Doubling Down On Soft 17 Vs. A Bust Card Can Be Tough To Stomach, But It's The Right Move

I do a stream with Hank every Monday at halftime of the MNF game called Monday Night Blackjack. It's become one of the things I look forward to most during my week. If you've read my columns on Blackjack before, you are aware that I wanted to be a Blackjack dealer as a teen. I have a good sense of the Blackjack Strategy Card, so when the virtual clock is ticking down, I'll voice what the card tells you to do. 

The methodology is that you've got four chances to get a good to great hand. An A, 2, 3, 4 nets you an 18-21 against a bust card. That is the same odds (~28%) as getting a 21 when doubling down on 11 vs. a 10/Face Card, where your good options are 10, J, Q, K, which is also a recommended double down via the card. But you're playing agains the dealer. With a 5, they have a 42% chance of busting. So you're playing those odds coupled with your odds of getting a good hand which combined, is very favorable. 

Funny enough, Hank and I ran into this exact situation in back-to-back hands on the stream on Monday Night. 

It clearly didn't work out for us here, but to win at Blackjack, you've got to be consistent! For more Blackjack, be sure to check out our streams every Monday Night.