When should you split pairs in blackjack?
When your first two cards are a matching pair, you can split them into two hands and play each on its own, adding a second bet equal to your first. It is a powerful tool, but only for the right pairs - some splits win you money and some just double a losing position.
How splitting works
Split a pair and each card becomes the start of a new hand, with a matching bet added. You then play each hand normally. Splitting Aces is special: you usually get just one card on each Ace, and an Ace-ten after a split counts as a plain 21, not a blackjack.
Always and never
Always split Aces, because two hands starting with an Ace are far stronger than a soft 12. Always split 8s, because a hard 16 is the worst hand in the game and two 8s give two fresh starts. Never split 10s - a 20 is already excellent - and never split 5s, since a 10 is a great doubling total instead.
The dealer-dependent pairs
For 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s and 9s, follow basic strategy: generally split against a weak dealer upcard (2 through 6) and hit or stand against a strong one. Some games allow re-splitting up to four hands. Try it on Multi-Hand Blackjack.
Related questions
When should you double down in blackjack?
Double down when the odds favor putting more money on one strong hand. The best spots are a hard 11 against almost any dealer card, a hard 10 when the dealer shows 9 or lower, and a hard 9 against a dealer 3 through 6. You get exactly one more card, so only double when a single card is likely to build a winner.
What is basic strategy in blackjack?
Basic strategy is the mathematically proven best decision for every possible hand you can hold against every card the dealer can show. It was worked out with computer simulations and is usually shown as a color-coded chart. Following it perfectly reduces the house edge to about 0.5%, without any card counting required.
Can you play more than one hand of blackjack at once?
Yes. In multi-hand blackjack you play two, three or more hands at the same time against one dealer, each with its own bet. You also create extra hands whenever you split a pair. Playing several hands does not change the odds of any single hand, but it does speed up the action and swing your chip total faster.