blackjack soft 18. But did you know if you play an entire lifetime of blackjack and are dealt a pat 18 on every single hand, you’d die a small loser! (that is because your overall expectation is negative when you stand on 18). blackjack soft 18

 
 But did you know if you play an entire lifetime of blackjack and are dealt a pat 18 on every single hand, you’d die a small loser! (that is because your overall expectation is negative when you stand on 18)blackjack soft 18  This Blackjack side bet comes with a house edge of 10

Blackjack is an enormously popular card game, with millions of fans playing it online across the globe. 13%. In that same vein, you’ll make 38 stiffs (12 thru 16), which you will continue to hit! With the continued hitting, you’ll improve your hand, to 19 or better, 10 more times out of the 38. Use our blackjack calculator tool to check your answer. If you do opt to double with a soft 17/18,. You now have a good hand in blackjack that can outdraw many of the dealer’s holdings. If you bet $10, you win $10 from the dealer (plus you keep your original bet, of course. A soft hand is when the Ace exists as 11. Soft 18 is classified that way because it differs from other blackjack strategies of playing. You take a third card an Ace. For example, playing 10-8 is. Ace. Basic strategy advises players to stand whenever the dealer’s upcard is a 2, a 7 or an 8. Soft 20 (A,9) always stands. Otherwise, you stand;Zappit — This one includes the ability to “zap” or swap an initial hand if it is for a total of 15 to 18. When you have a soft 16, 17, or 18 A “soft” hand is when you have an ace since it counts as either 1 or 11. They get caught up in the 18 part and forget about the Ace. Following are the particulars and adjustments to conventional blackjack. Soft 18 falls into the category of one of the most frequently misplayed hands in blackjack. Start by knowing the difference between “hard hands” and “soft hands. When I first started writing about gaming and really watching what other players were doing, this seemed to. 5 cards in blackjack Never split 10’s at the blackjack table. When To Split Pairs. A fair amount of blackjack players will stand on a soft 18. Double soft 19 against dealer’s 6. Blackjack players should be splitting pairs because the correct basic strategy says so. 10, and Ace with a hand of soft 18, comprising an ace and a 7; Double against cards 3 to 6 or else stand with a hand of soft 17, comprising an ace and a 6; Double against cards 4 to 6 or else, hit. Exactly 18: Hit only if you're "behind". Surrender 15, a pair of 8s, and 17 vs. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points. Blackjack dealers have no options for the in-game decisions of whether to hit or stay; they follow a strict algorithm that will depend on the casino. According to the Wizard. 100502 and for hitting is -0. Only in SD. For dealer probabilities before the dealer checks for blackjack please see Dealer Odds in Blackjack under European Rules . The blackjack rules this table is based are liberal Vegas shoe, as follows: Six decks Dealer stands on soft 17 Surrender allowed Double after split allowed Player may resplit to four hands, including aces. One rule variant is that the dealer may hit a. Hit: When the dealer has a 9, 10 or ace. What I like to tell people is to try to find what I call the liberal strip rules that consists of a six deck shoe game. On the other hand, a “hard” hand consists of cards that don’t have an Ace, or the Ace counts as 1 point only. DEALER'S 2 UPCARD. dealer A. That is the question posed by a new blackjack side bet seen at the Santa Fe Station in October, 2010. When dealers hit soft 17, their prospects of busting are 13. If you can play it some other way, you usually should. There are additional rules that may affect how some strategies work in. Hard 16: 8-8, 10-6, 9-7, 6-4-6, and 10-2-3-A. It turns out there is a difference between a 16 made up of two cards, such as 10-6 and 9-7, and one made up of three cards, such as 4-5-7. Whether or not to hit or stand with a soft seventeen, and when you should double down. ace-3-4 = soft 18. Dealer hits at a soft 17 instead of standing +0. Consider the following:What is that soft 18 in blackjack - Blackjack, the world famous casino banking game, holds the title of the most played game of its kind in the world. 22%. here are examples of soft hands. the other 46. Always Split two Aces - If you don’t split your aces, one is given a value of one and the other a. Additional Rules to Blackjack Strategies. Always double down on a hard 11. The ace can count as 1 or 11. Soft 19 is an excellent in blackjack soft hand, as it positions players close to the coveted total of 21. ). Double Down: When the dealer upcard is 4, 5 or 6. Splitting eights limits one's losses and improves one's hand. Correct basic strategy decisions for a blackjack hand with a soft 17 for the total. Since hard 13 is more prone to busting than hard 12 (with 5 out of 13 card denominations that can break the hand), players should approach it more conservatively. 2 percent. 2 for a 6 deck shoe, S17 and double any two cards, hi-lo count. The preferred option is to double down. Soft 18 (A7) – Double down against dealer’s 4 6, unless when you have 4 or more cards. So, you’ll improve your hand almost 33 out. 19. a dealers 8 up card (Standing)So I asked Don Schlesinger, author of Blackjack Attack, if there were any known play where the best play on the initial hand is different from the best play to maximize the expected value of the overall game of blackjack. Let’s look at soft-hand basic blackjack strategy in a six-deck game in which the dealer hits soft 17. Dealers hit, too, and one of the most important rules is whether the dealer hits on a soft 17. Basically, hard hands do not have an ace. Soft 18 versus a high upcard is enigmatic because no possibility is propitious and. Soft 18: double against 3 to 6 Soft 19 to 21: never double. For instance, a hand containing A-2 is soft 13 while one consisting of A-2-3 is a soft 16. Grab a bite at one of four restaurants, catch a show, and find yourself in. Arnold is also the author of our books The Blackjack Shuffle Tracker's Cookbook and Risk of Ruin. The general rule of thumb is that you should always hit on soft 17, unless the strategy calls for you to double (see below for when you should do this). As my blackjack appendix 9 shows the expected value for standing is -0. With a soft hand, the general strategy is to keep hitting until a total of at least 18 is reached. ace-6 = soft 17. If you have a soft 19 or 20, you should always stand. Offer: 50 No-Deposit Spins. If the player busts (goes over 21), then he or she loses whatever they had bet plus half their wager. What. The odds of winning at blackjack can be as high as 42. Using 52 decks of cards, Blackjack is part of the international family of casino banking games known as Twenty One. In exchange for this, the dealer stands on 16 and pushes a player’s 17, 18, 19, and 20. If you have a soft 18 then stand and hope for a push. Wins pay even. As stated earlier, the house edge in blackjack increases by about two-tenths when the dealer hits on soft 17, which is more significant than you think. There is no definitive answer to this question as it largely depends on the specific rules and regulations of a particular casino. The dealer soft total is the same as a player soft total. Your chose to hit and get a 10 – this takes your hand from a soft 16 to a hard 16 (1+5+10+16) You hit again -because the chart tells you to hit on a hard 16 if the dealer’s card is a 10. Single Deck Blackjack can return 99. Allows custom filters for variations too. 36%. Soft 17 and soft 18 are two hands that separate blackjack players in the know from the pretenders. House edge: 0. Most players stand with an A-7 (soft 18) against a dealer’s 9 upcard, reasoning that an 18 is good enough to beat the dealer. If an ace can act as an 11 without putting the hand over 21, it is treated as so, otherwise it’s 1. Conversely, a ‘hard hand’ is a hand either without an Ace or with an Ace valued as 1 point. This includes when you display a soft 18 and the dealer displays a 6, 5, 4, or 3. Their unique additions such as player blackjack always winning and 5-card charlie increase player EV, but don't really change our strategy, except perhaps in very specific scenarios which would come up so rarely as to make them. Playing a total hand of 18 doesn’t always count as a soft 18. The basic playing strategy for, say, ace. When I change that to S17 the tables still show +1. Dealer Hits on Soft 17 House Edge. Shuffle-tracking: An advantage play strategy for hand-shuffled games where you compose the decks for the next shoe, steering slugs of high-cards towards the front of the deck and betting big from the start. The house will win when players bust, regardless of the final dealer hand. Seven Card Charlie available at BetMGM has a house edge 0. ) These days you almost have to play in games where the dealer hits soft 17, as most casinos have adopted this policy. 2 for a 6 deck shoe, S17 and double any two cards, hi-lo count. Why Basic Strategy Recommends Us to Split 8s. With a hand totalling 14, the chance you’ll bust if hitting is at 46%. Real Money vs. Soft 18 - ace plus seven - is one of blackjack's most frequently misplayed hands. 22%. Soft 17: depends on if the game is H17 or S17. 27%: I also have a longer list of rule variations. Step 2: receive. OK, you have your soft 18 and the dealer is showing a power card and the chart says hit! The same goes for some soft doubling decisions, particularly the soft 18 (A-7) and soft 19 (A-8). On top of the blackjack strategy charts above, here are a few additional rules to remember: Surrender if you have a 16 and the dealer is showing a 10. Instead of surrendering, you. Looking for hit or stand charts for a specific game? Use the links below to select your chart. Double soft 18 vs. Standing With Soft Hands in Blackjack. Double, lose 54. Most of the time, the most ideal gameplay will be hitting until you reach 18 points and standing from after that. The chance of a dealer winning with a 20 or 21, including a blackjack, is 51. Doubling on soft 13 through 18 is always a good idea when the dealer’s upcard is a 5 or a 6 because this puts them in the weakest possible spot and you want to take full advantage of the fact. Blackjack is the strongest hand one can possibly obtain and as such, usually pays 3 to 2. That’s because there is a third possible result - a push. The house edge of this game is 2. Blackjack basic strategy chart: 1 deck, dealer stands on all 17s. When to double: Always accept a free double. 438% (winning against dealer's 17, soft 17 (11. If you get an ace and a 7, then you’ll have yourself a Soft 18. If they stand on all 17s, always surrender 16 no matter how many decks are in play. Curacao. 18%: Dealer hits on soft 17-0. When you play blackjack, the ace is worth 11 or 1 – it can either be the game’s highest-ranking card or its lowest. Stand, lose 52. A soft hand is one that features an ace. Blackjack Online - Home Blackjack. Welcome to Caesars Casino, the place where you can be your own pit boss and play our world-class online casino games anytime, anywhere in New Jersey! Vegas World plays well on any Android phone or tablet. As for shoe-dealt blackjack where the dealer hits soft 17, the instances that call for surrender include a player 15 against the dealer’s 10 and ace, a hard 16 against 9, 10, and ace, hard 17 against an ace, and 8-8 versus an ace. Soft hands: Soft 13 - 14 - Soft 15 - 16 - Soft 17 - Soft 18 - Soft 19 to 21. Mike: Good question. The basic strategy we list for you below is based on the different moves you can make. Stand on hard 17 or more. The odds of winning at blackjack can be as high as 42. After the number of decks used and the payout odds for hitting Blackjack itself, whether a dealer stands or hits on Soft 17 is the next most important rule. If you draw another deuce on your soft 16, you will end up holding soft 18. This means that, on average, the house will earn money. Chance of winning 32. Dealer hits any total of soft 17, and stands on soft 18 (or larger) or hard 17 (or larger) Blackjack pays 3:2. Almost all basic strategy assumptions begin with the premise that you'll be dealt a ten when you take a hit. If players have an ace and a 7, then they have a soft 18 hand. Never split 5s or 10s. 7 – 7 = Hard 14. By standing, you avoid the risk of. If the dealer hits on a soft 17, the correct action is to Surrender, or Hit when your blackjack hand value is 16. For a shoe game, there are 3 differences in basic strategy: A7v2, A8v6, and 11vA. After all players have acted, the dealer shall hit to a hard or soft 16. Split a pair of 8s & Aces. Yes--that's the right box. Top Casinos. 39%: Blackjacks pay 1 to 1-2. The most heeded blackjack advice tells players never to hit on a Hard 17. ) Hit if the dealer shows a 2; or double down on cards 3 through 6 if you have an ace, 2, 3, 4 or 5. This is how you can learn how to play online blackjack in just seven steps: Step 1: place your bet. When dealt a soft 19 or 20, then you should always stand. Any hand that contains an ace that counts as 11 is known as a soft hand. If the upcard is between three and six, to your soft 18, then you should double down. That means you win $300 for every $200 bet at 3:2, or $200 for every $100 bet at 2:1. 12 is a hit against anything but 4, 5, or 6 where it is a stand. Conversely, a ‘hard hand’ is a hand either without an Ace or with an Ace valued as 1 point. Double on soft 15 and soft 16 against a dealer 4, 5, or 6, otherwise hit; Double on soft 17 against a dealer 3, 4, 5 or 6, otherwise hit; Double on soft 18 against a dealer 3, 4, 5 or 6, otherwise stand; Let’s now examine an example with a soft 17 against a dealer with a 4 to see the exact differences in the net profits when you hit and double. When You Have a Soft 16, 17, or 18 (Situation 3). an ace. Basic strategy for soft totals of thirteen and fourteen. How to Play Free Bet Blackjack. 4. Most land-based casinos offer shoe-dealt blackjack with six decks, but you’ll also find eight-deck options often. For instance, an A-7 hand is a soft 18. When the dealer hits on a soft 17 in Blackjack a lot of things will change. For single deck/double deck blackjack games that hit on soft 17, the rules differ. That lack of an ace means that the hand is much more rigid. then this is another good chance to use the double down Blackjack bet. Stand on 17 and up. Blackjack Strategy Additional Rules. Playing free blackjack games on Casino. This article covers the use of a blackjack basic strategy and how to easily memorize it. Well, if your hand has an Ace that can be. I have all my indices worked using risk averse indices, I'm more worried about keeping my already high ROR as low as possible than I am of increased win rate, but of course sometimes this means taking risks where. Soft 13 - 14 - Soft 15 - 16 - Soft 17 - Soft 18 - Soft 19 to 21 Splitting pairs: Aces - 2's - 3's - 4's - 5's - 6's - 7's - 8's - 9's - 10's. however, to stand at a-7 against a dealer's 9, 10 or a is a. 395% (Dealer's 19 to 21 makes up 56. SOFT 18. dealer 2. The biggest swing though is standing on soft 17 vs. The reason it's a close play is because if the dealer has a 6 under his ace, you already have him beat. koda: hitting on a soft 18And a soft 18 is one of those misplayed blackjack hands. Soft 17 or less: Always hit. They should stand on the three-card soft 18. Soft hands: Soft 13 - 14 -. The chance of the player winning against a dealer's 17, 18, or bust is 33. He replied that a soft 18 against a dealer ace, in a double-deck game, where the dealer stands on soft 17, was such a play. a 6 and the worst move you can do is double a soft 17 vs. On the other hand, a soft hand is the one that involves an ace that is worth either 1 or 11. A dealer’s hand with a 5 or a 6 is statistically the worst hand a dealer can have. IE 53. How to play free blackjack games online. By Henry Tamburin Ph. For example, you would stand on a hard 18 against a dealer 9. Don't shoot the messenger: "Playing Better Blackjack. The dealer hits on soft 17; Aces can be split and players get one card to each ace, which cannot further be re-split; The total of a hand with a split ace and a 10 value card is not a blackjack; The payout for blackjack is 3:2, winning insurance bets payout is 2:1 and the same for the other winning hands is 1:1; Single vs Multiple Deck BlackjackIf it is more than 6, Stand. Since the ace can either be 1 or 11, this means that the hand containing the ace can either be one of two numbers and usually it’s the number that is most beneficial to the player. In the “Dealer Hits Soft 17” games. Blackjack vs. 10 – 6 = Hard 16. On top of the blackjack strategy charts above, here are a few additional rules to remember: Surrender if you have a 16 and the dealer is showing a 10. Appendix 4 :Details on the standard deviation in blackjack. Appendix 7 :Effect of card removal. . Aces however, can only be split once. I'm going to assume a multiple-deck game — there are so few single-deck games with rules worth playing. It uses decks of 52 cards and descends from a global family of casino banking games known as "twenty-one". For example, if the player’s two cards are a 6 and an ace, then the player can have either a 7 or 17. Blackjack (formerly black jack and vingt-un) is a casino banking game. Hard hands: Hard 8 or less - Hard 9 - Hard 10 - Hard 11 - Hard 12 - Hard 13 - 16 - Hard 17 to 21. Vegas Strip Blackjack. The optimal plays for soft 18 in double-deck and multiple-deck S17 blackjack largely coincide. ConclusionSoft 13 or 14. And a soft 18 is one of those misplayed blackjack hands. So when we are talking about whether a 17 is hard or soft, the Ace is integral to the hand. 2018. Try doubling down on hard nine, ten, or 11. Whether to hit or stand on a soft fifteen or sixteen, or double down. Bear in mind that the best setting for the S17 rule in blackjack is a table with 1 or 2 decks. You shouldn't always assume a Ten in the hole at all times, but it's okay for this. Double Up Blackjack allows the player to double their bet and stand. As the basic strategy charts tell you, you. Surrendering would earn you more money in the long run. Catatan, ACE dihitung. Double down on soft 18 (ace, 7) against dealer's 2 up card (instead of standing) Sometimes new casinos come under a lot of heat from blackjack players when they implement the soft 17 rule at their blackjack tables. A soft 18 is one of the possible hands you can be dealt in blackjack. The reason why you stand in hard 16 is that in a case when the dealer’s upcard is small let’s say between 2 and 6, the. 10%. In every game of blackjack, the dealer either plays Soft 17 or higher, or hits Soft 17, which means they can only play Hard 17, plus any 18 or higher. Place the bet in the circle in front of you on the table. If you are a basic strategy player, the house edge increases by 20% when the dealer hits on a soft 17. Each card is worth only what it says it is and that limits the options that a player will have. Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks. One of the things you can do in blackjack immediately after receiving your cards is double down, which means doubling your bet and receiving one and one more card only. Hard and soft totals can be the same, but with a soft blackjack hand, you have some more options. Whether or not to hit, stand, or double down with a soft total of 13 or 14 in blackjack. For example, playing 10-8 is a hard 18. dealer 2). Soft 17 is a situation in which the blackjack hand contains a total of 17 with a single ace (6+A, 4+2+A, etc. Introducing hard & soft hands in blackjack. Soft 15-16 when the dealer has 4-6. A hand that contains an Ace is called a "soft" hand if the Ace can be counted as 1 or 11 without the total going over 21. Single deck. 7,8,9) in an equal number, a player would have a substantial advantage (~18%) as long as he played correct strategy. What they should really worry about is people who double Soft 19. 17%) Chance of losing is 56. Pairs of 8s give players the worst hand total they can possibly get at the blackjack table, hard 16. begin with the premise that you'll be dealt a ten when you take a hit. It's always better to play two potentially good hands with no chance of busting than it is to play one tough hand that isn't. 8% of the time you make your soft 18 no worse when you hit. When the dealer shows 3 through 6, the chances of the dealer busting are strong enough to make doubling down the best play here. For example if you have a 16 composed of a 10, 4, and 2 against a 10 look under the 3 card list. a dealers 8 up card (Standing) So I asked Don Schlesinger, author of Blackjack Attack, if there were any known play where the best play on the initial hand is different from the best play to maximize the expected value of the overall game of blackjack. Surrender a hard 15 against the dealer’s 10. Ace - 6 hand. 22–23, 51–56. why would you want to hit on a soft 18 especially if the dealer has a 8,9 or 10 showing, your chances of geting an ace 2 or 3 are vey low and you could ruin your hand with a lot of different cards. The basic playing strategy for doubling down. Thus, with an ace and a six (7 or 17), the player would not stop at 17, but would hit. The number of decks in play also matters, regardless of if the dealer hits on soft 17. When any hand contains an ace, it’s called a soft hand since aces in blackjack can count as both 1 and 11. An average of 8. Whether you’re looking to win big or just have some fun, Elements Casino Victoria offers exciting choices for all! Play the latest of our 770 Slots from $0. Play blackjack online for free or for real money in Australia in 2023 ! We ranked the most trusted, legal blackjack sites with bonuses of up to AU$10,000. Instead of splitting, the strategy recommends hitting your soft 12 against an Ace and splitting against dealer upcards deuce through 10. Cardcounter said: Here is the rule for soft 18 [ . The dealer hits soft 17. Conversely, hard hands are initial hands that lack an ace. With a soft 18, you’ll double against a dealer 3, 4, 5, or 6. Soft 18 in blackjack (A-7) is a commonly misplayed hand. Lincoln Casino is an established casino in the American market, having an official gambling license and paying attention to table games in addition to slots. With the expectation of a 10, it is. Soft and hard refers basically refers to whether or not you have an ace, as an ace is 1 or 11 and will change from 11 to 1 if 11 would make you bust. Like all things in gaming the first instinct of player is often counter intuitive to the hard. As my blackjack appendix 9 shows, a 2-card soft 18 vs A has an expected value of hitting of -0. 888casino. MULTI-CARD SOFT 18 The rules in most video blackjack games in land-based casinos. Soft 18 (A,7) doubles against dealer 2 through 6, and hits against 9 through Ace, otherwise stand. 3. 5 – Know How to Play Soft Totals. So, there are more chances for the dealer to be able to hit and achieve a better ranking hand. 100502 and for hitting is -0. Soft 18 - A soft total of A-7 versus a 7 up card (Doubling) Hard 11 - A hard total of 11 against the blackjack dealers 6 up card (Double Down Hand) Hard 20 - A Hard total of 20 vs. A soft hand occurs with an Ace, while a hard hand can occur with an Ace but it has to equal one, not 11. 2:1 is a better payout. The 'soft 17 rule' is a rule that requires the dealer to hit on soft 17. It can be a mental hurdle for a player to. They get caught up in the 18 part and forget about the Ace. 8 – 7 = Hard 15. 395% with 20 takes up majority of 34%) By Hitting on a Soft 18, you are converting yourself to a Hard 8 unless you draw. In blackjack, ‘soft’ hands are the ones containing an Ace, which means the total can be counted twofold. Vegas Strip Blackjack. Learn the basics of blackjack, blackjack strategy the most powerful ⚡ way to beat the casino ⭐ Use the blackjack basic strategy to increase your % odds % Must See Home;. Soft 18 is among the most commonly misplayed hands in the game of Being a soft hand, it contains an Ace that can be assigned a value of either 1 or Soft 18 - ace plus seven - is one of blackjack's most frequently misplayed hands. Here we are going to take a look at some common errors seen in civilians and beginning advantage players. Blackjack is also known as twenty-one when played with a single deck. Soft 13 or 14. Beat Multiple Deck Blackjack. Conclusion – The combination of playing cards and the mix of playing rules determine the ideal playing strategy for every blackjack game in a casino on mobile. 7,7 – split if the dealer’s upcard is 2 – 7, hit otherwise. Min deposit €10. Such is the case whenever the player gets a starting hand of 6-2 for a hard 8 against the dealer’s 5. . But on average, 18 is a loser when the dealer shows a 9 or higher. The most important fact is you wouldn't lose the bet. 18%: Dealer hits on soft 17-0. For example, a hand consisting of an Ace and a 6 is referred to as a ‘soft 17’ because the Ace is valued as 11 points (11 + 6 = 17). Likewise, a pair consisting of an Ace and a seven is called the soft 18, and so on. a soft 17 (Ace-6) total is an advantageous position for you, even more so if doubling down is an option. What is a soft hand and a hard hand in Blackjack? In Blackjack, all starting hands can be split into hard and soft hands. [4]This is more important with soft blackjack hands than any other kind of hand, but those are also some of the harder hands to make decisions about. If a player holds an ace valued as 11, the hand is called "soft", meaning that the player cannot go bust by taking an additional card; the value of the ace will become 1 to. There are some totals that players would stand on if it were a hard hand, but should hit if it is a soft hand. Hitting soft 17 increases the house edge by 0. Doubling down on low cards is a must, in this position, as you will get double the reward whenever your hand is best. A soft 18 is the only soft hand that you might consider tricky. Appendix 3c :Composition dependent exceptions to single deck basic strategy where the dealer hits a soft 17. Rating. dealer’s 2. 5 times the bet. Therefore, they provide less liquidity and fewer choices for the player. 4%. You should also double down if you have a soft 19 and the dealer has a 6. 8,8 – always split. The basic strategy suggests standing on a soft 18 against a dealer’s 2 or 7 but hitting against a 9, 10, or Ace. Of course, having a soft 18 already puts you in a good position. A “Soft Hand” only happens if there is an ace in the hand. Double a soft 19 against a dealer 6 if using H17 rules. Or they might have an ace that is worth 1 only. For a soft 18 against the dealer’s 2 through 8, according to strategy charts, you should stand. Soft 18 and higher: dealer stands. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright. A dealer’s hand with a 5 or a 6 is statistically the worst hand a dealer can have. Here we are going to take a look at some common errors seen in civilians and beginning advantage players. Yes, there's a good chance you could end up eventually busting, but the math behind the play doesn't lie. The reason you should stand on a 16 when your hand contains three or more cards.