When Should You Split or Double Down in Blackjack?

In blackjack, splitting and doubling down are two of the most common and advantageous moves you can make. But when is the right time to do each?

The answer, as is often the case in blackjack, depends on the circumstances. It depends on what the dealer is showing, what your hand is, and what the rest of the cards in the deck look like.

Let’s start with splitting. You should always split aces and 8s.

The reason for this is that aces are worth 1 or 11, so you have a good chance of making two strong hands out of them. 8s are also worth 8, so you’re likely to at least tie if you hit on them.

If you have a hand with two 10s or two 5s, you should also split them. This is because these hands have a good chance of winning as-is, but if you split them and get two more cards, you could potentially make an even stronger hand.

The only time you wouldn’t want to split these hands is if the dealer is showing a 10 or an ace, as they would then have a better chance of beating you.

Now let’s talk about doubling down. This is when you double your bet after receiving your first two cards.

The general rule of thumb is that you should double down if your hand is worth 11 or more. The reason for this is that 11 is a strong hand that has a good chance of winning, and doubling down will only increase your chances.

Another good time to double down is when you have a hand with a value of 10 and the dealer is showing a 9 or lower. This is because 10 is another strong hand, and 9 or lower means that the dealer won’t likely beat you if you hit.

Of course, there are other circumstances where splitting and doubling down may be advantageous, but these are some general guidelines to follow. In general, you should split if it’s going to give you two strong hands, and double down when your hand has a good chance of winning as-is.