A soft hand in blackjack is one that contains an ace that is counted as an 11. Therefore, a soft 17 is a combination of card values and an ace that adds up to a 17. These include an ace and a 6, two 3s and an ace, three 2s and an ace. A soft 17 is different from a 10 and a 7, which is considered a hard 17 because it contains no ace. Playing with a soft 17 is different from a hard 17 because you cannot go bust with one card draw. Always learn the blackjack rules for soft 17 when at the table.
Players are advised to not stand on a soft 17, as this puts the advantage in the hands of the dealer. Hitting is always preferable to standing. Furthermore, having a soft 17 is also a good chance for players to double down depending on the dealer’s face-up card.
