Blackjack is a casino game where a player bets on the outcome of a hand of cards. If the player is correct, they win money; if they are incorrect, they lose money.
There are two possible outcomes in blackjack: a “soft” 17 (a five-card hand with an Ace high or Ace low) and a “hard” 17 (a six-card hand with at least one Ace). A “hard” 17 is more likely to result in a player losing money, while a “soft” 17 is more likely to result in a player winning money.
There is some debate as to whether a blackjack dealer must hit a soft 17 in order for the game to be considered fair. One argument against this requirement is that it can lead to players being too cautious and avoiding hands that may actually pay off.
Additionally, it can be difficult for dealers to correctly guess the soft hands of individual players, leading to them hitting less than half of the times they should. .
On the other hand, there are also arguments in favor of requiring dealers to hit soft 17s. Oneargument in favor of this requirement is that it ensures that every hand played is fairly evaluated and that no hand is given an unfair advantage.
Additionally, dealers are better able to correctly guess the hands of individual players when they are hitting soft 17s rather than hard 17s.
