08-16-05, LearnTexasHoldem:

What Is Soft Play

Question: Poker TDA Rule No. 7 (Penalties): A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending, if a card(s) goes off the table, if soft-play occurs, or similar incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of abuse, disruptive behavior, or similar incidents.

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What exactly is soft-play?  I looked through the glossary in Robert's Rules of Poker and it wasn't there.

Thanks...

Answer: Soft play is a really weak form of collusion, you aren't working with another player on the same team, but you play your hand differently against them than you would someone else. For example, if two guys raise you out of a pot and then just check it down to one another, that is soft play. Or for example, you have two friends at a table who don't want to play against one another, so they play their hands more weakly, while if it were you in the pot versus them, they would raise your ass.

To be totally fair, everyone should play their hands according to how strong they are in each situation, not if they are buddy buddy with the opponents -- favoritism. In cash games rarely anyone will object to soft play (unless they were in the pot and bet out) but in tourneys it is more strict. This is a really small rule, as you can see by no one mentioning it anywhere, so I wouldn't take it too seriously; in other words all the home game players, don't start calling "Soft Play! Penalty!" on each other.

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