Dealer hits soft 17

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Preston

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
I was just wondering something.

I travel a lot and I am noticing a trend that more and more places are switching to "dealer hits soft 17". Maybe It's just me. But is this the next change in blackjack.

Here is the list of casinos I have been to this year.

Those that hit stand on Soft 17:

Argosy Lawrenceburg IN
Grand Victoria Rising Sun IN
Ameristar Vicksburg MS
Diamond Jack's Vicksburg MS
Foxwoods CT
All Atlantic City Casinos
Blue Chip Michigan City IN
Seneca Niagara
Seneca Allegany
Harrahs Cherokee NC
Turning Stone Oneida NY

Here is the list that I have seen HIT soft 17:

MGM Grand Detroit
Greektown Detroit MI
Motor City Detroit MI
Meskwaki Tama, IA
Prairie Meadows Des Moines, IA
Isle of Capri Davenport, IA
All Tunica MS casinos
Cherokee Sallisaw OK and another Cherokee I can't remember
Isle of Capri Kansas City
Most of the Vegas Casinos we went to.
Mystic Lake MN
Grand Casino Hickley MN
Ho Chunk Baraboo WI
Mystic Pines Black River Falls, WI
Grand Victoria Elgin, IL
Harrahs Metropolis, IL
Casino Aztar Caruthersville, MO

Yeah, I know I get around. But I think it's getting a little ridiculous. I was just wondering if anybody else noticed this trend.
 
EasyRhino

EasyRhino

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
It's what I cut my teeth on in Missouri, and it's what the vast majority of Indian joints in California have.

... I was kind of surprised to learn that S17 was "normal", and was confused by many discussions of basic strategy.
 
K

Kasi

Well-Known Member
#4
#4
Preston said:
I travel a lot and I am noticing a trend that more and more places are switching to "dealer hits soft 17". Maybe It's just me. But is this the next change in blackjack.
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Amen brother. We'll be lucky if there's an S17 table in the country pretty soon.

They ain't gonna pass up that 0.2%.
 
N

nc-tom

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
playing myself mostly in northern nevada except at the high roller pits or the occasional country store you never see s17. must say wish i would see it more but not to hopeful in that neck of the woods.
 
K

Knox

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
Hitting soft 17 is not what you need to be looking for. I would look at two other playing conditions that I would say are both highly important:

1) 1-2 decks, avoid the 6 deck game

2) Penetration of at least 60%

Also, avoiding full tables is very important. I prefer there be no more than 4 players at the table, and 1-3 (including me) is better. The plus side of having a few other players is you can actually wong out for bathroom breaks in a 1-2 deck game. Also, it can be helpful if others are placing larger bets than you to deflect unwanted attention. You don't want to be the "big fish". Head up play will always be the best though since you are maximizing your hands per hour.

Playing a crowded 6 deck table is a waste of time, even if it is all the best rules including S 17. Once the positive counts come, the other players will eat up the good cards so quickly you will feel like you are beating you rhead against the wall.

Lastly, we all should know by now that 6:5 blackjack is unplayable.
 
K

Kasi

Well-Known Member
#8
#8
Knox said:
Hitting soft 17 is not what you need to be looking for. I would look at two other playing conditions that I would say are both highly important:

1) 1-2 decks, avoid the 6 deck game

2) Penetration of at least 60%

Also, avoiding full tables is very important. I prefer there be no more than 4 players at the table, and 1-3 (including me) is better. The plus side of having a few other players is you can actually wong out for bathroom breaks in a 1-2 deck game. Also, it can be helpful if others are placing larger bets than you to deflect unwanted attention. You don't want to be the "big fish". Head up play will always be the best though since you are maximizing your hands per hour.

Playing a crowded 6 deck table is a waste of time, even if it is all the best rules including S 17. Once the positive counts come, the other players will eat up the good cards so quickly you will feel like you are beating you rhead against the wall.

Lastly, we all should know by now that 6:5 blackjack is unplayable.
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All well and good perhaps for a card-counter but for a BS player it's a devastating rule causing you to lose your money almost 50% faster.

Is there a double-deck East of Michigan? And North of North Carolina?
 
S

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
Not that I'm aware of,but a green chipper should be able to be in Vegas in a few hours at the cost of a couple of bets.Instead of a weekly trip to play bullshit rules,save your gas money and hit Vegas every six or seven weeks for a couple of days. Its really not that hard to do.
 
ihate17

ihate17

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
The 6 deck game

Knox said:
Hitting soft 17 is not what you need to be looking for. I would look at two other playing conditions that I would say are both highly important:

1) 1-2 decks, avoid the 6 deck game

2) Penetration of at least 60%

Also, avoiding full tables is very important. I prefer there be no more than 4 players at the table, and 1-3 (including me) is better. The plus side of having a few other players is you can actually wong out for bathroom breaks in a 1-2 deck game. Also, it can be helpful if others are placing larger bets than you to deflect unwanted attention. You don't want to be the "big fish". Head up play will always be the best though since you are maximizing your hands per hour.


The 6 deck shoe, with favorable rules, 75% pen or better and no more than two other players at the table is a game I will take over a double deck game, with poor rules and 60% pen anyday, and any time.
Now change that to 75% pen on the double deck and my story changes, and then make the double deck game have favorable rules and you have a fantastic game (that still exists)

Point is, just saying avoid 6 deck shoes is not proper advice.

ihate17
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C

Cardcounter

Well-Known Member
#11
#11
Hitting soft 17 is the rule not the exception!

Today hitting soft 17 is so prevalant that every single casino that I have visted the dealer hits soft 17. I only visit casinos in the Reno and Lake Tahoe area because that is where I live. I have not been able to find a single casino that stays on soft 17 but I haven't traveled outside of the Lake Tahoe area. Why don't you tell me where the dealer stays on soft 17 I have been looking for that rule.
 
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ihate17

ihate17

Well-Known Member
#13
#13
when you get to Vegas

Cardcounter said:
Today hitting soft 17 is so prevalant that every single casino that I have visted the dealer hits soft 17. I only visit casinos in the Reno and Lake Tahoe area because that is where I live. I have not been able to find a single casino that stays on soft 17 but I haven't traveled outside of the Lake Tahoe area. Why don't you tell me where the dealer stays on soft 17 I have been looking for that rule.
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Some casinos in Vegas have both S and H-17 games.
Mandaly Bay, MGM, Monte Carlo, Tropicana, Mirage, Bellaggio, Alladin, Venetian, Slots-A-Fun and several others at higher limits, but these are between $5 and $25 most of the time.

Several California Indian Casinos are S-17, but most hit it.
Most tables in Atlantic City are S-17

Years ago when many Vegas games were S-17, people called the S-17 Vegas rules and H-17 Reno rules. Reno has a history of h-17 games, so it is no surprise that you know of none as I believe there are none in your area. The problem is that the poor rules of your area have come south into Vegas.

ihate17
 
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