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When To Split In Blackjack
Everyone wants to know when to split in blackjack. Splitting can only be done if you are dealt a pair, such as two fours or two face cards, like queens. Deciding when to split often depends on what the dealer is showing, but there are certain hands that you should always split.
Best Hands To Split
Simply put, aces and eights are the best hands to split because they give you a better chance of winning. You should always split aces because it gives you two chances at hitting 21. If you don’t split aces, you’re stuck with two or 12, which are poor places to be. Most USA online casinos don’t consider a split ace and a 10-value card blackjack, but it still counts for 21.
Another pocket pair you almost always want to split is a pair of eights. With two eights, you have a relatively weak hand at 16 that will bust if you hit anything more than a five. Splitting these eights gives you more room to earn a better hand.
When Not To Split In Blackjack
Although splitting hands in blackjack is a great strategy, there are some instances where it’s best not to split. Don’t split if you have 10s, fours, or fives. If you split 10s, you’re sacrificing a 20-point hand for the slim chance of drawing an ace. An ace is the only card that would improve your hand, as any other card would add up to 20 or less. The same applies to splitting nines, with the risk outweighing the reward.
Never split fours or fives in blackjack. Your chances of earning a better hand are higher if you don’t split up the pair. If you have two fours (eight) or two fives (10) and you land a 10-value card, you’re sitting in a great place with 18 or 20. On the other hand, splitting the fours or fives and then landing a 10 would give you 14 or 15, which are poor positions to beat the dealer.
Should You Hit Or Stand In Blackjack
Although knowing when to split is an important part of the game, the question of should you hit or stand in blackjack happens more frequently. If you have a pair of twos, threes, or sevens, your decision to hit, split or stand depends on the dealer’s up-card. If the dealer is showing a card valued at eight through ace, you should hit instead of splitting. This gives you a better chance to beat the dealer if his hidden card is valued at 10.
Doubling Down
Doubling down is another option available before or after splitting in blackjack. Our recommended USA online gambling sites allow doubling down after splitting, which opens the door for big wins. You can easily turn a $100 blackjack hand into $400 with a successful split and double down maneuver on the right cards. Splitting hands often makes a more profitable situation for doubling down.
Where To Play Online Blackjack
Playing online blackjack can be done at anytime with any of the online casinos we recommend. To make it easier for you, we’ve listed our top four best online gambling sites in the industry for blackjack. These reliable online casinos offer plenty of bonuses and other benefits that reward their players.
Bovada Casino
Bovada Casino offers a great online blackjack experience for players of all experience levels. They make it easy to understand when to split, double down, or hit with helpful button descriptions. At Bovada, you can split up to three hands and can even double down on the split hands. Bovada offers blackjack with no opponents or live dealer options with over 30 tables available to join.
Slots.LV
Slots.LV offers a variety of different blackjack games where you can put your splitting skills to the test. One awesome feature about this online gambling site is they allow players to do practice play before hitting the tables for real money. This way you can see how splitting different hands plays out in real games without sacrificing your balance.
Ignition Casino
At Ignition, you can get the in person blackjack feel with over 30 live dealer blackjack tables. These tables come with wide ranges of limits, giving you flexibility to play at a price that’s comfortable to you. The live dealer blackjack at Ignition Casino offers a similar experience with splitting and doubling down as you would find in a real casino.
Café Casino
Online blackjack is one of the most popular games at Café Casino. They offer nine different blackjack variations so you can find your best fit. The rules for when to split cards in 21 may vary, but our basic pointers from earlier will apply to whichever blackjack variation you choose.
