Blackjack has always been a game for the elite. Elite not with money, but elite with knowledge of the game. The goal is quite simple at the Blackjack table, you need to reach the perfect score of 21, or the closest without going above that number. You play against the dealer, so if the dealer goes bust, you win. This is some of the basic knowledge that you truly need to master Blackjack. There are many other strategies and tactics that could see you win at the Blackjack table, some believe that memorising cards is the trick, whilst others believe that the game is an art and could see you pocket massive winnings, simply by mastering some strategies.
Today we talk about how to split pairs successfully and hopefully win at playing Blackjack. The notion of splitting pairs is super important to know, especially if high stakes are involved. So let’s have a look at the concept.
The best time to split your cards whilst playing Blackjack.
According to https://www.best50casino.com/, and anyone else who knows a thing or two on Blackjack, the best time to split is when you are dealt 2 Aces. When you split the aces, you get a better chance at landing a win with a stronger hand.
If during one hand you play the aces via the same hand, you will get an overall total value of 12 (11 + 1). If you go for this approach, only the card with 9 value will offer you the 21 you need. If you get a 10 or another card, you would need to use the second cards as a 1, and you start back at a total value of 12 once again.
If you opt to split your hand, you have more possibilities of landing a perfect Blackjack (score of 21. Here you need to get another card to be 10, J, Q or a K. Hence more winning possibilities and ways to win.
Splitting a pair of 8s
Although not a stronger hand the pocket Aces, a pair of 8s whilst playing Blackjack might also be a potential winning hand. If you ask any Blackjack enthusiast, they will definitely tell you that when you land a pair of 8s, always split. The reason to always split 8’s, is that it is quite hard to land a good hand.
If you decide to place both your 8s via one hand, you start off your blackjack round with a total amount of 16, so you need a 5 to get to 21. If you ask the dealer to hit you with another card, you have a 60% chance of going over the perfect score.
As we mentioned, splitting your hand has its advantages. The maximum card combination that you can land is Ace and that will take you to a total score of 19. At this stage you can safely stay put. You can use the Ace as a 1 if you bust and start afresh as a score of 9.
Split again if you are dealt a second pair of Aces of 8s
When you take that decision to split your cards, you are dealt 2 cards instead of your traditional 1 to make it 3 cards. So when you split you get an additional card for each hand. If you are dealt another pair of Aces and 8s, it would be safe to say that the best option is to split again.
If you go for another split, you would need to be ready to pay a 3x bet, and the first time you split your hand, you need to pay a double bet. Whilst Blackjack variants exist, the total maximum times you can split your hand is a total of 3 times.
When you should never split your hand playing Blackjack
So far we talked about when is the best time to split your hand when playing Blackjack, but there are instances where according to best50 casino you should never split your hands. Let’s have a look at the options, in the hopes of landing you some Blackjack wins.
If you land two 10s, never split them.
We all know that the perfect score to aim at in Blackjack is 21. The 2nd best score that you could land, making it to pole position is a pair of 10s that give you a total score of 21. If you decide to split the two 10s, you would need an Ace in each hand to make it to 21. What we suggest if you land two 10s is to stay put and not to go for another card, so stand at 20. Only luck will assist the dealer in winning.
Just like anything in life, professional players and mathematicians always find a way to beat the system. Blackjack counting players, do suggest ways when one should split 10s. If there were cards dealt and the remaining cards do have other 10s to be dealt, this would be the ideal situation where you should split the 10s and play with 2 hands instead of 1. When you split the 10s, you have and there are still 10s to be dealt by the dealer, you have 2 possibilities of landing another 10, and achieving a total score of 20. Again, it is hard to beat 20 when playing Blackjack.
Never split a pair of 4s.
Sometimes you are unlucky enough to start your Blackjack round with a pair of 4s. This starts you off with a total number of 8, and the best possible outcome you can get is, if you manage to land an Ace and you pump up your total score to 19.
If you opt to split the 4s, you will start off with having a 4 and another 4 in each hand, and will put you in a much more difficult position as you start the hand. Here you would need to double up on your bet as your first split will see you double up. Is that even worth it to start off at 4 again?
Never split a pair of 5s.
If you think landing a pair of 5s in Blackjack is a bad hand, according to the casino team at best50casino.com, think again. If you start off your hand with a pair of 5s, this means that the best ideal situation that you could get is either an additional 10 to take you up to 20, or an Ace could get you to 21. So you have a chance of landing a good hand with keeping the 5s together.
If you decide to split your Blackjack hand here, you start off with a 5 and a 5 in each hand and would need some good cards to get you to 21. Rather than start off with 5 in each hand, we suggest that you keep the hand together as a 10 and pray to the Blackjack gods to send an Ace your way.
When to really consider splitting your Blackjack Hands
There are other times in Blackjack when you can consider splitting your hands, not many, but let’s give you some insight on when to consider splitting your hands
Splitting 2s, 3s and 7s is a good idea.
There are instances when you should split a pair of 2s, 3s or a pair of 7s. We suggest that you split when the dealer has cards that are 7s or lower (paired or not). So, when the dealer has a low card being dealt, we suggest that you split your hand. If the dealer happens to have a card that is 8 or higher, we suggest you take another card and forget about splitting.
Split a pair of 6s when the dealer has 2 up to 6.
If you are dealt a hand with a pair of 6s, always check what the dealer’s hand looks like. If you look at the hand and they have 7s or better, go for another card and hope for the best. If we look at the math behind it, you might get a decent hand out of it. If you are unlucky enough to land a 10 or an Ace, you will go bust (over 21). So, you would need to analyse your next moves carefully, depending on the dealer’s cards.
Split 9s only when the dealer has this hand.
The best way and the only way to split a pair of 9s is when the dealer either has 2 up to 6 and 8 or a 9. If the dealer is playing on a lucky day and has 7, 10 or an Ace, we strongly suggest that you stay put. If you are at a total points of 18, only a miracle would land you 3 and the probability of this happening is quite low.
