1. In that instance, it is better that you hit rather than Double Down. Always Split Aces and 8s. If you are dealt a pair of Aces or a pair of 8s, then no matter what the dealer is showing, you should split them. Many players fail to see the logic of this and will not split 8s if the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or Ace.
2. In that case, you always split. (Just remember—always split aces and 8s.) There’s no other way to get a soft total of 12, so you’re left with the possibility of a hard 12. If that’s what you have, you stand against a dealer 4, 5, or 6.

Never Split 5s and 10 value cards. (Double on 5s as you would on any hard 10). Always split Aces and 8s. The easy ones to remember: 2s, 3s, 7s – split when dealer shows 2-7; 6s – split on dealer’s 2-6. And the unique ones: 4s – are not a perfect hand for splitting, so you should split them only when the dealer shows 5 or 6 and only when.

Even players with little or no knowledge of basic strategy in blackjack understand one thing:

You always split aces and 8s in blackjack.

Of course, you can always find contrarians who disagree with everything, no matter how solid the math behind it is. This post is for people who want to understand in detail why you should always split aces and 8s in blackjack.

A Pair of Aces in Blackjack Is a Soft Total of 12

I don’t know a single blackjack player who gets excited about having a hard or soft total of 12. It’s a hand that’s going to bust a lot of the time when you hit it, because there are at least 16 cards worth 10 points in the deck. (That’s almost 1/3 of the cards in the deck.)

On the other hand, if the 1^st card of a hand is worth 11 points, you stand a good chance (1/3 again) of winding up with a total of 21. Even if the game doesn’t pay off at 3 to 2 for blackjack after splitting, that’s still an excellent hand that the dealer probably won’t beat. The best the dealer can do is push.

The thing about splitting, though, is that you must put up another bet. Low rollers who are under-bankrolled sometimes don’t like this. They don’t WANT to risk additional money on a single hand, even if that hand becomes 2 new hands.

They’re making a mistake, and a big one. Not splitting aces does serious damage to the house edge for the game.

In fact, the house is so convinced of how strong a play this is that they have strict rules about what you can do after splitting. For example, you’re not allowed to take more than one additional card after splitting aces. And no one understands the math behind these casino games than the casinos themselves, trust me.

Casinos also usually restrict you from doubling down after splitting. You usually can’t resplit aces if you get another ace again, either.

None of those minor rules variations, matter, though. It’s still always the correct strategy to split a pair of aces at the blackjack table.

A Pair of 8s in Blackjack Is a Hard Total of 16

If you think blackjack players are unenthusiastic about a total of 12, watch them shift uncomfortably in their chairs when they have a hard total of 16. There’s no good way to play a hard total of 16. If you stand, the dealer will probably beat you with a higher total. If you hit, you’ll probably bust.

But when you have a pair of 8s, you get to start 2 new hands, both of which have an 8 as their starting hand. 1/3 of the time, you’ll get a 10, which will make your new total a hard 18, which is a respectable hand for any blackjack player in almost any situation.

Also, even if you don’t get a 10, you might get an ace, which gives you a total of 19—which is, of course, even better than a total of 18.

Even if you get a 9, your hand improves to a 17, which is respectable, if not ideal.

Most casinos don’t have the same restrictions that apply to your “after-splitting” hands, too.

When Do You Deviate from Basic Strategy When It Comes to Splitting Aces and 8s

If you’re not counting cards, you NEVER deviate from basic strategy when it comes to splitting aces and 8s. Most of the time, even if you ARE counting cards, you still always split aces and 8s.

But there are exceptions if you’re counting cards.

If your count is negative and the dealer has an 8, 9, or 10 showing, you just hit the aces instead of splitting them.

Why is this?

When the count is negative, it means that there aren’t as many 10s left in the deck. Part of what gives splitting aces its kick is the possibility of getting that total of 21.

You run the risk of turning a single likely loser into 2 likely losers with twice as much money in action.

If the count is positive, you will sometimes not split a pair of 9s. If the dealer has a 9 or 10 showing in this situation, he’s more likely to have a 10 in the hole. (That’s what the positive count means, after all.) This means you’re probably facing a 19 or 20.

When you split those 8s, yes, you’ll probably get a couple of hands that total 18.

But that does you little good against a 19 or 20.

And remember—those are only correct decisions if you’re counting cards and know what you’re doing.

An Argument against Splitting Aces in Certain Situations

Suppose the dealer is showing a 10, and you have 2 aces.

Most people assume that the dealer’s down card is also a 10, so you’re probably facing a dealer total of 20.

Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Game

If you split those aces, the only way to win both those hands is by getting a 10 in each of them. The probability of that is less than 1/3 for each, or about 1/9 for both of them.

What this argument misses is that a soft total of 12 is no fun to play in that situation, either. Sure, you don’t have to invest extra money to get those extra cards, but the trade-off just plain isn’t worth it.

Conclusion

When it comes to blackjack, you should always follow basic strategy—except when you shouldn’t.

Of course, the only time you shouldn’t is when you’re counting cards. In rare cases when you’re counting, you’ll deviate from basic strategy.

And one of the 1^st rules of basic strategy is that you ALWAYS split aces and 8s.

That’s an easy one to remember.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Table of Contents

When it comes to trying to beat the house and get an edge at the blackjack tables, you’ll need to follow basic blackjack strategy, part of which involves splitting certain hands to maximise your opportunities to win against the dealer’s hand.

Two specific hands that we’re going to discuss in this guide are pairs of Aces and pairs of eights. Both of these should always be split into two hands when dealt to you by the dealer – or so they say.

Who says splitting Aces and 8s is something you should do?

Who says so? Well, pretty much all avid blackjack players out there, including Edward O. Thorp in his legendary book Beat the Dealer, which has been making waves ever since 1962. Why? Because maths, and therefore basic blackjack strategy, say so.

However, if you don’t trust this advice and want to know more about the facts and figures behind splitting Aces and eights when playing blackjack online at sites like Betsson, read on as we delve deeper into the pros and cons of splitting Aces and eights.

Why is splitting Aces in blackjack a sound move?

When you think about it carefully, being dealt a pair of Aces in blackjack – online or offline – is probably one of the poorest hands you could possibly receive. It holds a value of either 2 or a soft 12, accordingly.

The problem is that if you take a third card, there is almost a 33% probability of going bust given there are a minimum of 16 cards left in the deck that are worth ten points, which means you could bust your hand from 12 to 22. However, when you split these two Aces, you are left with two hands of either 1 or 11, which gives you a 33% shot of landing 21 with your next card.

Why are beginners uneager to split in blackjack?

To some beginners to playing blackjack online or offline, splitting hands and playing with multiple hands at once can feel like a daunting prospect.

Why? Because you must pay for the privilege of splitting, which can feel risky to newcomers – particularly those who are worried that they might not have the bankroll to handle the minimum bets over the long term.

Is it worth learning to split as a new blackjack online player?

Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Card Game

In short, yes. We’re here to reinforce that splitting Aces and eights is the right play to make. If you don’t choose to split Aces for fear of risking too much per game, you’re handing over a huge advantage to the house.

By splitting your Aces, you are giving yourself almost a 33% chance of at least one of your hands receiving a second card worth ten points, giving you 21 and a virtually unassailable score – unless the dealer also has 21 and you tie or ‘push’, which can still be to your advantage, depending on the particular rules of the blackjack variant you’re playing.

Why does splitting 8s in blackjack make sense?

Handling a pair of eights can also bring out beginner blackjack players into a cold sweat. When it comes to blackjack split rules, though, eights should largely be recognised as an instant split, just like Aces.

When you think about it, a pair of eights leaves you with an uncomfortable hand worth 16. Basic blackjack strategy suggests that you only stand on hands worth 17 or more, especially if the dealer’s face-up card is worth 7 or more. If you stand on a hand worth 16, the dealer is statistically likely to beat you. Furthermore, for those of you who like taking risks, if you hit and take a third card in this scenario, then chances are you will go over 21 and bust, because of the sheer number of cards left in the deck that count as ten.

What is the probability of hitting a 10 after splitting 8s?

By splitting a pair of eights into two new hands, you’ll have two starting hands with a value of 8 each. Again, this gives you around a 33% shot of landing a ten or face card to turn one of your hands from 8 into 18, which is a solid hand to stand on in most blackjack split scenarios.

It’s also possible to land a nine, thus changing your hand value from 8 to 17, which can sometimes lead to a push or even a win if the dealer busts.

Are there any restrictions to splitting 8s?

While some casinos will restrict you to just one additional card when you split Aces, there are no such restrictions when you split eights.

That’s great news because, in the event that you receive a two or a three, you can still hit 21 by landing a 10 with your third card. Don’t be afraid to pay double to split your hands, as this will open a host of possibilities compared to standing on 16 and leaving your hand open to an easy defeat by the dealer.

Why Should You Always Split 8's In Blackjack

Is splitting Aces and 8s always a good idea?

Although most of the time splitting Aces and eights is the right play when it comes to using sound casino blackjack strategy, there are some rare instances when deviating from this approach can pay dividends.

The biggest exception to the rule is when you are devoting your attention to counting cards at the table. What do we mean by counting cards? It’s a technique that some experienced blackjack players employ to determine whether there are more high-value or low-value cards remaining in the deck. This can allow players to size their bets correctly, taking advantage of calculating the probability of winning the next hand.

Should you split Aces when card counting in blackjack?

Do You Always Split 8's In Blackjack Games

One of the rare occasions when someone counting cards may hit a pair of Aces rather than split them is if the deck count is negative and the dealer’s up card is an eight, nine or ten. A negative card count means there are not as many tens remaining in the deck, making it more likely that you will hit a lower-value card and improve the value of your hand without going bust.

Should you split 8s when card counting in blackjack?

If the deck count is positive – meaning there are more tens in the deck than usual – some may also opt against splitting eights, especially when the dealer’s up card is something like a five or a six. With more tens in the deck, there is a higher chance of the dealer busting their hand from 5 or 6 to 25 or 26 in the space of two cards.

Should a negative deck count affect your decision to split Aces?

Another scenario when splitting Aces is not such a good idea is when the dealer’s up card is worth 10 and you are holding a pair of Aces.

Particularly if the deck count is negative, the only chance you will have of winning by splitting those Aces is landing a ten for each hand. But, if the deck count is negative, you know there aren’t many tens left. In this instance, many blackjack pros prefer to play the soft 12 and take another card in the hope that it’s a six, seven or eight that will improve their hand without going bust.

Hopefully, this guide gives you the confidence to know when to split Aces and eights when you play blackjack online here at Betsson Casino. We have a wealth of blackjack variants you can explore and enjoy on our site. Just take your pick and good luck implementing your newfound knowledge!