Assume a six-deck game in which dealers hit soft 17 - the most common set of rules in today’s casinos.
Let’s break down the differences by the numbers. Those aren’t options with hard 17s or higher. Sometimes we have an edge and a chance to double down. Sometimes there’s an opportunity to improve a so-so hand without fear of busting. There’s a lesson blackjack newcomers and more experienced players just becoming serious about blackjack have to learn: Soft hands and hard hands are different, and when the hand is soft, 17, 18 and even 19 are not automatic standing hands. Not all blackjack 17s are created equal, nor are all 18s or 19s.
