In blackjack, when you hold a soft hand, it is more flexible in nature than one that is considered a hard count. A hard hand is one that contains two cards that have a hard or firm value (like 10-3, which has a hard count of 13). A hand that has a soft count is one that can vary. The reason the hand value varies is that the ace is flexible, because an ace is counted as either a one or eleven. With that in mind, a hand such as A-7 is either eight or eighteen.
When holding a soft hand, one with an ace, players are presented with the opportunity to make real money when playing blackjackrat, as soft hands often allow a player to double down in more situations than they can in hard count situations. The soft count eliminates the risk of busting and thus the only thing a player must do is beat the dealer by either outdrawing him or letting the dealer bust.
In blackjack, a double down is the act of doubling the size of your bet in exchange for being able to receive one and only one more card. If you are playing a hand for $100, if you double down, you must put up another $100, which means this hand will be worth a total of $200. If the outcome is favorable, you win $200. However, if you lose the hand, you have lost $200. This means the stakes for this hand are naturally twice as much as if you chose not to double down. The double down move is made when the expected outcome is greater than a whole bet, and by failing to double down when the time is right, a player leaves value on the table.
When deciding to double down with a soft hand, the player should check the dealer’s exposed or up card. Players should avoid doubling down if the dealer shows a two, seven, eight, nine, ten, face card, or an ace. If the dealer’s visible card is a three, the player should double on a soft 17 or 18. If the dealer shows a 4, players holding a soft 15, 16, 17, or 18 can profitably double down. In the event the dealer’s up card is a 5 or 6, then the best of all possible actions is to double down on soft hands ranging between a soft 13 and a soft 18.
By doubling down with soft hands when the time is right, a player can pad his bankroll quite nicely. By playing too conservatively and missing the opportunity to double down, players leave value and thus money on the table.
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