All blackjack players know when the dealer gets 17, he has to stand. When a player gets 17, he doesn’t have to stand, but should he hit? The “textbook” strategy of blackjack tells a player not to hit when they have 17, but many players are not happy and can’t help asking for another card, especially when the dealer is showing an 8 or higher. However, it is always correct to stand on a total of hard 17.