{"id":2411,"date":"2020-09-01T11:20:38","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T11:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ukgamblingsites.com\/?page_id=2411"},"modified":"2020-09-01T12:51:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-01T12:51:14","slug":"when-to-split-in-blackjack","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ukgamblingsites.com\/casino\/games\/blackjack\/when-to-split-in-blackjack\/","title":{"rendered":"When to Split in Blackjack"},"content":{"rendered":"
Kenny Rogers sang that: \u201cYou’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em\u201d. But when it comes to blackjack, knowing when to split, when to hit, when to double and when standing will give you trouble is what it is all about.<\/p>\n
Country music classics aside, when should<\/em> you split in blackjack, and \u2013 just as importantly \u2013 when shouldn\u2019t<\/em> you?<\/p>\n It’s not a question that can be answered quickly or easily, and will depend on the cards in front of you as well as those in front of the dealer, so remembering the optimal play in any given situation is tricky. It takes time to master.<\/p>\n That said, there are a few key rules to get you started that will serve as a solid foundation from which to get to grips with the rest. This all assumes that you know what splitting is of course, so if you don’t, read the next section before getting on to the nuts and bolts further down the page.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let\u2019s start right at the very beginning and explain what splitting actually means. In blackjack you will be dealt two cards and, quite simply, if those cards are a pair of the same number (or, for example two jacks, two aces and so on) then you can split them.<\/p>\n Splitting effectively creates two hands, so you will be required to put down the same stake again, doubling your overall bet for that round. The two original cards are split off, becoming the first card of two separate hands. You will then be dealt a second card for each of the original two and play these in turn against the dealer\u2019s card.<\/p>\n Splitting can be beneficial in a range of ways. It can, for example, allow you to bet more if the dealer has a very poor first card, such as a six. It can also allow you to bet more and create two very good hands, if, for example you draw a pair of aces first up. On the other hand, a pair of eights together is a very poor 16, with a high chance of busting; but split them and they become two decent first cards where you are in with a good chance of winning at least one and thus breaking even.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Basic strategy, otherwise known as optimal play, is a proven theory that gives you the best chance of winning. Unless a player is card counting, or with the odd more advanced situation that equates to very low level card counting, basic strategy irrefutably tells you what decision to make in any given situation at the blackjack table.<\/p>\n As with all elements of basic strategy, some of the minutiae is dependent on the exact rules of the format of blackjack you are playing. When it comes to splitting this concerns things like whether or not you can double after a split or re-split further pairs.<\/p>\n However, in terms of when to split there are two very simple rules that always apply and everyone should be able to remember. These are:<\/p>\n No matter what the dealer has or what rules are in play both of these calls improve your odds of winning in the long term (with one tiny exception discussed below). A pair of aces may be great if you\u2019re playing poker with Kenny Rogers, but in blackjack a soft 12 is no fun. Having two hands in play, both with an ace as the first card, is, however, a lot of fun \u2013 and highly likely to be profitable.<\/p>\n When it comes to eights, as said, whilst 16 is the worst two-card combination possible, an eight first up is not too shabby. With two hands starting with an eight there is a good probability that at least one will win. That means you have turned a probable losing hand into one that has an above average chance of breaking even.<\/p>\nWhat Is Splitting?<\/h2>\n
Always Split Eights & Aces<\/h2>\n
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