Splitting Pairs in Blackjack
If you have two cards of the same value (two sixes, two tens, a king and
a jack, and so on), you may split the cards into two separate hands. In
order to do this, you must place an equal bet on each of your hands.
You are essentially becoming two players - and taking double the risk
for double the reward. Simply place a second pile of chips in the
betting circle right next to your initial pile, in the same amount. If
you're playing a single- or double-deck game, you'll also have to turn
over your cards to prove you have a pair. After you've split your pair
and doubled your wager, you now have two hands. Both hands are treated
separately, meaning you play one hand out before proceeding to the next
hand.
It's very important to know when to split pairs and when to leave them together. You should learn all the split plays on the basic strategy charts, but if you wish to truly become a better player you must learn the following as well:
Always split aces. This move has commonsense appeal. The split
gives you two promising hands rather than a soft 12. (Remember, however,
that you'll usually be able to take only one card on each ace.)
Never split 5s. Starting off with a hand of 5 is hardly exciting,
and the total of 10 will give you plenty of opportunity to get smart
money on the table by doubling down.
Never split 10s. Don't get greedy. Sure, a 10 is a nice base to
work from, but it's not worth breaking up a powerful 20. Let the
existing strong hand bring in the money. Some players think they're
being clever by splitting 10s against a weak dealer card like a 6. That
seems sensible: start with a 10, exploit the dealer's vulnerability.
But, in this case, a bird in the hand is more valuable. Standing on 20
will make you a meaty $70 profit per $100 bet. The split will double
your risk and drop your earnings down to $56.70.
Always split 8s. A lot of players, novice and veteran alike, are
confused by the obligation to split 8s. It's particularly a mystery
against a strong dealer upcard. In some instances we can provide a
commonsense rationale for splitting, but in others (like this one) we
have to defer to the all-knowing computer.
There are three reasons why we split cards: We do it to win more, lose
less, and, best of all, turn a loss into a win. A quick perusal of the
strategy charts will bring some non-shocking news: We're aggressive with
our splitting when the dealer has a stiff card, especially 5 or 6. Even
among those splits, some are defensive in nature (lose less) while
others are offensive (win more). Here's a bevy of examples that reveal
how splitting has a split personality.
8-8 vs. ace. Is splitting this the essence of insanity? Nope. We
know 16 is an awful hand. That's part of the reason why we always split
8s. Still, starting out with an 8 against an ace may not seem like a
preferable alternative. Neither scenario is good, but yes, splitting is
better. And here are the numbers to prove it: Playing it as a 16 we'd
expect to lose 51.4%, which is $51.40 lost for every $100 bet. Playing
it as two hands we'd expect to lose 19.3% on each hand. Multiplied by
two (for our two hands), we get a net loss of 38.6% of the original bet.
So we can save $12.80 in this unsavory situation.
9-9 vs. 9: A pair of nines sure seems formidable and, in most
cases, it's a money-maker. However, against a fellow 9, we split in
order to lower our losses. Standing on 18 vs. 9 will cost us $18.50. The
split knocks that down to $9.50.
9-9 vs. 6: A hand of 18 is perfectly fine against a 6. Stand on
it and you'll make $28 for every $100 bet. But split it and you'll be
making $38.70 (when you can't double after split) or $43.90 (when the
double after split option is available). All splits of 9s and aces
against dealer's 3 through 7 improve on already profitable hands. And,
yes, you have to split 9s versus 8. Playing for the "tie" by assuming
the dealer has 18 will win you $9.90. Going for the jugular will improve
that to $21.20.
4-4 vs. 6: Fours are in need of a little boost to make them worth
splitting. That boost comes in the ability to double down after you
split. When a split 4 is blessed with a 5, 6, or 7, you need the ability
to cash in with the double.
Next... Doubling Down
