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1. Why Should You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Games
2. Why Should You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Terms

Splitting pairs carries a massive potential when it comes to maximizing your profits at the blackjack table. This move can be just as lucrative as doubling down but unfortunately, the vast majority of recreational players find themselves in a quandary when they are dealt a pair.

The Pairs You Should Always Split. Basic strategy dictates one should always split pairs of Aces and 8s but many novices choose not to listen. Paired 8s make for the worst possible total in the game and even more so if the dealer exposes a strong ten-value card. Always split 8s. Likewise, players should always split a pair of eights without blinking. Once again, using the pair as one hand leaves you in no man’s land. As a matter of fact, 16 is well-known for being the worst hand in blackjack. So, to avoid the stiff hands and to improve the odds of winning, you should separate the eights.

Some split all pairs regardless of the two cards’ rank while others prefer not to split altogether. And there is the third group of unskilled players who follow their gut and split pairs at random. What they tend to forget is that blackjack is a purely mathematical game and as such, it does not allow you to make intuitive decisions as is the case in other card games like poker.

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The irony lies in that splitting pairs was introduced not only to make the game more exciting but also for the purpose of reducing the house edge. In fact, the house advantage increases by nearly 0.60% if players are altogether prohibited from splitting pairs.

Instead of taking advantage of the splitting option to increase their profits, many blackjack players make awful splitting decisions which only end up making money for the house. The following article aims at clarifying when and why pair splitting is the optimal playing decision and when players should refrain from it.

Pair Splitting – How Does It Work?

The concept of pair splitting is a simple one to grasp – when players are dealt a pair of cards of equal value, like J-10, 4-4, or A-A, they have the option to split and play them as two separate hands.

For instance, suppose your original hand consists of a pair of 7s and you have initially wagered $10 on it. You have the option to play your hand as a 14 and hit or stand depending on the dealer’s upcard but you can also decide to split the 7s into two separate hands. If you choose the latter, you need to post a second bet to the same amount as your original one so that your action increases to $20.

Keep in mind that you cannot announce your decision to split verbally only but must indicate it with a hand signal, which in this case is to form a V shape with your index and middle fingers and tap the felt next to your betting circle.

The chips for the extra bet should never be placed on top of those for the original one. Instead, you position them next to your initial stack of chips. The dealer would then separate the 7s into two hands and draw one extra card on each 7. The two hands are then played one after the other, with players having a choice from the standard playing decisions. Should they receive another pair, they typically have the option to resplit.

Rule Variations Pertaining to Pair Splitting

The tricky thing about pair splitting is that the rules pertaining to this move may vary depending on which casino you are playing at. In most establishments and online blackjack variations, players are allowed to resplit until they form up to four separate hands.

The resplitting of Aces is prohibited at many tables which gives the house edge a boost roughly of 0.08%. Note that split Aces receive only one additional card and players are not allowed to take a hit afterward. This peculiarity of the rules increases the house edge by around 0.19%. There are also casinos that allow you to split ten-value cards but only if they are of the same denomination like a pair of 10s or a pair of Jacks.

In most cases, doubling down after splitting (DAS) is allowed which enables you to increase your action to up to 8 bets (i.e. if you have resplit to four hands and doubled on each one). Another important thing to keep in mind is that when you split a pair of Aces and draw a ten-value card next to your Ace, the hand is not considered a blackjack. It is counted as a regular total of 21 so you receive even money if you win. DAS is a very profitable rule for the blackjack player and its absence (NDAS) is quite detrimental, taking away around 0.14% from your advantage.

How Pair Splitting Helps Blackjack Players

As we mentioned briefly in the beginning, pair splitting is very useful because it decreases the house edge by nearly 0.60%. But how does it help the player exactly? If you take a look at the basic strategy chart, you will notice that similarly to doubling down, splitting is mostly recommended when the dealer’s upcard is weak enough to justify an increase in your bets.

This is the right course of action particularly against dealer upcards like 4, 5, 6, and 7 but whether or not this is the optimal move also depends on what pair of cards you are holding. Splitting helps players in several ways.

First, it guarantees they generate more profits on average over the long run because they pour more money on the felt against a weak dealer who is more likely to lose.

Second, splitting enables you to minimize your average losses over the long term which is just as important.

And last but not least, this playing decision gives you the opportunity to turn a bad starting hand into a good one, potentially increasing your chances of winning the round.

Here are several examples of how pair splitting helps you win more, lose less, and transform a bad hand into a good one.

Pair Splitting Allows You to Maximize Your Profits

Our first example involves a hypothetical situation where you get dealt paired 9s against a dealer with a 6 at a multiple-deck table where the dealer is required to stand on soft 17 and you can split to up to four hands. If you choose to stand on your total of 18, you will win 64 out of every 100 hands on average and lose the other 36 times.

The odds are clearly in your favor in this case. When you flat bet with a base unit of $10, you can expect to generate profits of $2.80 per hand on average (640 – 360 = 280 / 100= 2.80) provided that you always choose to stand on your paired 9s against a dealer whose upcard is a 6.

The interesting thing here is that splitting this pair decreases your chances of winning by 4% to 60% but increases the profits you generate. You win only 60 out of every hundred hands on average and lose the other 40 times. Thus, your average profit when you split this pair against the 6 will be equal to (600 – 400) * 2 = 200 * 2 = 400 / 100= $4. This corresponds to a $120 increase in your profits per every hundred split hands with a base unit of $10.

Pair Splitting Helps You Minimize Your Losses

Splitting clearly gives your winnings a good boost but it also helps you reduce your losses from negative expectation bets. For example, when the dealer starts their hand with a deuce and you bet $10 only to get dealt a pair of 7s for a lousy total of hard 14. This hand has over 50% probability of busting.

Let’s see what happens if you decide to consistently stand on your paired 7s with a flat bet of $10. The odds swing in favor of the house this time as your expected win rate drops to 36 out of every hundred hands. Therefore, you lose 64 out of every hundred hands, which corresponds to average expected losses per hand of $2.80. But what if you split your pair of 7s?

Splitting improves your likelihood of success because it allows you to start each of the two hands with a 7 instead of 14. Consistently making this decision will cause you to lose only 55 out of every hundred hands and win the other 45 times. It follows there is a drop in your average net losses per hand of $0.80 because (550 – 450) * 2 = 200 / 100 = 2 and $2.80 – $2 = $0.80.

Splitting Helps You Improve Your Hand Sometimes

One of the most rewarding occasions at the blackjack table is when a player starts a round with a poor two-card total but improves it after a split. Let’s examine a third example where you bet $10 and again receive paired 7s but this time your dealer exposes a 6 instead of a deuce. Many rookie players choose to stand. Yet, this is anything but a good decision and here is why.

When you choose to stand with 7s against a weak dealer with a 6, you will win an average of 42 out of every hundred hands and lose the other 58 hands. You are again facing a negative expectation and your long-term losses per hand amount to $1.60.

The option of splitting gives you the chance to start each of the two hands with a 7. This is a significant improvement in the odds since now you are facing a positive expectation in the long run. When you split your 7s against a 6 consistently, you end up winning 52 out of every hundred hands and lose only 48 hands on average. This accounts for net profits of ($520 – $480) * 2 = $40 * 2 = $80 / 100 = $0.80 per hand on average.

The Pairs You Should Never Split

Some players are governed by their intuition when splitting pairs which ultimately results in losing money over the long run. In blackjack, some pairs should never be split, or at least not if basic strategy is your only weapon in the battle against the casino. Such is the case with pairs of 5s and pairs of ten-value cards.

When you start a round with a pair of 10s, you face two possible playing decisions – you either stand on your pat 20 or split the pair. Some inexperienced players tend to choose split, especially against a dealer with a weak upcard like 5 or 6.

They justify this move because they supposedly have the opportunity to win two hands instead of one because the dealer is in a breaking position with these small cards. But they are wrong because this only ends up costing them more money in the long term. Standing on pat 20 wins 78 out of every hundred hands you play on average against a dealer with a6 who hits soft 17.

In 11 of the remaining instances, you tie with the dealer and win in the other 11 cases, which means standing earns you roughly $6.78 per hand (provided that you use a bet unit of $10). If you choose to split your 10s, your average expected win rate per round decreases to around $5.60 for both hands combined. You end up winning less money despite increasing your action when in a favorable position, which is why you should never split 10s unless you are counting cards.

The same applies to pairs of 5s – you should always refrain from splitting those if you use only basic strategy at the table. A starting hand with a total of 10 puts you in a very good position. You risk ruining your hand and losing twice as much in the process.

The Pairs You Should Always Split

Basic strategy dictates one should always split pairs of Aces and 8s but many novices choose not to listen. Paired 8s make for the worst possible total in the game and even more so if the dealer exposes a strong ten-value card.

A total of 16 should always be surrendered against a dealer 10 but not so if it consists of two 8s. Inexperienced players often forfeit this pair in exchange for half of their bet out of fear they might end up with two bad hands instead of one and lose twice as much in a single round.

And indeed, there is no room for doubt a pair of 8s against a dealer with a strong ten-value card puts you in a very bad spot regardless of whether you choose to hit, stand, split or surrender. You will inevitably end up losing money. However, playing two hands with a starting point of 8 causes you to incur smaller long-term losses than playing one hand with a total of 16 against a powerful dealer with a 10.

Both hitting or standing in this situation lead to winning only 23 out of every hundred hands while the other 77 hands result in losses, excluding the pushes. If you bet $10 per hand, you will end up losing an average of $540 by hitting or standing.

Splitting actually increases your chances of success with this card holding. If you make this move, you win 38 out of every hundred hands on average and lose the remaining 62 times. Therefore, you incur net losses of ($240 * 2) / 100 = $480 / 100 = $4.80 per hand. There is a slight improvement since you lose $0.60 less per hand when splitting.

Pairs You Should Always Split Additional TipsPlayers who chicken out and surrender their paired 8s against a 10 lose only half of their initial wager. This means they will lose $500 / 100 = $5 on average over the course of every hundred paired 8s they surrender against the dealer’s ten-value card.

Surrendering is obviously costlier than splitting since it causes you to lose $0.20 more per hand. Every now and then, you will end up losing both bets after you split but at least you can have the peace of mind you made the mathematically correct move which ultimately saves you money in the long term.

The same goes for pairs of Aces which basic strategy players are always recommended to split no matter what the dealer’s upcard is. The two Aces result in a soft 12 which is a hand you are going to break frequently. Suppose you are playing a six-deck game and start a fresh round of play with A-A after the dealer has reshuffled.

There are 96 ten-value cards in the shoe out of 312 possible cards, which means your chances of catching a 10 next to your Ace are around 1/3 or 30.8%. If you indeed end up pulling 10s next to each Ace, you are practically unbeatable with your total of 21. The worst that can happen is pushing with the dealer.

Why would then someone hesitate to split Aces is beyond us. The Aces are powerful cards in blackjack, which is why casinos typically enforce various restrictions on splitting them in order to decrease the advantage this move gives the players. They prohibit hitting after splitting Aces and the resplitting of Aces.

Remember the house is well-familiar with the mathematics of the game so do yourself a favor and always stick to basic strategy when playing pairs, or at least until you master card counting and playing deviations.

Splitting in Blackjack is one more solution available for Blackjack players. It can be used in combination with the double down or surrender option – the main thing for the players to consider is how to combine these solutions to get a better result. In this article, we are going to disclose the situations when this move has to and shouldn’t be used. Along with that, we will disclose a proper approach to this solution.

What Does a Split in Blackjack Mean?

A split solution means that you play two hands instead of one after getting the initial hand. Each hand is played solely, which means that you can lose with one hand and win with the second. This solution can be a good choice, if the cards in your initial hand, can bring you more chances to win, if distributed into two hands, instead of being used in just one.

Some players ignore this move, leaving no chance to double their winnings or decrease their chances of losing. The thing is that this solution can only be used for your benefit if you are familiar with card counting and know the essence of this move.

How to Split in Blackjack: Rules

The only condition when splitting is available is when you have a pair in the initial hand. You cannot split after a hit or any other move. Thus, if you get 6-6, and then another 6, you cannot split your hand. However, there are some casinos that impose restrictions on splitting:

• Splitting is allowed only once.
• After splitting, you cannot get a natural Blackjack even if you have 10-Ace; it is valued as an ordinary 21.
• Some pairs cannot be split (Ace, 10, etc.).
• No double down after splitting allowed.

Generally, you can split as many times as you want. For example, if you get a pair of 6’s, you can split. Then you get two hands with one 6 in each one.

If in one of the hands, you get another 6, you can split that hand as well. Thus, you will get 3 hands with 6 cards. Though, some of the casinos only allow you to split once.

You also can split Aces, as well, in some of the casinos. That means that once you have an Ace-Ace, you can split and get two hands with one Ace card in each of them. Make it clear in the casino, whether you can split Aces, as some of the houses forbid that.

Double down is a move that allows you to increase your bet per hand and limits the number of cards you can get afterwards. After splitting, you can make a double down for one hand and use any other move for another hand. The outcomes for each hand won’t affect the outcome of the other hand. Though, some of the casinos do not allow you to double down after splitting.

Thus, along with knowing how to use the decision to split correctly, you also should find out the rules of eligibility for this move, in the specified casino. These rules can have a great effect on the results of the game.

Why Do You Need to Split Cards in Blackjack?

Many players do not really know when splitting is a good decision. In this article, we have disclosed situations when splitting can improve your results, and here we will answer the question, why do you need to split your cards at all.

There are three main reasons to use this move:

• Splitting can maximize your profits
• It can minimize your losses
• It can improve your initial hand

How can splitting maximize your profits? If the dealer has a weak hand, splitting your hand means you play two hands instead of the dealer’s weak hand. This means that you have more chances to win, so you use this move as much as possible, depending on the situation, when the dealer gets a weak hand in a specified game.

How can splitting minimize your losses? If the dealer has a strong hand or a moderate hand, depending on your hand and the Blackjack game rules you play, you can surrender (if possible), split, or hit.

For some of the card combinations (which are pointed out in this article), the best decision would be to split. You get the chance to have at least one strong hand against the dealer’s hand. Thus, you can minimize your losses.

How can splitting improve your hand? If you have 2 cards that can make a good combination in separate hands but make a bad combination in one hand, it may be better for you to make a splitting decision than to hit, double down or surrender. Thus, choosing this option gives you the chance of a stronger combination.

Splitting Strategy: When You Should Always Split Cards in Blackjack

Unlike the other solutions, for a split, there are situations when splitting is always a good option, no matter what the card combination is in the dealer’s hand. This is true for a pair of Aces and a pair of eights.

The main reason for the pair of aces to get split is that an Ace in the initial hand is always a good card. When you get 10 with an Ace, it is a natural Blackjack, and moreover, an Ace can be valued both like 1 or 11. Consider the fact that for your initial hand with two Aces, you get a sum of 12, and the only way to get a Blackjack comes when you get 9. Whereas, when you split, you get far more winning combinations.

When it comes to the eights, there is another reason for splitting – a hard 16 is a weak hand. It is not enough to stand, as the majority of dealers stand or hit with a soft 17. It is risky to hit with this combination, as any value that is higher than a 5 will bust your hand. You get much better options if you split, and get an eight in two hands.

You should also resplit in case you get Aces or eights in hand after the first split. The reasons for the resplit are the same as for the first split. The only reason you couldn’t use split for Aces or resplit for Aces and eights, is the situation when this move is restricted by the casino. Below you can see some examples of hands with eights and Aces that would be valuable to consider for your gaming strategy.

Split Aces

Your hand: Ace-Ace

Dealer’s up card: Any

No matter what up card the dealer has, you should split. Even if the dealer has an Ace as well, which increases the chances of him having a natural Blackjack or another strong combination.

When you split, you get two potentially strong hands, instead of one that has a value of 12. After you split, you have more options to double down or hit until you get the best value.

Split Eights

Your hand: 8-8

Dealer’s up card: Any

Hard 16 is a weak combination, as you have a 60% chance to go bust with it. Moreover, the majority of dealers stop on soft 17, so even standing on hard 16 isn’t the best option. Normally, if you get a hard 16, it is better to consider the surrender option. However, if you get pairs with an opportunity to split, you should use it, as there many chances to get a strong combination with an eight in your hand.

What cards not to split?

There are cards that you shouldn’t split under any circumstances:

• A pair of fives
• Pair of fours
• Pair of tens

The thing is that splitting these cards, no matter what card is in the dealer’s hand, will decrease your chances of winning dramatically. Below we will provide you with a detailed disclosure on each combination.

Don’t Split Tens

A pair of tens gives you 20. This is one of the best combinations to stand when playing Blackjack, as you are likely to win. Splitting will be a very risky move.

The thing is that the majority of dealers stop at soft 17, which means that you need to get 7 or more after the split to win. Based on this calculation, you have more chances to win the round if you stand on 20. Example

Your hand: 10-10

Dealer’s up card: 8

Why Should You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Games

With the dealer’s eight or any other card in the game, a casino has a very low chance of winning, as it should collect 21. On the other hand, your 20 is a great value to stand at.

Never Split Fives

Splitting fives is a bad idea, as you have a better option of doubling down depending on the dealer’s up card. Most players choose the split option in this situation, basing their decision on the fact that 5 in hand gives you a great number of options for the second card and future moves. However, it is proven mathematically, that you get more chances to win if you double down or hit in this position.

Your hand: 5-5

Dealer’s up card: 4

If you split now, you have to take the risk of getting a weak combination against the dealer’s 4 with another card in hand. If doubling down, you will have more chances to acquire a stronger value than the dealer.

Never Split Fours

Having fours gives a higher chance to get more than a soft 17 than if you split this hand. Here you get even more chances to get a weak hand than with fives. You will ultimately get weak initial hands instead of a stronger one. Based on the mathematical calculations, hitting is better than splitting here.

Your hand: 4-4

Dealer’s up card: 9

In this situation, you will have fewer chances to get a strong initial hand, as if the second card in the dealer’s hand is of high value, you will have to hit numerous times, for both hands with totally unpredictable results. More chances to win remain if you hit with 4-4 giving you an 8 and a higher chance to beat a soft 17.

Splitting Other Cards in Blackjack

Along with the combinations that leave only one option on whether or not to split, there are also other combinations that can leave you with options depending on the dealer’s up card.

When to Split Twos, Threes, or Sevens

Twos, threes, and sevens should be split if the dealer shows a card with a value of 7 or less. The reason is that twos and threes give you 4 and 6, which is a naturally weak initial hand to move on, and if you split this pair, you will get far more chances to get a strong combination to hit. You should also split sevens, as you have more chances to get a strong combination by hitting two cards afterwards, than with a hard 14.

Your hand: 2-2

Dealer’s up card: 4

As you can see in this situation, you have a value of four, while the dealer has 4 as an upcard only. It is less, so you can easily split your cards, and then hit as many times as you need to. With such a combination split, you have more chances to get a high value, than with a four against four and the second card in the dealer’s hand.

When to Split Sixes

Why Should You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Terms

Split a pair of sixes when the dealer shows 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Based on the mathematical calculations, your hard 12 can give you a better result, when the dealer has 7 or more, and your six in hand can result in a stronger combination when the dealer has less than 7.

Your hand:6-6

Dealer’s up card: 8

Here, you have a hard 12 against the dealer’s 8. You only can go bust if you get a 10, while you do not yet know the dealer’s situation. Any other card added will only improve the value of your hand, thus hitting is a better option than splitting, when you get two weak six combinations, against the dealer’s 8.

Splitting Nines

Splitting nines is a good idea against the dealer’s 2-6, 8, and 9. When you split against 2-6, 8, you get a better combination without the risk of getting busted on the next hit. With the 9 up card, you have the same chances on the new hand. Seven is excluded from here as mathematically, the dealer has greater chances of getting a strong combination.

Your hand: 9-9

Dealer: 5

If you split now, you will get two hands with nines in each, against the dealer’s 5 card. This gives you better chances to win twice. Standing here would be a good option as well, and still, you can increase your profits if you split.

Blackjack Splitting Chart

To make it clearer for players when or not to split, we have prepared a chart showing the best combinations for a specified move.

Here you can get acquainted with the main topics that are being discussed about the split move. Continue reading below to get answers on the most frequently asked questions.

Splitting in Blackjack FAQ

How many times can you split in Blackjack?

What DAS means?

What does NDAS mean?

What NRSA means?

Other Blackjack Strategies

Along with splitting, you can also make other moves that can be combined with splitting or used solely depending on the game rules and situation. Knowing how to use these moves can improve your results dramatically, otherwise, they can be useless. Thus, there is double down, hit & stand, and surrender.

Double Down

Double downis a move that considers increasing your initial hand. It is only available for the initial hand, and after using this move, you can only get one card in hand. Sometimes double down is available after splitting, sometimes not – it depends on the rules. Double down can increase your winnings and is valuable for those who use long-run strategies.

Hit & Stand

Hit is a basic solution available for all blackjack games. It means that you take an additional card to improve your hand. This move is available only until you get a value of 21 or get busted. The stand solution is about no longer taking any more cards. It is used when you believe the combination you have is the best you can get in that hand. Hit & Standshould be used in combination with other moves.

Surrender

Surrenderis an option that is not presented in the majority of Blackjack games. Thus, when it is available, you can use it to decrease your loses. The surrender solution can only be used upon receiving the initial hand and means that you stop the hand, and receive 50% of your original wager.