What Does Split Mean In Blackjack

Splitting is an interesting component of playing Blackjack that allows you to enter two hands in the same round if the first two cards in your initial hand are of the same value. So what is splitting, when can you do it and when should you? Read on to find out.

What is splitting in Blackjack?

What on earth does it all mean? Ultimately, you will become more familiar with all the blackjack lingo as you develop your game, whether that is in the brick and mortar casino or at an online casino. Nonetheless, we have listed some handy basic blackjack terminology below: Stand. The player stays with the cards they were dealt; Hit. What does split mean in blackjack? If you are dealt two cards of the same value, you have the opportunity to split them, then you will be dealt another card on each. You are now playing two hands and must match your initial wager for the new, second hand.

A player can split in a round of Blackjack if their opening two cards are of the same value. This means any pair from Ace through to nine and any two cards valued at ten (for instance, a ten and a Queen).

If a player decides to split, they must place a second bet for that round of the same value as their original bet, essentially doubling their stake. The two cards are then treated as the first card of two new independent hands that are played out separately. Should one of these hands become a pair, the player is allowed to split again and enter a third hand whilst tripling their stake, and so on.

Generally, you are allowed to hit or double down on a split hand, with the exception of if you have split two Aces, in which case the two hands are often not allowed to consist of more than two cards. In some cases, a Blackjack achieved on a split hand will not count as such, and simply be valued at 21.

In a game of Blackjack, opportunities to split will likely be rare. You have an approximate 0.5% chance of getting any pair from Aces to nines in your opening two cards, and a 9.4% probability of getting two cards valued at ten.

When to split in Blackjack

It is arguably universally agreed that there are two scenarios in which you should always split: if you have a pair of Aces or a pair of eights.

You must carefully consider if you are going to split in Blackjack.

While you are likely to be prohibited to getting only one more card on two split Aces, this nonetheless presents two separate opportunities to get Blackjack. There will be an approximate 30.4% chance of a hand starting on an Ace getting Blackjack, equating to a 51.6% probability that at least one of your two hands will do so.

Meanwhile, a pair of eights presents a value of 16. This is widely considered to be the weakest opening hand in Blackjack, by virtue of the fact it is one beneath the minimum value of 17 that the dealer is required to finish on (meaning it is always likely to lose) but has a significant risk of going bust when hitting. Splitting a pair of eights averts this problem.

For a pair of nines, you should split in all circumstances unless the dealer’s face up card is a seven, worth ten or an Ace, in which case you should stand. If the dealer’s face up card is a seven, the most likely outcome is that their second card will be worth ten, meaning they will be forced to finish the round with a hand worth 17, less than your hand’s value of 18.

If the face up card is worth ten or an Ace then they have a chance to get Blackjack, meaning standing on a value of 18 is the option that presents the best chance of winning.

With the exception of pairs of fives, for pairs between two and seven you should look to split when the dealer’s face up card is certain values between two and seven and they are at the greatest risk of going bust. The information discussed in the last few paragraphs is summarised in the table below:

Blackjack splitting strategy

NB: This table assumes four to eight decks in play and that the dealer hits on a soft 17.

When not to split in Blackjack

Under no circumstances should you split on a pair of tens. An opening hand worth 20 is very strong and can only be beat by a Blackjack or a three-card hand worth 21, and the dealer has just an approximate 12.2% chance of getting this in any given round. When splitting a pair of tens, you are likely to end up with two separate hands both worth less than 20, essentially spurning a strong opportunity to win the round by putting yourself at risk of doubling your losses.

You should also never split on a pair of fives. In this situation, the best approach is to double down, as this will provide an approximate 53.8% chance of finishing your turn with a strong hand containing a value of 18 or higher. The exception here is if the dealer’s face up card is worth ten or an Ace and they therefore have a chance to get Blackjack, at which point you should hit.

What Does Split And Double Mean In Blackjack

For pairs of twos, threes and sevens you should not split if the dealer’s face up card is at least an eight, and for pairs of fours and sixes you should not split if the dealer’s face up card is at least a seven. For pairs of fours, you should also never split if the dealer’s face up card is beneath five, at which point they have a plausible opportunity to build a high value hand via three cards.

Enhance your Blackjack strategy

If you’re looking for general advice on how to play Blackjack, read our guide to Blackjack. If you want to learn more on how to inform your Blackjack strategy, remember to read our articles on how to double down and surrender, alongside how to place a side bet and insurance bet.

We also have an article outlining an advanced Blackjack strategy. If you want to learn more about Blackjack beyond how to play the game, you can read about the history of Blackjack.

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Blackjack is one of the most popular and exciting card games in the casino. It’s easy to learn how to play and how to bet. So, this month in our Ask the Dealer column, we’re featuring blackjack and how to play it. Here, our dealers will expertly answer your most-asked questions about how to play casino games and what tips they have for winning.
Blackjack, also known as “Twenty-One,” is a fast-paced but simple card game that requires some quick thinking and adding on your part to ensure you know what your next move should be. The house odds in Blackjack are lower than in other games; with some advanced strategies, you could win big playing this popular card game.

What Is the Object of the Game?

You are playing against the house or the dealer. You want to beat the dealer’s hand by getting cards that add up to as close to 21 as possible, but not over 21. If you go over 21, you lose automatically.

What Does Split Mean in Blackjack?

Good Question! If you hold two cards that are the same number in your hand, like two eights or two sixes, you can split them apart and play each one like two separate hands instead of one. Once you split your two cards into two hands, you’ll place your original bet with one hand and place an equal bet on the second, split hand.
You will play the hand to your right first. The dealer will give you a card when you ask for a “hit.” You will continue to hit until you are satisfied or you bust.
Then, you move to play the other hand and have the dealer hit you with cards until you say “stop” or you go over 21. If you go over 21, you lose your bet on that hand.
If you have a pair of aces and split them, the dealer will give you only one additional card per hand. You cannot draw again. If you draw a 10 on the second card, you have 21. Your winning hand pays 1:1, not 3:2 like other winning blackjack hands.

What Does Split Mean In Blackjack Winnings

What Does Double Down Mean in Blackjack?

What Does Split Mean In Blackjack Machine

This is another excellent strategy question. On your original two cards, you can double your bet before the dealer gives you another card. You place another bet equal to the first. Then, the dealer will give you only one card The dealer settles all bets at the end of the hand.
If you have sevens, you can split a pair, as above, and double down if you want to.

Enjoy the Game

What Does Split Mean In Blackjack Card Game

Be sure to ask a dealer if you have questions! And check back for future issues of Ask the Dealer, where we will likely talk about why you’d want to split or double down a blackjack hand and the deeper strategy behind these moves.
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