When Should You Split Blackjack?

Blackjack is a casino game with a relatively simple premise – beat the dealer’s hand without going over 21. However, there is more to blackjack than meets the eye.

One of the key aspects of blackjack strategy is when to split pairs.

Pairs are two cards of the same rank, such as two 8s or two aces. Splitting pairs is a move that can give you a significant advantage over the dealer, but it’s not always the right play.

In this article, we’ll discuss when splitting pairs is the correct play and when you should avoid it.

The most important thing to know about splitting pairs is that you should almost always split aces and 8s. Aces are valuable because they can be worth either 1 or 11 points, making them very versatile.

8s are also valuable because they’re hard to improve. It’s rare to get dealt a natural blackjack (an ace and a 10-value card) so hitting on 8s gives you a good chance of getting at least 17 points, which is often enough to win.

There are a few other pairs that you should split in certain situations. For example, if the dealer is showing a 5 or 6, you should split 2s, 3s, and 7s.

These pairs aren’t as valuable as aces or 8s, but they’re still worth more than hitting on them would be.

There are also some pairs that you should never split. These include 4s, 5s, and 10s. 4s are only worth 4 points, so there’s no point in splitting them – you’re not likely to get 20 points by hitting on them.

5s are only worth 5 points, so again, there’s no point in splitting them unless you’re up against a very weak dealer hand (such as 2-6). 10s are valuable because they’re worth 10 points each, so splitting them would be giving up too much value.

In conclusion, splitting pairs in blackjack can give you a significant advantage over the dealer if you know when to do it. Aces and 8s are almost always good hands to split, while 2s, 3s, and 7s can be good hands to split in certain situations.

You should never split 4s, 5s, or 10s unless the dealer is showing a very weak hand.