Splitting Pairs Strategy

When it comes to blackjack, you might get a card pair sometimes, which will give you the chance to split your hand into separate ones, so they can be played individually. However, when would it make sense to split your pairs?

If you get pair 8s that total 16, this would be the worst hand a player could get, statistically speaking. This means that you probably won't win by standing, but you could bust by hitting. So, to improve your situation, this is what you should do.

In effect, splitting will double your bet so you can only split with enough money. Your cards will then be divided and seen as two individual hands. Some casinos will even let you double down for each hand, meaning that you can put down double of your bet if you are sure that you will beat the dealer and thus double any potential winnings. This would be known as double down after a split.

Which cards to split

Also, make sure not to split 10s, no matter what. If you want, you can split 10-value pairs like Queens and Kinds or Tens and Jacks, but it would always be the wrong move. No matter how tempting things get, stay with your 20!

Aces, on the other hand, should always be split. By splitting your Aces, it is possible to draw a single card more for each hand, so if you get a card with a value of 10 on one split, you will get a 21 or a blackjack. But, despite these restrictions, it would always be smart to split your Aces.