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Blackjack Splitting Pairs
When you are dealt a matching pair of cards (remember,
ignore the suits), you have the ability to split the hand into two
separate hands, and play them independently. Let's say you are dealt a
pair of eights for a total of sixteen. Sixteen is the worst possible
player hand, since it is unlikely to win as is, but is very likely to
bust if you draw to it. Here's a great chance to improve a bad situation.
If you are playing a hand-held game, toss the cards face-up in front of
your bet just like a double down. Then, in either type of game, place a
matching bet beside the original bet in the circle. Note that you must
bet the same amount on a split, unlike a double-down, where you are
allowed to double for less. The dealer will separate the two cards, and
treat them as two independent hands. Let's say you draw a 3 on the first
8, for a total of 11. Many casinos will allow you to double down on that
hand total of 11 at this point. When this is allowed, the rule is called
"Double after Split", predictably enough. Regardless, you can play the
first hand to completion, at which point the dealer will deal a second
card to the second hand, and you can begin making play decisions on it.
If you get additional pairs (in the first two cards of a hand), most
casinos will allow you to resplit, making yet another hand. The most
common rule allows a player to split up to 3 times, making 4 separate
hands, with 4 separate bets. If double after split is allowed, you could
have up to 8 times your initial bet on the table if you chose! Some
casinos restrict resplitting, and some allow unlimited splitting. Another
fine point is that you are allowed to split any 10-valued cards, so you
could split a (Jack, Queen) hand. However, this is usually a bad play:
Keep the 20.
The other complication for pair splits concerns splitting Aces. Splitting
Aces is a very strong player move, so the casino restricts you to drawing
only one additional card on each Ace. Also, if you draw a ten-valued card
on one of your split Aces, the hand is not considered a Blackjack, but is
instead treated as a normal 21, and therefore does not collect 3:2 odds.
Some casinos allow resplitting Aces if you draw another, while many do
not allow resplitting Aces although they often do allow resplitting of
any other pairs. With all these restrictions, you may wonder whether it
makes sense to split Aces. The answer is a resounding YES. Always split
pairs of Aces.
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