In this video we cover the options in the game of Blackjack of Doubling Down and Splitting your hands., as well as when it is best to use these tactics.http. Splitting in blackjack is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. If you are dealt a pair, you may have the option to ‘split’ it to form to two hands. Once you split, you will be dealt two new cards and carry on betting on both hands. So, a second wager will be placed, equal to your original bet. Let’s take the following example: Suppose. As you can only split cards of the same value, it’s good to know if you can split a hand such as Q,K or 10,J. The answer is yes; you can split these hands because, in blackjack, they’re all just considered to be ten cards. That said, you don’t want to split a 20-value hand unless you can count cards. When you are allowed to Double Down After Split, you’re going to split 2’s and 3’s when the house has the upcards of 2 through 7. You’re going to split fours (4,4) when the house shows a 5 or 6, and 6’s are split when the house shows 2 through 6. When DDAS is not available, you will absolutely be splitting less.
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 Double Down Mean in Blackjack?
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
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.
Have fun and stay awhile! Why not enjoy an overnight adventure with one of our hotel and casino packages? Call our reservations experts at 800-682-6040 or contact us online today.
For any decent strategist, blackjack is a game of situational decisions. One of these decisions, which most veterans will tell you never to make, is splitting 10s – especially when facing a 5 or 6 from the dealer.
However, casino gambling expert Mark Pilarski says there are actually a “few exceptions” to that rule.
Pilarski has a great deal of experience in the field of blackjack. He spent 18 years working for 7 different casinos. These days, however, Pilarski has left the commercial casino industry behind, instead working as a journalist. He has his own nationally syndicated column called Deal Me In, writes periodicals for numerous gaming magazines and sells his own award-winning series of Audio-Books called “Hooked on Winning”.
Continue reading to learn more about why Pilarski considers there are exceptions to this Golden Rule of Blackjack.
LOOKING TO PLAY BLACKJACK ONLINE? Visit ourOnline Real Money Blackjackpage and get our complete list of legit online casinos that offer many different variants of the game.
Odds Of Winning When Splitting 10s – Should You Split?
Last week, Mark Pilarski tackled a tough subject when one of his readers, Herb C., asked the following question:
“I am aware that you never – ever – ever split 10s against a dealer’s 5 or 6. However, I have been tempted to do so when no one else is at the Blackjack table. My question is what is the percentage odds of winning (or losing) by doing so?”
Mark first addressed the blackjack strategy of John Scarne, who published ‘Scarne on Cards’ in 1949. Scarne felt that splitting 10s was a good strategy, but that was 65 years ago, before computers were able to analyze hand statistics. In 1962, Edward Thorpe used an IBM 704 to analyze blackjack hands, and when he published his results in ‘Beat the Dealer’, the theory of splitting 10s was abolished.
“Since then,” wrote Mark, “I can’t think of any blackjack authors that recommend splitting 10s in most, if not all, cases.” He said that he ran his own 20-million hand simulation on a program called BJ Trainer. The results “clearly favored leaving those 10s unaided versus splitting them, even against a 5 or a 6.” Pilarski reasoned, “I favor taking computer results over advice written in 1949 every time.”
Tips For Splitting 10s In Blackjack – The Exceptions
The blackjack strategist went on to describe a few very rare occasions when he himself felt it was in his best interest to split 10s in a blackjack game. The first is during a game of Face-Up 21, a blackjack variant in which both of the dealer’s cards are exposed.
- Mark said splitting 10s is a good strategy so long as the dealer’s confirmed total is “13, 14, 15 or 16.”
- Pilarski also noted that, for an experienced card counter, it is a good idea to split 10s against a dealer’s 6 if the count favors a lot of high cards left in the deck, such as a count of 6 or above.
Mark said that there is only “one other scenario where splitting 10s can be the better play than standing.” He described a situation which he himself experienced. It was the final hand of a blackjack tournament, and Pilarski had been dealt a 20. Although he knew the most probable way to win the hand was to stand, doing so “wouldn’t have won enough money to overtake” the dealer. So he chose to split the 10s and got lucky, winning enough chips to move on to the next round of the blackjack tournament.
Odds Of Winning Or Losing
As for Herb C’s original question, pertaining to the “percentage odds of winning or losing”, Mark said, “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.” Thus the expected profit would be just $56 for every $100 wagered on such a hand.
Mark then examined the odds of “standing pat on your 20”. The blackjack analyst said that, “by standing, you will win around 85 percent of the time, and will make about $14 more per $100 wagered than splitting.”
In conclusion, Mark Pilarski recommended that a blackjack player “stand on your 20” in all situations, outside of those “few exceptions” listed above.
“Your fair share of being dealt a 20 is approximately 9.2% of the time, and I just don’t want you putting that stellar hand in unwarranted jeopardy”, Pilarski wrote.
Split 10s And Win!
The Golden Rule is still to never split 10s when playing blackjack. However, as you’ve seen, there are a few very specific exceptions that could make splitting a sound choice.
Are you ready to split 10’s and win? Here are some online casinos that offer countless blackjack games to test this strategy on:
Hands To Split In Blackjack
- Amaizing new and legit online Casino for US players
- Fast payouts on credit card and no fees
- Hundres of games to play on mobile and desktop
- Live dealer blackjack, baccarat, and roulette
Deposit Options include:- visa
- mastercard
- bitcoin
- debit
- Most Reputable Online Casino
- Up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus
- Visa, MasterCard, & More Deposit Methods
- Offers Live Casino Games
Deposit Options include:- visa
- paypal
- neteller
- mastercard
- debit
100% up to €250- Safe and Secure Online Casino
- $/€1600 Casino Welcome Bonus
- Play Over 400 Casino Games
- Huge Jackpot Slots
Deposit Options include:- visa
- mastercard
- paypal
- check
- wire
- neteller
- skrill
100% up to €1600- Legit Online Casino
- $200 Casino Welcome Bonus
- Accepts Visa, MasterCard, eWallets, & More
- Dozens of Casino Games to Pick From
Deposit Options include:- visa
- mastercard
- neteller
- paypal
- wire
100% up to €140- Large Australian Bitcoin-Friendly Casino
- Mobile Friendly
- Up to $2,250 in Welcome Bonuses
- Large Selection of Pokies
Compatible with:- windows
- apple
- android
- mobile
- Safe and Legitimate Australian Casino
- 100s of Slots and Table Games
- Mutiple Daily Deposit and Reload Deals
- Easy Deposits with Bitcoin
Compatible with:- windows
- apple
- android
- mobile
- Legit and reputable online casino for US players
- Play online at any device
- 2 live Casinos with dozen of live dealer games
- 14 deposit methods, including Visa and Bitcoin
Deposit Options include:- visa
- mastercard
- bitcoin
- skrill
- neteller
- Trusted, Legit USA online Casino
- Quick Payouts, Easy to Use Software
- Visa, Bitcoin and Mastercard accepted
- Live dealer blackjack, baccarat, roulette and more
Compatible with:- windows
- apple
- android
- mobile