Splitting in Blackjack

When you get a hand of two cards of the exact same value in blackjack, you have an option to split your hand. That means that you would get two hands with the same cards. The one in your right side will be your initial hand while the other will become secondary. You can split in blackjack by placing another bet, and then the two hands will be played separately.

Remember that the cards should have the same value, and not necessarily have to be the same. For example, if you have a king and a queen, you can split your hand since both of them have a value of 10. However, make sure to check with your casino about the rules beforehand, since some of the online casinos in the US doesn’t allow the players to split hands of different cards.

Can you split aces in blackjack?

The short answer would be yes. You can certainly split your aces in blackjack, but with a catch. When you split your aces, most of the online gambling sites in the US allows you to draw only one more card. Then even if you get 21 by drawing a card of value of 10, it won’t be a blackjack, but simply a 21.

You’ll get 1:1 odds, meaning that for every 10 dollars you bet, you’ll get 10 back. Since your blackjack is not a natural one, you’ll not get any further bonus. Also the chances of the dealer getting blackjack is low, but if you split your aces, you’ll never beat against dealer’s blackjack.

Why should you split?

As mentioned above, when you split your hands of aces, the obtained 21 will not be counted as blackjack. So why do people choose to split their card?

First of all, people split their hands when their original hand is going to be less profitable than splitting. For example, if you have two cards of value ten, then hitting the blackjack is out of the question. However, if you split that hand, then hitting 21 and at least getting the same amount of payout as your bet would be much more profitable.

The second main reason is that by splitting hands, you obviously increase your chance of getting 21 either as blackjack or as a 21. You can either split weak hands such as 16 or really strong hands such as two aces. Either way, when done right, splitting can double your payout. Also, by splitting you’re getting an edge of 0.5% against the dealer, which sounds small but actually can be a great help.

What do you never split in blackjack?

It’s more about the dealer’s hand than your hand. You should avoid splitting your strong hand when the dealer has 9, 10 or ace. The chance of dealer hitting blackjack is too high for you to risk your good hand.

Also, you wouldn’t want to split your 2 fives. Doubling down on your ten and aiming for the blackjack is much more probable and profitable than splitting your fives and building up two separate hands from there. One more hand you wouldn’t want to split is a pair of fours. You’re already starting with eight, which is going to reach at most 19 if you get an ace. Splitting this will probably only get you weaker hands.

Strategies and tips 

Whether you should or should not split your hand always depends on the situation. You should consider dealer’s cards, the opportunity cost of your initial hand and make sure that the profit of splitting your hand is higher than that. Probably the only case where you should split your hand no matter what is when you get two eights. 16 is considered to be the worst hand to begin with. Anything above 5 will cost your bet with this hand.

Now the rest of the hands depend on the dealer. You should split 2s, 3s, and 7s if the dealer is showing a card less than 7. The chance of you getting a higher card is considerably good on this one. You should split sixes if the dealer is showing cards from two to six. If the dealer has a seven or higher, your best move would be to hit. The fact that dealer’s not showing the cards of high value means that you have a high chance of receiving it. If you get ten or any face cards when you have two sixes, you’ll bust your hand.

Can you split a split in blackjack?

This usually depends on the house, so make sure to check with any casino or online casino you’re in. Most of the casinos allow you to split your splits up to three times. However, you can’t do that if you have already split your two aces since usually the house will allow you to only take one more card.

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