Often times when playing blackjack, you’ll hear that you will want to hit on a soft 17 and stand on a hard 17. Free Blackjack Money will quickly explain the differences in a soft vs. a hard blackjack hand. It’s all about whether the ace is counted as a 1 or an 11. If the ace is counted as an 11, it’s considered a soft hand and if the ace is valued as a 1, it’s considered a hard hand. A hard hand can also have two cards without an ace. For instance, a 10 and a 7 would be considered a hard hand. In this case, you would want to stand. If you are dealt a soft 17 hand consisting of an ace and a six, you would want to hit. The reason you are to hit on a soft hand is that you aren’t in fear of busting so you can continue to hit and try and get closer to 21.

When picking out a blackjack table, it’s important to check out the rules of that table and find out if the dealer is required to hit or stand on a soft 17. If the soft 17 rule is in effect, meaning a dealer is required to hit on a soft 17, the casino has a higher house edge. The reason for this is that more often than not the dealer will bust however when he doesn’t, he has a greater opportunity to beat your hand by hitting on a soft 17. The odds of the dealer beating your hand counter acts the dealer busting. This gives the casino a .22% greater house edge. Therefore, start out your blackjack play with the best possible rules favoring the player and look out for a table where the dealer has to stand on a soft 17 as the odds will be more in your favor.

If there are no tables requiring the dealer to stand on a soft 17, remember the principles of basic blackjack strategies including knowing when to split pairs, when to double down, when to hit, and to steer clear of taking insurance.