Blackjack Split Rules, Tips, Splitting Chart and FAQ for Successful Playing

Published: 14.05.2020, 10:56

8 min read

Blackjack is one of the most appreciated games in any gambling establishment. Due to its ease of play and prevalence in gambling venues, blackjack is many players’ go-to game. Casinos take full advantage of this fact and find creative ways to advertise blackjack to its customers. After poker, which is the most popular card game worldwide, blackjack is the second most common form of card entertainment.

A big reason for the game’s popularity is that players can use strategies and skills to improve their chances of winning, rather than just relying on luck. Some people choose to create probability tables. 

Even if they don’t win big, they can at least feel as if they have some influence over the game’s outcome. If a player is willing to take the time to learn how to count cards, they can greatly increase their probability of winning. All it takes is a little practice in blackjack split to gain an advantage over the house.

• Blackjack Odds: Leverage the House Edge
• How to Play Blackjack for Beginners

A Bit of History

Before you learn how to split in blackjack, let’s take a step back. Nobody knows exactly when or where blackjack originated, due to the lack of relevant historical documents. Some experts have speculated that it first became popular in France. Back then, it wasn’t originally called blackjack.

Rather, its name was “Vingt et Un” which translates to “Twenty-One”. Regardless of the game’s name, its goal was the same. The main purpose was to gain the right amount of points, and not to bust.

Until the 19th century, the game did not really go through any significant changes. However, when the French migrants moved to New Orleans, they took the card game with them. Twenty-One became hugely known in the US, and it underwent quite a few changes.

In the US, rather than keeping the game’s original name, players changed it to “blackjack.” This name references the best possible combination: a player can get in the game a pair of Jack of Spades and Ace of Spades.

• A Brief History of Casino Games

An interesting fact is that many blackjack terms were actually taken from the world of baseball. For instance, the player sitting on the left side is on the first base, while the person on the right sits on the third base. The third base player is in a position that makes it easier to count cards. Thus, they have an advantage over the casino.

Famous Blackjack Players

Now, let’s look at the two most influential people throughout the game’s history. The first one is Don Johnson. This man raked in a huge sum of $15 million after only five months of playing blackjack regularly.

The second one is Kerry Parker. This Australian mogul and billionaire brought the MGM casino to its knees in 1997. Parker won a whopping $30 million initially and later went on to win even more.

Thankfully, Parker wasn’t selfish about his money. Whenever he would win big, he would leave up to $1 million in tips to that night’s staff. Eventually, Parker ended up becoming the owner of Crown Casino. 

Perhaps you have heard of the Sports and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame. Blackjack actually has its own hall of fame as well. The Hall’s first nomination was in Winter 2002. In homage to the game’s goal and original name, 21 candidates were proposed.

Some candidates were players, and others were experts in the field. The voting took place online, and seven of the nominees ended up becoming inaugurated into the Blackjack Hall of Fame in January of 2003.

Addressing the Rules: When Can you Split in Blackjack?

One of the reasons for blackjack’s huge international success is the simplicity of its rules. If you score 21 points, and there isn’t a draw, you are guaranteed to win. You could also score less than 21 and win, as long as you have enough points to beat the dealer.

Even a complete novice can understand blackjack split rules in just a few minutes. All you have to do is remember how many points each card could bring, which just requires a simple calculation. 

Players must remain attentive and vigilant in order to properly track each card. You must put in effort in order to rake in the winnings. Cards are initially distributed from six or eight decks that are contained in a blackjack shoe. 

The average player won’t be able to remember these cards right off the bat. It takes some practice to be able to hold all of these numbers in your head. Yet, after practicing and learning how to memorize correctly, players can achieve great success.

Computers have given us the ability to analyze millions of matches in order to create algorithms that help us implement the best strategies. Bear in mind that the dealer can’t reflect on whether to take another card. In many venues, the house splitting rules for blackjack state that they have to draw more cards until the total value of his points is 17 or more.

Check the table below to see how an open card affects the dealer’s chances of winning. Here are the chances for the opposite side to lose with these dealer’s upcards:

Blackjack Split Rules: How to Split?

Let’s put aside the vague concepts of good luck and bad luck and agree that knowledge of these basic truths is necessary for a systematic player of the game. Save the table if you can’t remember its values. Now, using this knowledge, let us turn to the strategy on the blackjack splitting cards.

When can you split in blackjack? Check the explanation in the form of a blackjack split chart below.

There are some best hands to split in blackjack. Looking at the table, consider that ace and 10 are the strongest cards or combinations, and 4, 5, and 6 are the weakest. This statement is based on complex mathematical calculations and should be accepted as an axiom.

Let’s see the explanation for when to split in blackjack:

• Against a range of 4-6 at the dealer, takes advantage of an increase in the bet due to the opponent’s weakness;
• 2s and 3s against the dealer’s weakest hand, since each of these cards, is better than a combination of 4 or 6;
• 8s, which separately are much stronger than the low-perspective 16;
• Aces: as the strongest card (with some exceptions);
• 4s, only against the weakest cards of the dealer (5 and 6), counting on his excess (in other cases, it makes no sense to deprive himself of the average strength of 8).

Can a dealer split in blackjack? For better or worse, the dealer never doubles, splits, or surrenders. As for players, it is better to learn the table and the following basic rule that must be remembered:

• Never play split fives because instead of a strong ten, you will get two very weak cards.
• Never play a split on ten-value cards – it is a ready 20 with a high probability of victory. If you stop, the mathematical probability of winning will be higher than when playing the two tens separately.

We have collected the most common splitting options that you can find in casinos, both land-based and online. We recommend that you always check the rules of the game variation you’re going to play to know in advance which splits are available and which are not.

Dozens’ Split

All face cards (i.e., queens, kings, and jacks) are worth a 10. Almost all online casinos have the option of splitting these cards when they are dealt to your first hand. But the strategy of splitting dozens statistically leads to failure. Try not to use it.

Resplit

Let’s say you fell out of two eights the first time you have got the cards. You asked to split them into two hands, and the next time the dealer gives you a card, you get a third eight. Therefore, you have the opportunity to split the hands with the pairs of eights into a third hand. So, you’ll already have three hands, which means three chances to win.

Rather than doubling your bet, you have to triple it. There can also be limits on the number of splits, so read the rules carefully so that then there is no surprise. And remember, when new hands appear, you always need to add to your initial bet.

Aces’ Resplit

It is a very rare rule. It only applies to the late rejection rule.

An Extra Card After an Ace Split

In almost all casinos, after you’ve had a pair of aces, you need to split them into two hands. In some gambling houses, this rule is not implemented, and you can continue playing without any restrictions.

Prohibition on Ace Split

That is a very rare rule but, in some gambling establishments, you still can come across it. It ends with a ban on splitting aces. We recommend that you avoid casinos that have this rule.

Split at Any Time

If the casino is using this rule, you have the option of splitting the cards into two hands even after you give them away. Let’s say you got 10 and 2 cards at the start of the game. And after the dealer gave you a third card, you got a double again. You have the right to make a split into two 2s on the second hand.

A Ban on Splitting

This rule is very rare; at the moment, it can be found in the UK casinos only.

Canceling the Split

It is a very useful option, which is presented in some casinos. Thanks to it, you have the right to cancel one of the hands that have been formed during the split.

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To Sum Up

Why do some people lose? The reasons might be:

• Not fully understanding the rules and strategy; 
• Not having or maintaining the original plan at all;
• Not setting a game timeline beforehand;
• Not adequately assessing their capital.

Did you know that casinos keep 20% of the money players use to play based on statistics? That is, they take $50 or $100 euros with them, they bet 10 each time, and as soon as they lose the money, they leave. If somebody has enough money, they may continue to play even after losing 5 or 10 times in a row. So, it’s essential to manage your capital properly.

Despite being around for centuries, blackjack maintains its popularity in the world. Simplicity and efficiency make it a favorite online choice for gamblers.

If you haven’t played online blackjack yet, it is time to try your luck at Bob Casino. All you need is an online casino with blackjack, our split strategy, your talent, excitement, and a bit of luck.

Please remember, no strategy can guarantee 100% results. Manage your money wisely, so that way stress will not affect your decisions in a negative manner. We wish you good luck and the biggest winnings!

Blackjack Splitting FAQ

You might still have some questions regarding these techniques. Let us elaborate on some of them.