Blackjack strategy: when to split pairs

If you want to learn how to win in blackjack, then you want to read this. I'll show you the importance of leaning about the odds in blackjack so you can make an informed decision on when to split your cards. Many players playing for a while now know that there are possible limitless ways of winning in blackjack. A lot of players opt to learn all the basic strategies first before going to a casino to play blackjack. There are gamblers who first register in an online casino and practice some of their skills and strategies there.

When you are dealt two cards of equal value you are allowed, according to blackjack rules, to split these cards into two separate hands. You have to double your bet in order to do this but this does not necessarily mean that you double your chances of winning.
Think carefully about the situation before splitting to enable you to determine if is the best choice to make. If you have two face cards (which equals 20) the dealer will have to pull 21 in order to beat you so stick with 20. If you have two aces it is better to split them because if you draw a face card you will then have 21. The dealer will have to pull 21 to win so the odds are then in your favour. Aces can be used as a 1 or an 11.

The lower the value of your cards the less you should split them as the odds are in favour of the dealer beating them and you might end up with a total of only 16 to 18. On the other hand, should you have a pair of 5s then you have a value of ten and drawing another card with a value of 9 or 10 puts you into a strong position. If you do split these cards you might end up with two weaker sets of cards, forcing you to hit again with a high probability of going bust and losing your money.

Always think about splitting carefully since you do not want to end up with a low total. There is a rule where you never split the cards which start with the letter F. These are the 4, 5 and face cards.

So to recap from the top, always split aces, don’t split 5’s or face cards and always look at the card the dealer has on the table. If the dealer’s cards are of a higher value than yours then split; if not then don’t split your cards. Always split 8’s since 16 as a total is too low to win.

If the total of your cards individually is higher than the card total the dealer is showing then split. If not, stick. Remember to practice what you will do before actually playing for real money and there are plenty of good books and guides available to you online as well as in the bookshops. The best books on the subject are considered to be the ones written by Ed Thorpe. These books come with charts to help you with the game of blackjack but you need to be able to memorize and use them.

May you have good luck and fortune on your side.