Posted 4/11/2022 by admin

Should You Split 8's In Blackjack

When it comes to blackjack split rules, though, eights should largely be recognised as an instant split, just like Aces. When you think about it, a pair of eights leaves you with an uncomfortable hand worth 16.

If exercised properly, splitting can be one of the most lucrative moves for blackjack players against certain dealer upcards. This is like playing two separate hands at the same time within a single round against the same dealer upcard. If the dealer busts, then you win both hands. And vice versa, you lose both hands provided that the dealer outdraws you or gets a blackjack.

Players should treat the two hands individually and cover each one with separate but equal-in-size bets. The cards from one hand can never interfere with the cards from the other, and vice versa. This playing decision was interwoven into blackjack rules for the purpose of decreasing the casino’s edge.

£10Minimum Deposit
Mobile Casino
24/7 Support

£10Minimum Deposit
Mobile Casino
24/7 Support

£20Minimum Deposit
Mobile Casino
24/7 Support

Among the maxims of blackjack is “Always split 8s and Aces. Never split 5s or 10s.” There’s a rare exception for 8s in a multiple-deck game in the dealer hits soft 17 which surrender is offered.
There are a few situations in Blackjack when it always makes sense to split, no matter what card the dealer is showing. For example, you should always split when you get a pair of aces. Splitting gives you a much better chance to get a strong hand.
Note: Due to the popularity of splitting Aces in blackjack, should a split Ace be dealt a card valued at ten, some casinos and their rule variations will not regard that as a natural blackjack, and will not payout 3:2, but rather 1:1 Try to avoid such rules.
Placing a double down bet after splitting a hand reduces the house edge by 0.13%. Blackjack strategy suggests if the game allows a double down after splitting, then we should split a pair of Deuces, Threes and Sevens so long as the dealer’s face card is a Deuce, Three, Four, Five, Six or Seven. Online blackjack vs land based 21.

Unfortunately, not all casual players know how to use it optimally to their advantage, in which case the move has the exact opposite of the originally intended effect. On the bright side, this is something one can easily fix. All one needs to do is understand why splitting pairs is so important and recognize the instances when this playing decision should be exercised.

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions regarding splitting pairs along with an overview of the optimal splitting moves when playing with basic strategy. But first, let’s have a glance at what splitting is and how it works.

When and How You Can Split a Pair in Blackjack

The primary purpose of splitting in blackjack is to help players win more when the dealer is in a weak spot. Certain pairs are also split in an attempt to boost one’s odds and potentially improve an otherwise bad starting hand. This playing decision is rather straightforward. It becomes available whenever both of the player’s cards are of equal value as is the case with A/A, 2/2, 8/8, and so on.

Remember that 10s, Jacks, Kings, and Queens all have a value of 10, meaning that you can also split pairs like J/K, Q/J, or 10/J. With that said, some landbased casinos and online blackjack variations impose restrictions on splitting, prohibiting players from using this move on pairs of unlike ten-value cards.

So here is how splitting works. Suppose a player gets dealt a pair of 3/3 for an overall total of 6 against a dealer showing a 6. They have invested $10 into this hand. This hypothetical player is familiar with basic strategy and knows fully well splitting is the optimal move against this dealer upcard.

When playing at a landbased casino, there are two ways to show the dealer one wants to split. In hand-held blackjack variations that use one or two decks, our hypothetical player will have to toss their starting two-card hand on the felt, with the cards facing up, in front of their betting box and post one more bet next to their initial wager.

This bet should match the original one in size. In shoe games that use four to eight decks, where the players’ cards are dealt exposed, our hypothetical player should first post the matching wager. The additional stack of chips is placed next to the initial bet, but never on top of it.

The player will then have a total of $20 in action during this round. They would indicate they want to split the 3/3 with a tap behind their cards, using their index and middle finger. The dealer would then separate the cards into two hands and hit each split so that the player ends up with two individual two-card totals. Each is played as usual in line with basic strategy.

Let’s assume the dealer flips over a ten next to their 6, draws again, and catches an 8 for a total of 24. This is a bust and our hypothetical player gets paid at even-money odds for both unbusted splits, collecting a total of $40 ($20 per hand). Of course, you click the Split button on UI in online blackjack rather than using hand gestures.

DAS, Resplitting and Hitting Split Aces

Following a split, blackjack players are sometimes dealt strong enough totals that justify pouring more money into the split hands. One of the ways to do this is with a double down. Similarly to splitting, doubling is intended to reduce the house edge and help patrons generate more money when the dealer is in poor shape with bad starting hands.

DAS

Unlike splitting which requires a matching wager, you can double down for less than your original bet. Doubling for less is, in general, not recommended because it takes away from the benefit of doubling, in the first place, and generates less money for the player when they are at a disadvantage.

The dealer would then deal no more than one card to the split hand the player has doubled on. This rule is known as Doubling after a Split, or DAS, and reduces the house advantage by 0.14%. The reduction is even greater if there are no restrictions on the totals one can double on. We regret to say this lucrative rule is unavailable in some landbased and online blackjack variations.

Resplitting

Resplitting pairs (RS) is another rule that favours the player, leading to a 0.10% drop in the casino’s edge. The higher the number of the allowed resplits, the better for blackjack players as this enables them to extract more value from favorable situations when the dealer is particularly weak.

Some casinos will forbid resplitting after the initial split has been made. However, many of the best blackjack variations you can find online will allow you to resplit up to three times to form a maximum of four hands. If resplitting is possible, one exception is made for pairs that consist of aces. Most mathematicians and gambling experts agree that splitting aces more than once will hurt the house edge and reduce it by 0.18%. This is the reason why resplitting this pair is generally prohibited.

Hitting Split Aces

When a player splits A/A, the dealer would draw no more than one card on each split. Hitting split aces (HSA) is also favorable to the player so it makes sense that variations where this move is possible are a true rarity at both online and landbased casinos.

There is one more oddity where splitting A/A is concerned. Assuming that one or two of the player’s split aces happens to catch a ten-value card, the hand is not treated as a blackjack even though it still consists of two cards that add up to 21. Rather, such hands are viewed as multi-card totals of 21 and pay even money instead of 3 to 2. Despite all these restrictions, it still pays to split aces, and shortly you will see why.

Always Split Pairs of Aces and 8s – Blackjack’s Golden Rule of Splitting

As previously mentioned, pair splitting aims at helping players win more profits against a weak dealer. This also increases their odds of improving bad starting hands that would otherwise lose more often than they would win. There are two prime examples for the two-fold purpose of splitting, the first one being a pair of 8/8.

Splitting 8/8

There is no need to be a mathematical genius to see the cards in this pair add up to hard 16, which easily wins the race for the worst total one can possibly get in this game. Hard 16 (like 8/9 or K/6) puts you at a great disadvantage, especially if the dealer has a strong card like a 10.

The odds here are severely tipped against you as the dealer will prevail over your 16 more than 76.5% of the time on average if you hit. The smartest thing to do in one such scenario is to surrender but then again, this is not always an option.

A pair of 8/8, however, is different because it gives you the chance to split your cards and start two individual hands with an 8. This is considerably better than starting a single hand with a total of hard 16.

Splitting 8/8 is far more optimal than surrendering, hitting, or standing, which is why casual basic strategy players should always split this pair, regardless of the dealer’s upcard. While this is still a negative-EV move, it ultimately helps you to lose less money than you would by choosing any of the other playing decisions.

An Exception to the Split 8/8 Rule

However, there are deviations in all rules and basic strategy is no exception. Optimal plays are influenced by a variety of factors such as deck number and the standing rules the house has set for the dealer.

In multiple-deck blackjack where the dealer hits rather than stands on soft 17, players are better off surrendering their 8/8 against the dealer’s ace. Surrendering under these playing conditions is more optimal than all other decisions, splitting included.

Splitting A/A

If you take a glance at a blackjack strategy card, you will quickly notice the second pair you should always split consists of A/A. This applies under all circumstances; the value of the dealer’s upcard is again irrelevant. But why is that?

Pairs of aces should be always split for a reason opposite to that for splitting 8/8. Aces are easily the most important cards in the whole game of blackjack. The player is better off starting two individual strong hands with aces (11) against any dealer upcard rather than holding onto a 12, albeit a soft one.

Just stop and think about this for a second. Should casinos prohibit players from resplitting aces if starting a hand with a total of 11 was disadvantageous? This is not a matter of opinion or empirical evidence, just simple mathematics. You stand a decent enough chance of catching K, J, Q, or a 10 on at least one of the splits since there are more cards of this denomination compared to all other card denominations.

The probabilities speak for themselves. Assume, for instance, you are the only person at the table and are playing a six-deck game, which makes for 312 cards in total. We shall not take burn cards or the dealer’s hidden card into account for the purpose of simplicity.

You are dealt a pair of A/A whereas the dealer pulls out a 3, just as an example. The shoe now contains 309 cards, 96 of which have a value of 10. It follows the probability of drawing a ten-value card to at least one of your aces is 96/309, or 0.310679. This is roughly 31.06%, which is not bad at all.

Of course, casinos have taken some precautions, prohibiting players from drawing more than one card next to each split ace. Even so, starting two hands with a total of 11 each is way much better than playing a soft 12.

An Exception to the Split A/A Rule

Similarly to pairs of 8/8, there is one exception to the “Always split A/A” rule, which again results from the differences in playing conditions across blackjack tables. So far, we have discussed exclusively the correct splitting decisions, applicable to blackjack games where hole cards are in play.

However, some tables (particularly those in the UK and Germany) use the European style of card dealing where the dealer receives only one exposed card at the start of the round. The second one is drawn only after players have finished with their hands.

Such games normally use multiple decks (often 6), restrict doubling to 9, 10, and 11, and support DAS but lack the dealer peek rule. It makes sense that the absence of the peek calls for some strategy modifications. The optimal basic strategy for splitting aces changes a wee bit. Rather than splitting when the dealer’s first card is an ace, players must hit their A/A and split against all other dealer cards.

Pairs You Should Never Split and Why

Under basic strategy, certain pairs of cards should never be split no matter what upcard the dealer holds. This applies to pairs that make for strong enough starting totals that are either left alone or require hitting, standing, or doubling rather than splitting.

One notorious example is a pair of ten-value cards like K/Q, J/K, J/Q, 10/Q, and so on. These hands should never be split (or hit for that matter). Yet, many casual players choose to split their tens when the dealer receives a bad upcard like a 5 or a 6, which significantly increases their chances of going over 21 (approximately 43% with a 5 and around 42% with a 6) and losing the round.

By splitting the tens, such players are trying to kill two birds with one stone, reasoning this aggressive approach would yield more profits over the long haul. Unfortunately, this play has the exact opposite effect in the long term – it yields more profits for the house rather than rewarding patrons.

After millions of simulated trials that stretch over several decades, blackjack experts have reached a unanimous decision that the optimal play for a pair of 10s is standing rather than splitting. It was mathematically established that standing on this pair will cause you to win roughly 84% of the time against the dealer’s 5 and 85% of the time against a 6.

By contrast, splitting the 10s underperforms, causing a drop in players’ win rate to 63% against a 5 and 64% against a 6. It is blatantly obvious which of the two decisions is the optimal one. No exceptions are made for a pair of 10s, regardless of how weak the dealer upcard is. The only thing you achieve by splitting is risking to ruin a perfectly good hand.

Another pair basic strategy players must refrain from splitting is 5/5. The trouble with blackjack players is they are granted freedom of choice, unlike the dealer, who has no say in how to play out their hands. Sadly, this freedom sometimes translates into casual players making the wrong choices as is the case with those who split 5/5 rather than hitting or doubling.

This hand is usually misplayed against weak dealer upcards like the 6. Nevertheless, simulations have once again proven that doubling on 5/5 against the 6 is the best course of action, followed by hitting where no additional wager is required. Do not split this pair against any dealer upcard. The lack of discipline will ultimately cost you over the long haul.

Other Pairs That Should Be Split and When

Remembering the above-listed rules about pairs of 10s, 5s, aces, and 8s is relatively easy due to the lack of incongruencies between the different variations. The correct moves for such pairs are largely uniform across all blackjack tables.

However, the same cannot be said about some of the other pairs where the correct playing decisions might vary depending on the set of rules. Below is a quick rundown of the recommended decisions for all the other pairs in shoe games:

Pairs of 2/2 and 3/3 are split against dealer upcards 4, 5, 6, and 7. Splitting is also recommended against a dealer with a 2 or a 3 but only on condition you can double after a split.
A pair of 4/4 calls for splitting against dealers holding a 5 or a 6 but only if DAS is possible. If not, you hit the pair against all upcards of the dealer.
Paired 6/6 is split when the dealer shows upcards 3, 4, 5, or 6. You can also split against the deuce when DAS applies at the table.
When holding 7/7, the player splits against dealer upcards 2 through 7 and hits against the rest.
With 9/9, you split to two hands against all up cards of the dealer bar 7s, 10s, and aces.

What is Splitting in Blackjack?

Whenever players are dealt a pair, most virtual blackjack variations will allow them to split their cards and form two separate hands. Those who decide to split their pair will have to make another wager, equal to their ante bet. This would mean that players will be betting on two hands at the same time. In addition to pairs, some blackjack variations also allow players to split two different face cards with the same pip value of 10.

Depending on the blackjack variation and the rules it utilizes, players who split may be enabled to draw either a single card or a few cards from the deck. Some games also allow players to double down on the cards they have split which would add one card to the hand. After a split, one would play each hand individually and choose whether to hit or stand. Some blackjack games would allow players to re-split, provided they have another pair. This will further increase the number of hands to play with and would also imply additional bet to the newly formed hand.

Even though some games may allow several splits, often this rule does not apply to Aces. In many cases, Aces can be split only once and players often are restricted only to a single draw after the split. What is more, often split Aces in a combination with 10-value cards do not count as natural blackjack hands.

Since there are perks and disadvantages to splitting and re-splitting, players should always be aware of the particular rules of the exact blackjack variation they are about to play.

When You Should Split?

Depending on the course of the game, the rules of the particular variation and the pair you are holding, there are instances when players are advised to split. Of course, there are also moments where players should refrain from using this option and opt for a different strategy.

There are a couple of hands when players are always advised to split and some totals which you are better off without splitting. In addition to the total of your hand, it is also important to take into consideration the faceup card of the dealer as it also affects the splitting strategy in blackjack.

Hands You Should Always Split

While you can split any pair, you are not advised to make this move on every hand. There are, however, a couple of pairs which you should always split as this will give you the best chances of a win.

One of the most obvious hands that players are always advised to split is a pair of Aces. In combination, two Aces total to a soft 12 which is definitely not a strong hand. If you opt for a split, however, you increase your chances of a higher total and maybe even two hands of 21. It quickly becomes clear that splitting Aces is always the right move when playing blackjack.

Despite the splitting of Aces being an ultimate move, many players avoid making it as they feel that some blackjack variations have way too restrictive rules. Many of the blackjack variants you find online will count a split Ace and a 10-value card as a simple total of 21, instead of as a natural blackjack. This, of course, will lower the payout to even money instead of the standard 3 to 2. In addition to this rules, there are also various games which will allow players to draw only a single card to a split Ace which is sometimes very restricting and can lower the player’s chances of landing a winning hand.

While the aforementioned rules might sound like the game is trying to outcheat players, those who are willing to take a look at the odds of the game will realize that splitting Aces is the optimal move. If you think about it, if you do not split the Aces, you have soft 12. Splitting, however, will give you two hands, each of which is 11 and can further improve with the following draw.

It should be noted that splitting the Aces would mean doubling your wager but if both of your hands end up winning, you will enjoy a better payout than what you would have if you stay with your soft 12 and continue playing. Of course, no strategy is completely failproof as there are instances when players would get soft 13 after splitting Aces. However, the chances of landing a strong hand and winning against the dealer are pretty good to ignore them.

Do You Split 8's In Blackjack

Another hand you should always split is a pair of 8s which if not split, ends up being a hard 16. This is a total which is difficult to play and can often lead either to going bust or losing to the hand of the dealer.

If you decide to split a pair of 8s, however, you have pretty good chances to end up with two hands of 18 which is a hand that often can beat the dealer. Despite this reasoning, many players avoid splitting 8s when the dealer is holding a 10. This is definitely a risky situation and splitting the 8s may simply lead to doubling your bet and suffering a bigger loss. However, it has been estimated that, in the long run, splitting the 8s against a dealer’s 10 will cost fewer losses than simply playing with hard 16. Sometimes the strategy in blackjack is about experiencing fewer losses rather than enjoying a win every time.

Hands You Should Never Split

While splitting is often a great idea in blackjack, there are some instances when players are not advised to make this move. Whenever you are holding a pair of 9s or 10s, you should avoid splitting. This is due to the fact that hard 18 or hard 20 are good hands, to begin with, and you have better chances of winning as it is than playing with two hands of 9 or 10. While splitting 10s may sometimes lead to two hands totaling to 21, the right move is to refrain from splitting as the risk is too high. This being said, if the dealer reveals a card with a lower value, you can opt for splitting high pairs.

A pair of 5s is also not a great hand to split in blackjack. If you are playing with your original hand, you start with hard 10 and you have great chances of improving your score and beating the dealer. Splitting, however, can sometimes leave you with two hands of hard 15 and this is a difficult total to beat the dealer with. The same applies to a pair of 4s as splitting them will leave you with two hands with a low value. In the end, splitting 5s and 4s is riskier than playing without splitting your pair.

Splitting According to Dealer’s Upcard

Should You Always Split 8's In Blackjack

Despite the fact that some hands should not be split when playing blackjack, this rule can easily change depending on the faceup card of the dealer. Even if you are holding a pair of low-value cards, when the dealer is showing anything between 2 and 7, you are advised to split your pair. Since keeping a hand of two deuces, for example, will not draw to a high total, you have the chance to form two better hands by splitting them when the dealer is also showing a weak hand.

If you are holding a pair of 6s and the dealer shows anything between 2 and 6, then you are, yet again, advised to split. As the faceup card of the dealer means that he/she might need to draw again and go bust, you have good chances by splitting the 6s and possibly land two 16 hands.

Should You Split 10s In Blackjack

Another instance when you are advised to split is when the dealer is showing 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 9 and you are holding two 9s. While earlier it was mentioned that you should not split high pairs, this rule can be ignored when the dealer is showing one of the aforementioned cards. If the dealer has anything between 2 and 6, he/she might have to draw again and possibly go bust, while 8 and 9 might indicate that he/she might be holding a strong hand of 18 or 19. In such cases, players might have good chances of winning by splitting their 9s and forming two different hands to play with.

Splitting Rules in Different Blackjack Variations

While the majority of blackjack variations will allow you to split any pair you are holding, often there are specific rules when it comes to Aces. While some variants of the game of 21 will allow players to double down and draw as many cards after a split, this is not always the case. Some blackjack variants will allow a single draw after you have split your pair. Even if you have the chance to double down and add a card to your split hand or you are allowed to hit as many times as you wish, often this rule does not apply to split Aces.

Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack

The fact that often players can draw only a single card to split Aces, motivates many blackjack fans to refrain from splitting this pair. As it was explained earlier, however, this is not the optimal decision when aiming for the best results.

Some variants of blackjack also offer bonus payouts for special hands. Some blackjack games offer a payout for a 5-card Charlie which is a hand comprised of 5 cards, without going bust. In such cases, splitting is definitely not the best move. If you have low-value cards, however, you can still opt for a split. Since a 5-card hand is hard to pull off, you should think carefully whether it is better to split or opt for this rare combination.