Soft 17 in blackjack: stand or hit?
A soft 17 is a hand worth 17 that contains an ace counted as 11, such as an ace and a six. Dealers follow one of two rules for it: stand on it or take another card. As of 13 November 2026 we describe the rule but have not recorded which version each live table uses.
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What makes a hand soft
A hand is soft when an ace is counted as 11 and the total does not go over 21. If counting the ace as 11 would bust the hand, it counts as 1 and the hand is hard.
| Cards | Total | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Ace and 6 | 17 (ace as 11) | Soft 17 |
| Ace, 6 and 10 | 17 (ace as 1) | Hard 17 |
| 10 and 7 | 17 | Hard 17 |
Two versions of the dealer rule
Under one version the dealer stands on a soft 17. Under the other the dealer takes a card.
The difference shows when the dealer holds an ace and a six.
Taking a card cannot bust that hand, because the ace can drop to 1. It can improve it or leave it as it was, which is why the rule affects the casino's expected return.
How much it matters
The rule feeds into the house edge and into the decisions on a basic strategy chart, which can differ between the two versions.
We have no primary-source figure for the size of the effect on any live table, so we do not give one. We will add it with a source and date.
Other rules sit beside it, such as 3:2 or 6:5 payouts and the number of decks.
Where a live table states it
Look in the table's rules panel, then check the studio's rules page for the same game. Write down the version and date shown.
Our rule variants data page will hold the values by game once they are checked. Until then the cell reads "We could not confirm this". The method is in reading a table's rules.
Quick answers
- What is a soft hand?
A hand that contains an ace counted as 11 without going over 21. A soft 17 is an ace and a six, or any combination of cards that reaches 17 with an ace counted as 11.
- What are the two dealer rules?
Either the dealer stands on every 17, including a soft 17, or the dealer takes another card on a soft 17. The table's rules state which.
- Which version is better for the player?
The rule is one of the inputs to the house edge. We could not confirm the size of its effect from a primary source, so we publish no figure.
- Where can I see the rule at a live table?
In the table's rules panel and on the studio's rules page. We have not yet recorded the version for each game.