Casino Blackjack Rules on a Dealer's 17

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In casino Blackjack, every player around the Blackjack table is playing one-on-one against the dealer. The objective of the game is to score a hand total closer to the number 21 than the dealer's hand total without "busting" over 21.

Players always have a choice about their next option in the game. They can choose to take a "hit" of one more card or to "stand" at a satisfactory total. The dealer, however, is often forced to perform one action or another according to the casino Blackjack rules about the dealer's minimum hand total. The key number in these rules is 17.

Some casino Blackjack rules state that a dealer must stand on a 17, or not take any hits once they reach 17. This type of game is dubbed "S17" (the "S" is for "stand").

The second type of casino Blackjack game is dubbed "H17" and requires the dealer to take a hit on a soft 17 (one that uses an Ace as 11 points) and stand on a hard 17 (a hand with no Ace or a 1-point Ace).

Depending on which of these rules the casino follows, a player's chance of winning alters. The "S17" style is much more favorable for a player. In this case, the dealer must stand on a 17, meaning that he cannot increase his hand total. His inability to hit means that a player with a total higher than 17 will win against the dealer.