Splitting Pairs

Although splitting cards can be beneficial, it is important to know what cards to split and which ones to keep. To begin with, make sure you always split eights and Aces, but never ever split tens and fives.

  1. Aces should always be split because of the fact that the majority of the cards in a deck are worth 10 points. This means that your chances of getting a natural Blackjack are very high. However, most casinos will not give you the three to two payout if you split your aces.
  2. Face cards and ten point cards should not be split because they will actually hurt your chances instead of increase them.
  3. If you get two nines, be sure to split them. Although a point total of 18 is very beneficial, make note that since most cards are worth 10 points, you can actually increase it to 19 points total. However, don't split your nines if the dealer's revealed card is a face card, an Ace, a seven, or a ten. These cards give the dealer the probability that their total is less than eighteen.
  4. Two eights result in a total of 16, which has a sixty-two percent chance of becoming a bust. Because of this, it makes sense to split the eights and increase your chances of winning. If you have two seven cards, it is advised that you split unless the dealer has shown that they have a card that is eight or higher.
  5. When you receive two six cards, the line of splitting and not splitting starts to blur. It is recommended that you split if the dealer has anything between a four and six, otherwise avoid splitting your cards. Two five cards are worth keeping, especially when you think about possibly getting a 10 point card, taking you right up to the 20 point line.
  6. A pair of fours should only be split if the dealer has a five or six card shown. Otherwise, there is not enough of an incentive to split the cards and benefit from it. If you have either two threes or two deuces, look to see what the dealer has. If they have anything from a four to a seven revealed, you may split the cards. However, it is very hard to determine when splitting the cards is beneficial.

Final Comments

Although these tips give you a good idea of what you should split and what you should keep, the final factor comes down to you. If you feel splitting is beneficial, go ahead and do it. Even if the numbers say otherwise, your intuition may be something you can rely on. Either way, play smart and play to win.