Does the Dealer in Blackjack Have to Hit on 17?

When it comes to blackjack, one of the most common questions that players have is whether or not the dealer has to hit on 17. The answer to this question is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.

To understand why the dealer doesn’t always have to hit on 17, we need to first understand what the dealer’s options are when it comes to hitting. The dealer can either hit or stand.

If the dealer hits, they will draw another card from the deck and add it to their hand. If the dealer stands, they will keep their current hand and wait for the player to make their move.

So, why doesn’t the dealer always hit on 17? The answer has to do with basic strategy and odds.

If we look at a basic strategy chart for blackjack, we can see that the odds of busting (going over 21) are much higher when the dealer hits on 17. In fact, the odds of busting are about twice as high when the dealer hits on 17 compared to when the dealer stands on 17.

This is because there are more ways to make a hand of 18 or higher than there are to make a hand of 17 or lower. When the dealer hits on 17, they are more likely to end up with a hand that is over 21.

This is why basic strategy recommends that the player should always stand on 17 when the dealer is showing a 7 or higher.

Of course, casinos are businesses and they want to make money. They know that players are more likely to win when the dealer hits on 17, so they give the player a small disadvantage by making the dealer stand on all 17s.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t win if the dealer hits on 17, but it does mean that you’ll have better odds of winning if the dealer stands on all 17s.