When to Hit a Soft Count Hand in Poker
While soft count hands are amongst the easiest hands to play in poker, they are often not played correctly. Soft hands are unique in that the value of the hand is flexible. Hands with a soft count contain an Ace and the ace can be used as either a one or an eleven, whereas face cards always count as ten and numeric cards hold their face value. A ten is a ten and a nine is a nine. An Ace can change its value between one and eleven as it needs to. This means that when a player holds a soft hand, they can take a card (a hit) and do not have to worry about busting. Thus, in terms of hitting a soft hand, the risk of bust has been eliminated.
Even though there is zero risk in busting when taking a hit on soft counts, hitting is not always the best course of action. In poker, players lose money when they fail to beat the dealer. However, when a player does not make the best of all possible decisions, they lose money in terms of opportunity. If you have the opportunity to make money by choosing one action over others, it is the same as losing money. Consequently, when we do not double down, hit, split, or stand when we “should” we lose money through lost opportunity. When a player holds a soft count, opportunity cost is often lost because the soft hands are frequently misplayed.
Players holding soft hands instinctually want to either hit or double down. However, not all situations warrant such actions. Before deciding how to play your soft hand, a poker player should look at the dealer’s up card and the total of their soft hand. Once the totals are determined, the player should then decide whether to hit, stand, or double down.
When the player’s soft count is fifteen and under, the player should always take a hit no matter what card is showing on the dealer box. Do not confuse hitting with doubling down, however. Players should not double down when holding a soft fifteen or lower, as they may need an additional card. When the full tilt poker download player possesses a soft count ranging between sixteen and eighteen, they should hit their soft hand only when the dealer shows a seven, eight, nine, ten, face card, or ace. When the player holds a soft sixteen and eighteen, doubling down is correct if the dealer holds a six or under. Players holding nineteen or more should stand.
When holding a soft count hand in poker, hitting is the best course of action in instances when the player holds a soft fifteen or less. Additionally, players holding a soft 16, 17, or 18 can profitably hit when the dealer shows a seven or higher. Hitting when it is inappropriate or standing when one should hit leaves money on the table when playing soft hands in poker.