeopardizes that without much potential improvement. The math supports standing as optimal strategy.

Why hit soft 17 against high dealer upcards

Conversely, when the dealer shows a 7-Ace, they have a 42% chance of beating your soft 17 if they hit again, because of the likelihood of pulling a 10-card. Their potential final hand value rises to 17-21.

The probabilities now favor hitting:

• Dealer chance of busting if they hit: 58%
• Dealer chance of beating your 17 if they hit: 42%

With a strong chance of the dealer outdrawing you, hitting becomes the better choice to try improving your hand beyond 17. The risks now outweigh the benefits of standing.

When doubling down is optimal

Doubling your bet in favorable situations also improves your return. Basic strategy says to double soft 17 against the dealer‘s Ace, if the rules allow hitting their soft 17.

This is recommended because:

• You win immediately if the dealer has a blackjack, getting paid 3:2
• Doubling maximizes additional winnings from your strong hand
• The dealer busts 37% of the time if they hit, improving your odds

The ability to capitalize on a strong hand with higher stakes gives doubling the best expected value.

Here‘s a visualization of the probabilities and expected values…

[Insert chart showing EV of standing, hitting, and doubling in soft 17 scenarios]

How do soft 17 rules impact basic strategy?

If the dealer stands on all 17s, basic strategy adjusts slightly because…

• The dealer has fewer opportunities to outdraw you
• Their chances of beating you decreases
• Your EV improves for standing

This benefits the player. However, most casinos now require dealers to hit soft 17, improving their odds at the expense of basic strategy players. Understanding the rules is key.

Tips for learning basic soft 17 strategy

I highly recommend mastering basic strategy, rather than relying on hunches. Here are some tips:

• Print a basic strategy card and keep it handy when you play
• Study the common soft 17 scenarios first before all the exceptions
• Repeat the correct plays over and over until they become second nature
• Take advantage of free online blackjack practice to drill before betting real $$$

Trust me, making the right plays on soft 17 every single time gives you the best odds against the house in the long run. Avoid the temptation to deviate!

Reducing the casino‘s edge even further

Once you‘ve mastered basic strategy, you can bring the house edge down even more with card counting. Tracking the ratio of high to low cards remaining allows you to identify situations where the odds shift in your favor, like when there are more 10s left in the deck.

This allows you to make optimal strategy adjustments, like standing on soft 17 when appropriate instead of hitting. Combining card counting with flawless basic strategy execution gives you an advantage over the casino!

Of course, maintaining the perfect soft 17 strategy foundation is crucial no matter what other advanced tactics you add.

The cost of strategic mistakes

I‘ve both won and lost hands due to my own soft 17 decisions. Early on, I would foolishly stand against a dealer 10 upcard instead of hitting. I‘ve also hit when basic strategy said to stand, and lost my strong 17.

Deviating from basic soft 17 strategy has definitely cost me money! Now that I‘ve learned the proper plays cold, my results have improved dramatically. Trust me, every little error counts over the long haul.

So next time you‘re dealt that lovely ace-6 combination, I hope this advice helps you make the optimal soft 17 decision with confidence! Let me know if you have any other blackjack strategy questions – I‘m always happy to chat about America‘s favorite casino game. Thanks for reading!