Dealer Rules
How the dealer plays. Automatic strategy, soft 17, and hole card rules.
The dealer in True Count plays automatically according to fixed house rules. There are no decisions. The dealer follows a rigid strategy every time.
Dealer Strategy
After all player hands are resolved, the dealer reveals the hole card and draws according to these rules:
- Hit on any total of 16 or below
- Stand on any hard total of 17 or above
- Soft 17: behavior depends on the active rule set (see below)
If all player hands have busted, the dealer doesn't need to play. The round settles immediately.
Soft 17
A "soft" hand contains an Ace counted as 11. Soft 17 is specifically Ace + 6 (or any combination totaling 17 with a flexible Ace).
The Dealer Hits Soft 17 setting controls whether the dealer takes another card on soft 17:
| Setting | Dealer Behavior | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Stands on Soft 17 | Dealer stands on all 17s including soft 17 | S17 |
| Hits Soft 17 | Dealer hits soft 17, stands on hard 17+ | H17 |
House Edge Impact
When the dealer hits soft 17, the house edge increases by approximately 0.22%. Stands on soft 17 (S17) is more favorable for the player and is the default setting in True Count.
Dealer Blackjack
If the dealer's first two cards total 21, it's a dealer blackjack. This is checked immediately after the deal:
- All non-blackjack player hands lose
- A player blackjack against a dealer blackjack results in a push (bet returned)
No player actions occur when the dealer has blackjack. The hand resolves on the spot.
Dealer Animation
During the dealer's turn, action text updates in real time as the dealer plays:
- Reveals: hole card is flipped face-up
- Thinking: brief pause before drawing
- Hits: a card is drawn
- Stands: dealer stops drawing
- Busts: dealer total exceeds 21
The bankroll display waits until the dealer's animation finishes before updating, so the outcome isn't spoiled.
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