Dealer's hand and the rule of "soft 17"

Once all of the players have completed the play of their hands, the dealer must complete his hand. First, he exposes his down card, so he and the players can see both of the dealer's cards. Next, the dealer draws (hits) additional cards until his hand totals 17 or better. On some tables, the dealer will also hit if he has a "soft 17" (i.e. a hand containing an ace, with a total value of 7 or 17). The dealer has no decisions to make. His play is purely mechanical and decided, in advance, by the rules of the game. The dealer cannot split, double down, surrender, or take insurance against other players. These additional player choices, and the payoff of 150% for players who get blackjack, are the factors that almost even out the odds for the player.

Peeking

In the United States, when the dealer has a 10 or ace up, he generally peeks for blackjack before the first player’s turn. Even if the dealer doesn’t peek at the hole card the player can only lose his original wager if the dealer does get a blackjack. However in Europe the dealer does not take a hole card. There if the player doubles or splits and the dealer gets a blackjack, then the player loses the entire amount bet.