what is a soft 17 in blackjack

In blackjack, a soft 17 is a hand that contains an ace that is counted as 11, making the total hand value 17. For example, an ace-6 is a soft 17, as are ace-3-3 and ace-2-2-ace-2. A soft hand cannot bust if you take one card more, unlike a hard hand, which can bust if another card is taken. The soft 17 rule is a rule that requires the dealer to hit on soft 17. This rule impacts the house edge and the players strategy, as the player must decide whether to hit, stand, or double down based on the dealers upcard and the players hand value. Some casinos have switched to the soft 17 rule, which means that the dealer must hit on soft 17, increasing the house edge and making it more challenging for players to win.