How Do You Split Blackjack?

Most blackjack games are played with multiple decks of cards, which are shuffled together and dealt out of a special device called a shoe. In single- and double-deck games, the dealer holds the cards in his hand and deals them out.

When it’s time to split pairs in blackjack, there are a few different options available to the player. Some casinos will allow the player to split any pair, while others restrict splitting to certain pairs only.

The most common pairs that can be split are aces and eights. Aces can be split up to three times, giving the player four chances to make a blackjack.

Eights can be split once or twice, giving the player three or four chances to make a blackjack.

Other pairs that can be split include twos, threes, and sevens. Some casinos will also allow splitting of tens and faces cards, but this is generally not recommended as it significantly decreases the player’s chances of winning.

In general, it is always best to split aces and eights, as this gives the player the best chance of making a blackjack. However, there are some situations where it may be advantageous to split other pairs as well.

For example, if the dealer is showing a five or six and you have a pair of sevens, splitting would be beneficial as it would give you two chances to make a hand totaling 21. If the dealer is showing a seven or higher, however, it is generally best to stand on your hand of 21.

There are also some situations where it is never advisable to split pairs. These include when you have a pair of fives (since you already have a good hand) or when the dealer is showing a ten (since this gives him a very good chance of making blackjack).

When in doubt, always consult with basic strategy charts which can be found online or in most blackjack books. These charts will tell you exactly when you should split pairs based on what the dealer is showing.