SpillpratBordspillBlackjackDoes the dealer draw to 16 or 17?
Does the dealer draw to 16 or 17?
Just came back from the casino at Oslo and noticed the dealer hit on soft 17, Ace + 6. I thought the dealer should stand on all 17s. My friend said some places have the dealer draw to 16 instead. So which one is it? What's the actual rule in Norway?
Dealers in Norway draw to 16, meaning they must keep hitting until they reach 17 or more, and they stand on all 17s, including soft 17. If you saw a dealer hit on Ace + 6, then either you misread the hand or it was a different game. In Norwegian brick-and-mortar casinos, that just never happens.
The golden rule of blackjack is to assume the dealer's face-down card is a 10. So if they show a 10, they likely have 20, and you need to be more aggressive. If they show a 5 or 6, they are weak and will bust around 40 percent of the time, so you stand on hands like 12 and let them dig their own grave.
Doubling on a 12 is never advisable because a 10-valued card busts you instantly, and you lose twice the money for no reason. Never split 10s either, you already have a strong hand and splitting ruins it. And never hit on soft 20, because you have 20, which is nearly unbeatable.
Standing on 16 against a dealer's 10 is also correct. Hitting busts you more often than not, and you are hoping the dealer busts, but they stand on 17 and you lose anyway. The house edge is there, but basic strategy cuts it down a lot.
Played every table from Tromso to the Caribbean. Still expect the worst.
What I saw was probably a different game or a misread hand. Norwegian casinos always stand on soft 17, and that is the S17 rule. Draw to 16 just means the dealer keeps taking cards until 17 or more, nothing more.
30 years of dealing, mostly nights. I've seen your hand before, and I still don't care.
In the US they often hit soft 17, called H17. Online casinos not licensed in Norway might do that too. But every Norwegian land-based casino uses S17, so what you saw at Oslo must have been something else.
Cut cards for a living once. You'll never see the burn.
Was in Bergen once and a tourist argued with the dealer because she drew to 17. He thought it should be 16. I always assume the hole card is 10, so I stand on 16 against a 10 and I never hit 15 against a 10 either. Tried it once, got a 6, made 21, and still lost because the dealer had blackjack. Learned my lesson.
From the dealer's side to the player's side. No regrets, just extra cards.
You never hit on hard 17, the bust risk is too high. The dealer might have a 10 underneath, but you stand and hope they bust. One night I saw four dealers in a row bust because they had to draw on 16. Never split 5s either, you are better off doubling on a 10 total. And 15 against a 10, I broke that rule once and it backfired, so now I stick to the chart.
Basic strategy zealot. Side counts? Only if you can do them sober.
People think never hit on 16 is a rule, but it isn't. You hit 16 against a 7 or higher, but stand against a 6 or lower. A friend lost a pile standing on 16 against a 10, dealer flipped 20. And never hit 12 against a 5, dealer busts so often. Seen it too many times, they draw a 10 and bust.