Any split blackjacks should be paid out at 1:1 odds instead of the typical 3:2 bonus payment. Sound confusing? Learn how to play blackjack the right way from an experienced professional team that won over $4 million from casinos with our course, How to Count Cards for Profit at Blackjack. Basic blackjack strategy states that you should always split these pairs. There is a prevailing reason for splitting each of them. A pair of aces should always be split because the total of these two cards is 12, a very bad total for the blackjack player. According to the basic Blackjack strategy, a pair of 5s should never be separated – keeping them together is a terrific chance to Double Down and acquire a stronger hand, like 18 or up. Should you decide to split this pair, a hand with a higher probability of busting.

• How To Split Cards In Blackjack
• How To Split Cards In Blackjack Real Money
• How To Split Cards In Blackjack Poker
• Blackjack Split Chart

In addition, when you play blackjack at a land-based casino — there is a way to signal split to the dealer. You simply place the next bet close to your original wager and form the letter V with your index and middle fingers. It won’t hurt to also say ‘split’ if you consider it necessary. Splitting cards in blackjack is the process where a player is dealt with two identical cards as their initial two, and the player chooses to add on to their initial bet and turn the two cards into two separate hands. When then happens is the two cards are now separated, and the dealer gives two more cards to the player, one for each new hand.

Splitting is an interesting component of playing Blackjack that allows you to enter two hands in the same round if the first two cards in your initial hand are of the same value. So what is splitting, when can you do it and when should you? Read on to find out.

What is splitting in Blackjack?

A player can split in a round of Blackjack if their opening two cards are of the same value. This means any pair from Ace through to nine and any two cards valued at ten (for instance, a ten and a Queen).

If a player decides to split, they must place a second bet for that round of the same value as their original bet, essentially doubling their stake. The two cards are then treated as the first card of two new independent hands that are played out separately. Should one of these hands become a pair, the player is allowed to split again and enter a third hand whilst tripling their stake, and so on.

Generally, you are allowed to hit or double down on a split hand, with the exception of if you have split two Aces, in which case the two hands are often not allowed to consist of more than two cards. In some cases, a Blackjack achieved on a split hand will not count as such, and simply be valued at 21.

In a game of Blackjack, opportunities to split will likely be rare. You have an approximate 0.5% chance of getting any pair from Aces to nines in your opening two cards, and a 9.4% probability of getting two cards valued at ten.

When to split in Blackjack

It is arguably universally agreed that there are two scenarios in which you should always split: if you have a pair of Aces or a pair of eights.

You must carefully consider if you are going to split in Blackjack.

While you are likely to be prohibited to getting only one more card on two split Aces, this nonetheless presents two separate opportunities to get Blackjack. There will be an approximate 30.4% chance of a hand starting on an Ace getting Blackjack, equating to a 51.6% probability that at least one of your two hands will do so.

Meanwhile, a pair of eights presents a value of 16. This is widely considered to be the weakest opening hand in Blackjack, by virtue of the fact it is one beneath the minimum value of 17 that the dealer is required to finish on (meaning it is always likely to lose) but has a significant risk of going bust when hitting. Splitting a pair of eights averts this problem.

For a pair of nines, you should split in all circumstances unless the dealer’s face up card is a seven, worth ten or an Ace, in which case you should stand. If the dealer’s face up card is a seven, the most likely outcome is that their second card will be worth ten, meaning they will be forced to finish the round with a hand worth 17, less than your hand’s value of 18.

If the face up card is worth ten or an Ace then they have a chance to get Blackjack, meaning standing on a value of 18 is the option that presents the best chance of winning.

With the exception of pairs of fives, for pairs between two and seven you should look to split when the dealer’s face up card is certain values between two and seven and they are at the greatest risk of going bust. The information discussed in the last few paragraphs is summarised in the table below:

Blackjack splitting strategy

NB: This table assumes four to eight decks in play and that the dealer hits on a soft 17.

When not to split in Blackjack

Under no circumstances should you split on a pair of tens. An opening hand worth 20 is very strong and can only be beat by a Blackjack or a three-card hand worth 21, and the dealer has just an approximate 12.2% chance of getting this in any given round. When splitting a pair of tens, you are likely to end up with two separate hands both worth less than 20, essentially spurning a strong opportunity to win the round by putting yourself at risk of doubling your losses.

You should also never split on a pair of fives. In this situation, the best approach is to double down, as this will provide an approximate 53.8% chance of finishing your turn with a strong hand containing a value of 18 or higher. The exception here is if the dealer’s face up card is worth ten or an Ace and they therefore have a chance to get Blackjack, at which point you should hit.

For pairs of twos, threes and sevens you should not split if the dealer’s face up card is at least an eight, and for pairs of fours and sixes you should not split if the dealer’s face up card is at least a seven. For pairs of fours, you should also never split if the dealer’s face up card is beneath five, at which point they have a plausible opportunity to build a high value hand via three cards.

Enhance your Blackjack strategy

If you’re looking for general advice on how to play Blackjack, read our guide to Blackjack. If you want to learn more on how to inform your Blackjack strategy, remember to read our articles on how to double down and surrender, alongside how to place a side bet and insurance bet.

We also have an article outlining an advanced Blackjack strategy. If you want to learn more about Blackjack beyond how to play the game, you can read about the history of Blackjack.

Play Blackjack on Pinnacle Casino

Pinnacle has a wide range of Blackjack games for you to enjoy, including Live Blackjack, Classic Blackjack, Vegas Strip Blackjack and many more!

Doubling your winning odds by splitting a pair can give you a truly nice advantage, but only if done in accordance with the basic strategy rules. If you are new to Blackjack, splitting certain pairs and thus actually reducing your chances of beating the house is a common mistake, often made by of all those who prefer following a jungle path instead of employing a certain structure to their gameplay.

What Is Splitting and How Does It Work?

How To Split Cards In Blackjack

The move is obviously not obligatory and you could very well just skip it, but a weak hand can be significantly improved when the cards are separated, whereas a hand that’s already strong can potentially generate two winning hands – all the more reason to split and gain an advantage over the casino.

If playing online, any dealt pair will automatically trigger the option to split, which the player can either select or disregard. Choosing to split will immediately separate your two cards and they will be played independently – this means that you will draw the cards for each of the hands individually and potentially win or lose on both hands at the same time.

When to Avoid Splitting Your Pair in Blackjack?

There are some limitations applied to card splitting which are not related to the game strategy, but rather with the rules imposed by the casino. Most casinos allow the players to split the hand twice, whereas the split Aces cannot be re-split. According to the house rules, once the Aces are separated only one card can be drawn for each of the two new hands. Whether or not the player will be able to Double Down after a split depends on the casino since not all operators will permit it.

How To Split Cards In Blackjack Real Money

The second stage of splitting is deciding if the move will be beneficial. According to the basic Blackjack strategy, a pair of 5s should never be separated – keeping them together is a terrific chance to Double Down and acquire a stronger hand, like 18 or up. Should you decide to split this pair, a hand with a higher probability of busting could be dealt, the so-called “stiff” Blackjack hand.

Splitting a pair of 4s will be conditioned by the casino’s policy on Doubling Down. If you are allowed to do it, creating two separate hands out of a pair of 4s (if the dealer’s up card is 4 – 6) would be a good idea since there is a great chance of being hit with an Ace, 5, 6, or 7.

The same rule can be applied to a pair of 2s and 3s – split them if the casino approves the Double Down move. Otherwise, keep them together.

A pair of 10s should always be left intact as this hand is very likely to win, being the closest to 21 without busting.

When Should I Split?

For the most part, the dealer’s up card will guide your decision and ultimately affect your final move.
A pair of 9s, for example, should always be split unless the dealer holds a 7. There is a decent chance that the dealer will end up with a hard 17 and your 18-hand will win.

How To Split Cards In Blackjack Poker

Splitting your 8s is unfortunately not that simple but a lot of players will do it since this hand can easily bust or lose if kept together. Ideally, if the hand is split, it will either amount to 19 or 20 after a couple of draws or result in a push.

Blackjack Split Chart

When the dealer has a 2 – 7 card, it is highly recommended to split your 6s and 7s. The idea here is to avoid busting (which is likely to happen with these two pairs) and to benefit from the likelihood of the dealer’s forming a “stiff” hand.