Do You Ever Split 10’s in Blackjack?

Most blackjack experts say that if you’re playing basic strategy, you should never split 10s. The only time you should do it is if you’re counting cards and know exactly when it’s the right move.

Here’s why you should never split 10s:

1. You already have a strong hand.

Splitting 10s gives you two hands that are each worth 10 points, but your chances of winning are actually lower than if you just kept your original hand. That’s because when you split 10s, you now have two hands that can both lose to a dealer blackjack.

2. You’re more likely to bust.

If you split 10s and then get a low card on one of your new hands, you’re more likely to bust than if you had just kept your original hand. That’s because you now have two chances of getting a low card, instead of just one.

3. You lose out on potential blackjacks.

If the dealer is showing a low card, there’s a good chance they could end up with a blackjack if they were to draw another card. But if you split your 10s, you can no longer get a blackjack yourself.

So splitting 10s actually decreases your chances of winning a blackjack showdown.

4. It goes against basic strategy.

The whole point of basic strategy is to help you make the mathematically correct decision in every situation. And the correct decision in almost every case is not to split 10s.

So unless you’re counting cards and know when the odds are in your favor, splitting 10s is usually a bad idea.