During the game of blackjack there are going to be times when you are dealt two cards with the same denomination, such as a pair of two's or ten's. Most, if not all, casinos will allow you to put up an extra bet and split the pairs, playing each as a separate hand. While it will be tempting to automatically split pairs when you get them, there are some elements of the game that you should think about before doing so. Basically, there are seven rules of thumb that you should go by when making the decision about splitting pairs.
1. Aces should always be split. Two aces together are going to make up a soft twelve, which isn't a very strong hand. Divided, you start out with two strong hands, with each worth eleven. With the additional card on each hand, you have a very good chance of ending up with two hands with values of twenty or twenty-one. Be advised that you are limited to taking a single card on each ace, and you won't find very many casinos today that will let you re-split aces if another one should appear.
2. Never split tens or fives. Two tens make up twenty, which is a very strong hand. If you should choose to split them, you will jeopardize an already strong hand and possibly end up with two weak hands. As for fives, they are just ugly cards, and by splitting them, you put yourself at risk of ending up with one or two fifteens, which is even worse. Since the two fives total up as a ten, it just makes more sense to double down on your ten and hope for a ten or ace to complete the hand.
3. Splitting fours is a tough call to make. With the combined hand totaling eight, you have a good hand but not a great one. By splitting them though, you start out with a total of four in each hand, which could mean big trouble. My advice is to split the fours only if the dealer is showing a weak hand, as in a five or six up card.
4. You should split nines when it give you an edge, like when the dealer has an up card of two through nine, except for the seven. The reason for the exclusion of the seven is because the dealer is quite likely to have a total of seventeen, and the two nines together will beat seventeen any day of the week.
5. You should almost always split eights. When you have two cards that total sixteen like this, then your best bet to win would be to split the pairs and hope that you will be dealt a ten or ace on each hand. The only exception to splitting eights would be if the dealer is showing a ten or an ace. With this strong hand it is going to be difficult to beat the dealer, so sometimes it makes the most sense to keep the pairs together, hope for a little card, and cross your fingers. Don't throw good money after bad.
6. Sixes and sevens should be split whenever the dealer has an up card that is equal to or lower than your pair. If the dealer is showing a two, then splitting sixes is marginal at best.
7. Twos and threes can be strong cards, so they should be split against any dealer up card of seven or below.
Keep in mind that different casinos have different house rules, but all casinos will allow you to split pairs. This is one way to increase you winnings when you are on a good roll. So have fun and good luck to you!
1. Aces should always be split. Two aces together are going to make up a soft twelve, which isn't a very strong hand. Divided, you start out with two strong hands, with each worth eleven. With the additional card on each hand, you have a very good chance of ending up with two hands with values of twenty or twenty-one. Be advised that you are limited to taking a single card on each ace, and you won't find very many casinos today that will let you re-split aces if another one should appear.
2. Never split tens or fives. Two tens make up twenty, which is a very strong hand. If you should choose to split them, you will jeopardize an already strong hand and possibly end up with two weak hands. As for fives, they are just ugly cards, and by splitting them, you put yourself at risk of ending up with one or two fifteens, which is even worse. Since the two fives total up as a ten, it just makes more sense to double down on your ten and hope for a ten or ace to complete the hand.
3. Splitting fours is a tough call to make. With the combined hand totaling eight, you have a good hand but not a great one. By splitting them though, you start out with a total of four in each hand, which could mean big trouble. My advice is to split the fours only if the dealer is showing a weak hand, as in a five or six up card.
4. You should split nines when it give you an edge, like when the dealer has an up card of two through nine, except for the seven. The reason for the exclusion of the seven is because the dealer is quite likely to have a total of seventeen, and the two nines together will beat seventeen any day of the week.
5. You should almost always split eights. When you have two cards that total sixteen like this, then your best bet to win would be to split the pairs and hope that you will be dealt a ten or ace on each hand. The only exception to splitting eights would be if the dealer is showing a ten or an ace. With this strong hand it is going to be difficult to beat the dealer, so sometimes it makes the most sense to keep the pairs together, hope for a little card, and cross your fingers. Don't throw good money after bad.
6. Sixes and sevens should be split whenever the dealer has an up card that is equal to or lower than your pair. If the dealer is showing a two, then splitting sixes is marginal at best.
7. Twos and threes can be strong cards, so they should be split against any dealer up card of seven or below.
Keep in mind that different casinos have different house rules, but all casinos will allow you to split pairs. This is one way to increase you winnings when you are on a good roll. So have fun and good luck to you!
