What to do when you're on 17 in blackjack...
So you're at the blackjack table and you've been dealt a ten and a seven. The dealer asks whether you're going to hit or stand but you don't know what to do. Should you risk it and go for the hit hoping for a four or something under? Or is it wiser to stay and hope the dealer has something less than a 17?
According to the basic strategy rules if the dealer's facing card is any number between 1-10 and you're total is 17 or higher it is always recommended to stay. The reason this is said is because casinos have a rule regarding the dealer's hits. According to the Las Vegas casino rules, the dealer can only hit until he reaches 17 and then must stay. Since these rules don't apply to the regular player, it is actually beneficial for the player to stand on a 17 since the odds of the dealer being able to go higher than a seventeen with multiple hits are harder.
These rules, however, aren't written in stone and if you feel your gut telling you to hit on a seventeen while the dealer has a 10 or less showing, this is entirely up to you. No matter how much skill is placed into blackjack, it still continues to be a game of chance and sometimes you just have to take a chance here and there. Of course these decisions are entirely up to the player.