Does a Blackjack Dealer Hit on 17?

In the game of blackjack, dealers are required to hit on soft 17. This means that they will take another card if their hand totals 17 points and includes an Ace counted as 11.

The Ace can change value to 1 if it would prevent the hand from going over 21 points, so sometimes a dealer must hit even when holding a 17.

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There are a few different reasons why casinos require dealers to hit on soft 17. For one, it gives the casino a better chance to win. If the dealer were to stand on soft 17, the house edge would be about 0.4%.

But by making dealers hit, that number rises to about 0.6%. That may not sound like much, but over time it adds up.

PRO TIP:Dealers in Blackjack must hit on soft 17, which is when an Ace is counted as 11. However, dealers must stand on hard 17, which is when an Ace is counted as 1.

It also evens out the playing field a bit between novice players and those who count cards and know when to stand and when to hit. If everyone at the table were allowed to simply stand on all 17s, then card counters would have a huge advantage.

By making everyone hit, it becomes much harder to count cards and get an edge over the house.

So, in short, the answer to the question is that yes, blackjack dealers do have to hit on soft 17 in most cases. There are some variations of the game where this is not the case, but they are relatively rare.

If you find yourself at a table where the dealer stands on soft 17, be aware that the house has a slightly higher edge and play accordingly.