In blackjack, the concept of "soft" and "hard" hands is essential for understanding how to play different situations. A "soft" hand contains an Ace counted as 11, which gives the player more flexibility since they cannot bust by drawing another card. For example, a hand consisting of an Ace and a 6 is a soft 17. In contrast, a "hard" hand does not include an Ace counted as 11 or has an Ace counted as 1, meaning the total value cannot exceed 21 without busting. For example, a hand with a 10 and a 7 is a hard 17.