What cards should you split?

Why do you split 8s against 10?

Michael Shackleford, who calls himself "the Wizard of Odds," says splitting 8s against a dealer 10 has the "smallest expected loss" (as opposed to staying, hitting or doubling) of all moves with a pair of 8s.

What should you always split in blackjack?

Always split eights.

Besides aces, the other pair that almost every Blackjack expert will tell you to split on is eights. It's difficult to get a good hand when you play your eights as one hand. Your chances aren't fantastic when you play them separately, but you do stand a better chance mathematically.

Should you split 10s against a 6?

As for the arithmetic, the statistical data on how often you will win when you split a pair of 10s against a dealer showing a 6 is 64% of the time. Your profit expectations for every $100 you bet while splitting those 10s will be, on average, a $56 profit.

Is it dumb to split 10s?

When it comes to splitting 10s in the game of blackjack, the bottom line should be: Average players should never split and should always stand on 20. Card counters will sometimes split in ten-rich decks. Smart tournament players will sometimes split when they need to bet more chips, especially if it's the last hand.

How to Know when to Split Pairs in Blackjack

Do you split 7S against a 5?

RESPLITTING 7S

For example, if you are dealt a pair of 7s against a dealer's 5 upcard, you should split them.

Should you always hit 16 in blackjack?

When holding nine or less or 12-16 it's best to hit, but stand on a total of 17 or more. If the dealer's card is a four, five or six it is vital you do not bust.

Do you always split 8s in blackjack?

However, regardless of the various situations, the common strategic wisdom in the blackjack community is to "Always split aces and eights" when dealt either pair as initial cards. This is generally the first rule of any splitting strategy.

Do you always split 9s in blackjack?

For example, if you are dealt a pair of 9s against a dealer's 6 upcard, you should split them. Suppose on the first 9, you are dealt another 9 on the draw. You should resplit to form a third hand. If the casino allows resplits up to a total of four hands, then you should resplit again if you are dealt another 9.

Should you double every 11 on blackjack?

For most people, particularly those who are newer to blackjack, it's almost always a good idea to double down when you are showing an 11.

Do you hit a 12 against a 3?

That may be true for most stiff hands (meaning, a hard 12 through 16) but it's not the case when you are holding a 12 against a 3. There are only four cards that could bust your 12 — a ten, jack, queen, or king. On the other hand, five cards will get you to 17–21 (a five, six, seven, eight, or nine).

Why do you always split 8s?

No matter what you do with 8,8 against a dealer ten — stand, hit, split, double, or surrender — you'll lose money over the long run. However, splitting the 8s will result in the lowest long-term loss of all the options, which is why it's the basic strategy play.

Should you double down 11 against 10?

When you double down, you risk losing double your original bet, but with 11 vs. 10, you win double your bet more often, giving you a higher average profit.

Should you split 4s against 2?

However, there's one very important rule that determines whether you should ever split a pair of 4s. It's the "double after split" rule. You see, if the rules allow you to double down on pairs that have been split, then it becomes advantageous to go ahead and split a pair of 4s if the dealer has a 5 or 6 showing.

Should you ever split 5s in blackjack?

One of the absolutes in blackjack is that you should never split 5s. Most players aren't even tempted, because they recognize they have a much stronger building block for a hand when they start with 10 than starting each of two hands with 5s.

Is it smart to split 2S in blackjack?

RESPLITTING 2S

If the playing rules allow you to resplit, then it is advantageous for you to do so. For example, if you are dealt a pair of 2s against a dealer's 5 upcard, you should split them. Suppose on the first 2, you are dealt another 2 on the draw. You should resplit to form a third hand.

Do you hit on 13 against a 2?

14 stands against dealer 2 through 6, otherwise hit. 13 stands against dealer 2 through 6, otherwise hit. 12 stands against dealer 4 through 6, otherwise hit.

Is blackjack more skill or luck?

Purely based on statistics, some casino gamblers get lucky and win money. Blackjack, however, can be beaten based on skill—no luck involved.

Should I stick on 15 at blackjack?

Sam says: “Always hit a hard 15 when the dealer's up-card is a 7 through an ace. If you stand on that 15, you will win 25.36 percent of the time and lose 74.64 percent of the time. That makes a net loss of 49.28 percent.

Do you double 11 against 7?

Never double down when you're showing anything higher than an 11, as the chances of going bust are too high to risk. It's better to simply hit or stick on a lower total, and then hope that the dealer goes bust. Basically, if you're ever unsure whether to double down, stick to the safe option and keep your bet as it is.

What is a good bankroll for blackjack?

Another way of working out your necessary funds is by looking at how much you want to bet each hand. Let's say you want to play blackjack for $25 a hand. If you stick to the 3% rule, that means you should have a starting blackjack bankroll of $833.

Do you split 2s against a 3?

In single-deck games where DAS is in place, you should split your deuces against the dealer's 2 through 7, and hit against all other upcards. A pair of 3-3 should be split but only when the dealer's starting card has a value of 2 through 8.

Do automatic shufflers change blackjack odds?

But that's true regardless of how the cards are shuffled. If you want to play a betting progression, continuous shufflers do not affect the odds against you. There is one aspect in which a continuous shuffler hurts a progression player: More hands are dealt per hour when there are no shuffle breaks.

Do you ever split 4S in blackjack?

RESPLITTING 4S

If the playing rules allow you to resplit, then it is advantageous for you to do so. For example, if you were dealt a pair of 4s against a dealer's 5 upcard with DAS, you should split. Suppose on the first 4, you are dealt another 4 on the draw. You should resplit to form a third hand.