blackjack

Splitting Hands in Blackjack

What does it mean to "Split" a hand in the game of Blackjack?  First off to split your hand you will need to have a pair or two cards that have the same value.  After deciding to split your pair you will have two separate hands to play with.  Each of the two hands will have one of the split cards and one additional card dealt to the hand.  Your hand is now two separate hands and you must decide whether to hit, stand, double or re-split as you would a normal hand.  Splitting your hand will require you to place an additional wager, equal to your original bet.

Quick Links
When to split Aces?
Should you split 10's and face cards?
When to split 9's?
When to split 8's?
When to split a pair of 7's?
When to split 6's?
Do you split 5's?
When to split 4's, 3's and 2's?

Other Blackjack Hands
8 or less    9    10    11    12

Hard Hands
13/14    15    16    17+

Soft Hands
13    14    15/16    17    18    19+


Splitting Aces

Should you split a pair of Aces at the Blackjack table?  Yes, always split your Aces when you are playing Vegas Downtown and Vegas Strip Blackjack, but when you play European or Atlantic City Blackjack you shouldn't split Aces when the dealer is showing an Ace.  When this happens just hit your hand.



Blackjack Variations

Dealer's up Card

2 - 10

A

Atlantic City

SP

H

European

SP

H

Vegas Downtown

SP

SP

Vegas Strip

SP

SP

H=Hit, SP=Split


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Splitting Face Cards and 10's

Should you split a pair of face cards in Blackjack?   Hell no, never destroy your near perfect hand.  Don't split, only stand on your twenty hand.


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Splitting 9's

Should you split your pair of nines at the Blackjack tables?  Yes and no, if the dealer's up card is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 than yes you should split your hand, but if the card showing is a 7, 10 or an Ace you should stand.



Blackjack Variations

Dealer's up Card

2 - 6

7

8

9

10

A

Atlantic City

SP

S

SP

SP

S

S

European

SP

S

SP

SP

S

S

Vegas Downtown

SP

S

SP

SP

S

S

Vegas Strip

SP

S

SP

SP

S

S

S=Stand, SP=Split

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Splitting 8's

Should you split eights at the Blackjack tables?  Always split your eights except when you are playing by European Blackjack rules and the dealer's up card is an 10 or an Ace.  If this happen you should just hit your hand.



Blackjack Variations

Dealer's up Card

2 - 9

10

A

Atlantic City

SP

SP

SP

European

SP

H

H

Vegas Downtown

SP

SP

SP

Vegas Strip

SP

SP

SP

H=Hit, Sp=Split

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Splitting 7's

Should you split your pair of sevens at the blackjack tables?  You should always split your sevens if the dealer's up card is an 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or a 7 and just hit your hand when the dealer has a 9, 10 or an Ace showing.  If the dealer's up card is an eight, you should split your pair if you are playing by Vegas Strip or Vegas Downtown Blackjack rules and hit if you are playing Atlantic City or European Blackjack.  Never stand on a pair of sevens.



Blackjack Variations

Dealer's up Card

2 - 7

8

9

10

A

Atlantic City

SP

H

H

H

H

European

SP

H

H

H

H

Vegas Downtown

SP

SP

H

H

H

Vegas Strip

SP

SP

H

H

H

H=Hit, Sp=Split

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Splitting 6's

What is the correct strategy for playing my pair of fours in Blackjack?  You should always split your pair when the dealer has a 2, 3, 4, 5 or a 6 showing and hit your hand when the dealer's up card is a 8, 9, 10 or a Ace.  If the dealer's up card is a seven, the best strategy would be to hit your hand in Atlantic City or European Blackjack and split the pair of sixes in Vegas Downtown or Vegas Strip Blackjack variations.



Blackjack Variations

Dealer's up Card

2 - 6

7

8

9

10

A

Atlantic City

SP

H

H

H

H

H

European

SP

H

H

H

H

H

Vegas Downtown

SP

SP

H

H

H

H

Vegas Strip

SP

SP

H

H

H

H

H=Hit, Sp=Split

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Splitting 5's

Should you split a pair of fives when you are playing Blackjack?  No, never split your pair of fives.  Play the pair like you would play a ten hand.  Double down whenever the dealer has a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or a 9 showing and hit your hand when the up card is either a 10 or an Ace.  Never split a pair of fives, its always better to play one great hand than two crappy hands.

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Splitting 2's, 3's and 4's

You should split pairs of two's and three's at the Blackjack table whenever the dealer's up card is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or a 7.  If the card showing is a 8, 9, 10 or an Ace you should hit your hand.  If you have a pair of four's, then you should always hit your hand except when the dealer has a five or a six showing.  If this happens you should split your hand.

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