In Blackjack When Do You Split

When you are playing blackjack games in a land based casino or online via a multiplayer or live dealer gaming platform, you are going to end up sitting next to players who are both experienced and inexperienced, and their level of experience will soon become apparent when you take a look at how they are playing off each hand dealt out to them.

One way of discovering whether a player you are playing with knows the game of blackjack inside out is in regards to how they will play off a pair of 10 valued cards that are dealt out to them. The correct strategy for playing a pair of 10 valued cards, whether those cards are mixed 10 valued cards or two cards that are the same such as a pair of Kings or a pair of 10’s is to stand those hands.

However, as many games are going to allow you to split unalike 10 valued cards as well as a pair of matching 10 valued cards then the temptation to split those cards will be great for an inexperienced player, more so if the Dealer has on display as his or her up facing card a low valued card such as a 3 or a 6 for example.

1. When you stand you are telling the dealer that you do not want anymore cards. How standing works in Blackjack Your initial wager Your initial cards If you choose to stand, you will receive no more cards. If you beat the dealer you will win an amount equal to your wager, a tie will be a push and if the dealer beats you, you will lose your wager.
2. Splitting unlike 10-valued cards – This rules differs from game to game; in some variations of blackjack (typically American variants), you will be able to split unlike 10-valued cards (those which are valued at 10 but aren’t identical), such as a Jack and a King or a 10 and a Queen.
3. Doubling down is an exciting move to make in blackjack – and profitable if you get it right. This is when you double your bet in the middle of a hand, after which you only receive one more card.

Most styles of blackjack will let you double down on split hands, and also re-split your hands further if the possibility arises. However, as explained, some casinos have rules which restrict additional options. Here are the two common rule variations.

You should, as a general rule, always stand any pair of 10’s irrespective of what the Dealer is showing, even if the Dealer has on display an Ace or a 10 valued card then you should always stand your pair of 10 valued cards. The reason for this is that you are highly unlikely to get dealt out an Ace or another 10 valued card to a split card which initially contained a pair of 10 valued cards, and the Dealer is unlikely to beat those hands.

You will of course find that from time to time the Dealer will, after you have make the decision to stand any pair of 10’s manage to match your hand with a 20 valued hand and occasionally the Dealer will beat your hand by getting a 21 valued hand or possibly a Blackjack hand, however never veer off the correct playing strategy for the variant you are playing and that will mean you need to stand every single pair of 10 valued cards dealt out to you.

You will, if you decide to split a pair of 10 valued cards then have to pay an additional stake for the new hand formed with one of those cards, which is going to mean you then are risking twice the amount of money as you originally intended to do. Plus you may then be dealt out an additional 10 card alongside any split 10 valued card and you could then be tempted to split those cards as well, which will mean you incur an even larger cost by having to place an additional stake on the extra hand formed by re-splitting.

One thing to also be aware of in regards to why it is not going to be beneficial for you to split a pair of 10 valued cards is that most variants will have rules in place and also a payout structure that will stipulate if you split any pair of 10 valued cards and one of your split 10 valued cards is then dealt out an Ace card alongside it, those hands are, if they win the game, not going to be paid out at odds of 3 to 2 but instead they will be classed as a standard 21 hand and as such if those hands win the game and beat the Dealers hand your winning payout will be just an even money winning payout.

Blackjack Variants which Call for Players to Split 10’s

The only blackjack game variant which is going to have a perfect playing strategy that will occasionally see you being able to split a pair of 10’s as the correct playing decision is the game of Double Exposure Blackjack.

The Double Exposure Blackjack game is quite different to any other blackjack game you are going to come across either in a land based casino or when playing online. For when you play this game as well as you being dealt out your initial two card hand facing upwards, both of the dealers two initial cards will also be dealt face up.

That does of course mean you are going to see the value of the Dealers hand at all times, and that major player advantage will mean that there are a limited number of times when you are playing this game that you should chose to split your hand when it contains any pair of 10’s.

If you do start to play Double Exposure Blackjack and you have been dealt out any pair of 10 valued cards and the Dealers two up facing cards are worth a hard 13 valued hand through to a hard 16 valued hand then those are the only times that instead of standing your hand you should choose to split them.

Also if you do play this blackjack game variant and the Dealer gets a 20 valued hand and you have a pair of 10 valued cards then the correct playing move for those hands are that you should hit your hand, that may seem like a risky playing decision to make when you both hand a 20 valued hand but surprisingly it is the correct perfect way of playing a pair of 10’s when the Dealer has a 20 valued hand also.

Please do be aware that in regards to the house edge you will be playing against when playing Double Exposure Blackjack it is a high house edge game and as such even though you get to see just what cards the Dealer is holding you are going to be far better off and have many more winning chances by playing a much lower house edge game instead of the high house edge game of Double Exposure Blackjack.

Splitting 10’s in a Las Vegas Casino

When Do You Split 9s In Blackjack

Since I’ve gone through all the serious reasons of why splitting 10’s is a sucker move I thought I would finish this article with a fun story from when I visited a Las Vegas casino a couple of years ago.

I was staying at the Planet Hollywood in Vegas and decided to try out their blackjack games so I sat down at a table that had a single seat open. After playing a couple of hands one of the other players at the table gets dealt two tens against the dealers 5 and decides to split his cards. The whole table (myself excluded) then proceeds to mock this player for the rest of his session calling him names like sucker and “tourist”.

Now if the -EV from doing this split doesn’t deter you from making this move you should probably still avoid it in order not to be mocked by your fellow players for the duration of your session.

In order to win at blackjack, players need to have solid knowledge of the game along with a reliable strategy. Even though the needed preparation for the game does require a lot of efforts and time, it surely pays off at the end. This is the reason why it is one of the most played casino games all over the world.

However, it is no secret that there are many gamblers who have been playing for years but lack many of the basic rules and don’t follow a strategy which dooms them to a certain loss in the long term. Even if they get lucky and win a sequence of hands, all of the money will be quickly lost as without discipline and the needed knowledge it’s impossible to keep them.

It is really important to be familiar with all of the possible hands and their outcomes to play the game efficiently. In many cases whenever players get a pair of 6s, their first thought is to split them. While it is true that splitting is appropriate with such a combination, they need to bear in mind that this is their best choice only in particular situations. In order to find which ones, we must take into account the dealer’s upcard and their two-card holding.

When Players Have a Pair of 6s

In general, getting a pair of 6s as the first two cards is not the best way to start the game. Thus, the most appropriate move in such situations aims at reducing the money loss to the minimum. The reason why is that a pair of 6s leaves players in a breaking position. In other words, their hand’s total is a hard 12, which can result in a bust with just one more hit on their behalf.

If they get any of the face cards or a 10, this will inevitably cause them to go bust and lose the hand. Therefore, having such a pair in their hand is a very delicate position to be in and it is of crucial importance for players to know how to handle it. Splitting should be made only if the dealer’s upcard is weak.

Players who are dealt this card holding have a choice from two viable moves. They can either split the pair and make an additional bet to cover the second hand or hit. Whichever decision they pick is influenced by the strength of the dealer’s exposed card, the deck number used at the table, and the availability of doubling down on pair splits. Consult with the chart below for the recommended basic strategy plays for a pair of 6s in pitch-dealt blackjack.

When Do You Split In Blackjack

As you can see, single- and double-deck players must also split against the dealer’s 7 but only provided the house rules allow them to double after pair splits. If NDAS is in effect, you are better off hitting your hard 12 rather than splitting the 6s. The odds tend to slightly favour hitting 6s at NDAS tables instead of splitting.

Best Moves for Multi-Deck Games when the Dealer’s Upcard Is Weak

As already mentioned, a pair of 6s is a breaking hand and thus, it will be best to be split whenever the upcard of the dealer is from 2 through 6, hoping that at least one of the hands will have a strong total. The reason why is that due to the fact the dealer is in a breaking position, hitting will be inevitably their next move.

The odds of winning in this case are in favour of the players and thus, they should split this pair. Moreover, this way they will prevent themselves from going bust and losing the hand. Players can also take advantage of the weak position of the dealer by doubling down their bet as this situation gives them this favourable opportunity.

Splitting the 6s is a viable move against certain dealer upcards since it helps you decrease your average losses, boost your gains while in favourable spots, and transform bad starting hands into potentially winning ones.

When Do You Split 8's In Blackjack

One very good example is a player holding 6s against the dealer’s deuce. The 6s are a bad hand no matter how you choose to play them versus the deuce. Nonetheless, basic strategy recommends splitting with DAS rather than hitting since this move yields the lowest negative EV.

It is equally advantageous for players to resplit this pair should they happen to catch one or more 6s after the initial split. For instance, a player gets 6-6 versus a dealer who holds a 4. If another 6 falls on one of the two splits, the player should resplit again to form three individual hands. Many online variations of blackjack permit resplitting to as many as four separate hands. Thus, if splitting your 6s was the optimal play in the first place so is resplitting them against the given upcard.

Best Moves When the Dealer’s Upcard is 7 through Ace

Whenever players have a pair of 6s, there are cases when it is best not to split them and choose another move instead. Such situations occur when the dealer’s upcard is from a 7 through an ace as then, their best choice will be to hit.

This move is applied for the same reason as it is for the rest of the card pairs. Whenever the upcard of the dealer is powerful, players need to take into account their solid position and be extra careful. Splitting in this case will only result in two hands with very low chances of becoming decent ones. Expectation-wise, it is nonsensical to pour more money into splitting versus powerful upcards of the dealer.

Moreover, the odds that they can go bust are low as the only card that can cause them to is a 10, Queen, King, or Jack. If players try to understand the reason behind every move and its logic, it will be much easier for them to remember and apply the strategy.

In Blackjack When Do You Splits

Doubling Down after Splitting

There are a few important things players should consider before sitting at a table to play blackjack. As indicated previously, doubling down gives them the chance to increase their money bet whenever the dealer is in a weak position. Hence this move is often practised after splitting. You hope to catch a low-value card like 3, 4, or 5 that would allow for a potential successful double down on 10 or 11.

It is indeed a good opportunity for players if they know when to make it. This is the reason why many casinos have restrictions regarding doubling down after splitting. Having a pair of 6s in their hand is a very unfavourable position to start with and it is compulsory for players who want to win to be familiar with what their best move in a particular situation is.

One case that is worth mentioning is when the dealer’s upcard is a 2 as then players should split the pair if doubling down if allowed afterwards. The reason why is that whenever the dealer is in a weak position, players need to get as much money as possible and compensate for the times when they face powerful cards.

When Do You Split 4s In Blackjack

Conclusion

Prior to playing blackjack, players need to make sure they are familiar with the basic strategy and have the needed knowledge of the game if their priority is to win. There are a great number of things which they can work on and improve in order to master the game.

One of them is knowing the possible outcomes of every hand they can get and how to proceed accordingly. Splitting a pair of cards of the same rank is not an easy situation to be in even though many players underestimate it.

There are many cases where it is best for players not to split but hit or double down instead as splitting will only leave them in an unfavourable situation. Moreover, having a pair of 6s as the first two cards is a breaking hand and it is of crucial importance for players to know what their best move is.