When the dealer stands on all 17s, he busts about 29.1 percent of the time, and that increases to 29.6 if he hits soft 17. After all, there is no risk of busting when they stand on the hand. “If not, then why does the house edge increase when the dealer hits soft 17?ĭealers do not bust more often when standing on soft 17. “Does the dealer bust more often if he stands on soft 17?” the reader wrote. That brought a question from a reader, who wondered why. When the dealer hits soft 17, the house edge against a basic strategy player is about two-tenths of a percent higher than if he stands. Ace-6 is a soft 17, as are Ace-2-4, Ace-3-3, Ace-Ace-5 and others. A soft 17 includes an Ace being counted as 11. One key variation comes on whether dealers hit or stand on soft 17.
Sometimes you’ll even find different combinations at different tables within the same casino. There’s a set of mix-and-match rules, and you’ll find different combinations in different casinos. Not all blackjack games are created equal.
