Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack

- Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjackin Blackjack
- Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Game
- Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Card Game
- Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Games
Never Split 5s and 10 value cards. (Double on 5s as you would on any hard 10). Always split Aces and 8s. The easy ones to remember: 2s, 3s, 7s – split when dealer shows 2-7; 6s – split on dealer’s 2-6. And the unique ones: 4s – are not a perfect hand for splitting, so you should split them only when the dealer shows 5 or 6 and only when. Blackjack Split 8s. Blackjack split 8s RoulettePokerYou always split aces and 8s in blackjack. Of course, you can always find contrarians who disagree with everything, no matter how solid the math behind it is. This post is for people who want to understand in detail why you should always split aces and 8s in blackjack. Would always split the 8's against an A. Many times in a high count if the Dealer does not have a BJ, he will end up with a weak hand or bust. Assuming you end up with 18s. If you have a pair of 8s against a dealers 9 or 10, chances are you are going to lose whatever you do. However, on average you will lose less if you split. Vs a 9 stand: -0.54 hit: -0.506614 double: -1.01 split -0.39 vs a 10. Stand: -0.54 hit: -0.54 double: -1.07 split: -0.476849 in either case, splitting is still your best option.
One of the golden rules of basic strategists is to always split paired 8s in all blackjack variations where the dealer is bound to draw to 16 and stand on all 17s. This applies no matter whether the respective S17 game plays with one, two, four, six, or eight decks.
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.
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Blackjack is considered to be one of the most complicated games to play, so many professional players share their gaming experience and knowledge to help others. This is how was the basic blackjack strategy created with such a helpful blackjacks strategy chart! If players want to become real blackjack gurus, they have to learn how to play blackjack and then master their skills constantly by practicing online, playing with skilled players and also reading blackjack books or watching the educational movies on this subject.
Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjackin Blackjack
But no one wants to lose a lot during their learning, of course. That is why it is recommended to make use of basic strategies which contain sets of the best moves, which may be made by players. Those moves guide were created by professional players, who played blackjack for a long period of time and understood the dependence of the card which have been dealt already and cards, which are still in the shoe.
Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Game
Those strategies were developed according to the hands that players have. There are special basic strategies for hard and soft hands. But there is also one more type of blackjack hand – hand where two cards are of the same rank. In this situation players should use the Strategy for Splitting Pairs.
Here is presented the basic strategy when playing blackjack with a hand that consists of a pair. This is also called the splitting pairs strategy.
Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Card Game
Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Games
Player's hand | Dealer's hand | Basic rules | |
A pair of 2s, 3s or 7s | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 | Split or Hit | |
A pair of 4s | 5 or 6 | Split or Hit | |
A pair of 6s | 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 | Split or Hit | |
A pair of 8s or Aces | Always Split | ||
A pair of 9s | 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 | Slit | |
A pair of 9s | 8 or 9 | Split | |
A pair of 9s | 7, K or Ace | Stand | |
A pair of 5s and 10s | Never split | ||