When to Split in Blackjack: Every Pair and What to Do

Split when your first two cards are a pair – two cards of the same rank – and the chart says to split against the dealer's up card, the dealer card that is face up. Under standard rules you always split aces and 8s, you never split 10s or 5s, and you split 2s, 3s, 4s, 6s, 7s and 9s only against certain dealer up cards.

• What does split mean in blackjack?
• Blackjack split rules
• The pairs chart: when to split each pair
• Should you split 10s?
• Should you split 9s?
• Do you always split 8s?
• Aces and 5s: always split, never split
• Practice your split decisions

01What does split mean in blackjack?

Splitting means you turn one pair into two separate hands. A pair is two cards of the same rank, such as 8 and 8.

1. You place a second bet. It is the same size as your first bet.
2. The two cards are moved apart. Each card starts a new hand.
3. Each new hand gets a second card.
4. You play the first hand to the end, then the second hand.

Each hand wins or loses on its own against the dealer. One hand can win while the other hand loses.

02Blackjack split rules

Online tables follow a short set of split rules. The table's rules page shows the exact version.

A king and a queen are not the same rank, but both count as 10. Many tables also let you split any two ten-value cards like these.

• Same rank. Both cards must have the same rank, such as 8 and 8. Many tables also let you split any two ten-value cards, such as K and Q.
• Extra bet. The second hand needs a bet equal to your first bet.
• Re-splits. If a new hand gets another card of the same rank, many tables let you split again, usually up to 4 hands.
• Split aces. Each split ace gets one more card only. You cannot hit those hands. Many tables do not let you re-split aces.
• 21 after a split. An ace and a ten-value card after a split count as 21, not blackjack. That hand pays 1:1, not 3:2.
• Double after split. Many tables let you double down on a hand after a split. If the table does not allow it, the house edge – the share of each bet the house keeps on average – goes up by 0.14 percentage points.

Victoria's tip

Before you play, open the table's rules and check two lines: how many times you can re-split, and whether you can double after a split.

For the full list of table rules, see blackjack rules.

03The pairs chart: when to split each pair

This table is for standard rules: 6 decks, dealer hits soft 17, double after split, no surrender, dealer peeks for blackjack.

A pair of jacks, queens or kings plays the same as a pair of 10s.

The row for 9s has a gap. You split against 2–6 and 8–9, and you stand against 7, 10 and A.

To see the pairs next to the hard and soft hands, open the full blackjack strategy chart.

04Should you split 10s?

No. Two ten-value cards make 20, and the chart stands on 20 against every dealer up card.

Standing is better against every up card, and by a wide margin. Splitting comes closest against a 6: +0.457 per first bet, against +0.677 for standing.

Splitting breaks a 20 into two hands that each start from 10. Together they win less on average than the one 20 you had.

S stand.

Every rule set in the table gives the same answer. A king and a queen play like a pair of 10s: many tables let you split them, and the chart still stands.

Victoria's tip

When you get two ten-value cards, stand on 20. Splitting them trades a strong total for two weaker hands.

05Should you split 9s?

Split 9s against most dealer up cards, but not all of them. The chart says: split against 2–6, stand against 7, split against 8–9, stand against 10–A.

Two 9s make 18. Against a 7, standing on 18 is better: a dealer 7 often finishes on 17, and your 18 beats it.

Against an 8 or a 9, an 18 often ties or loses. Two hands that each start from 9 do better there.

S stand, P split.

Against a 10 or an ace the dealer is strong. Splitting would put a second bet on two hands that start from 9, so you stand on 18 and lose less.

All five rule sets in the table give the same row for 9s.

Victoria's tip

Learn the gaps in the row: split 9s against 2–6, 8 and 9, but stand against 7, 10 and A.

06Do you always split 8s?

Under standard rules, yes: the chart splits 8s against every dealer up card. Two 8s make hard 16, which often busts when you hit and often loses when you stand.

Against a 10, hitting 16 averages −0.535 per bet and splitting −0.475 per first bet. Both lose money on average, but splitting loses less.

Against a 2 to 7, splitting turns a losing 16 into two hands that win on average. Each new hand starts with an 8 instead of a 16.

H hit, P split, Rp surrender (otherwise split). Our charts model late surrender only for games where the dealer checks for blackjack first.

Two rule sets change the row. With late surrender, giving up half the bet beats splitting against an ace; with no hole card, you hit 8s against a 10 or an ace.

When the dealer has no hole card

In some online games, the dealer takes a second card only after you finish your hands. This is called a no-hole-card game, and European blackjack often works this way.

• Dealer peeks (standard rules): If the dealer has blackjack, the round ends before you act. You never put out a split bet against a dealer blackjack.
• No hole card: You may split first, and then the dealer gets blackjack. At many tables you lose the split bets too. Some tables return the extra bets. Check the table rules.

Because of this, some split plays change in no-hole-card games: 8s against a dealer 10 or A, and aces against a dealer A. The chart on this page is for games where the dealer peeks.

A 6-deck no-hole-card game where the dealer stands on soft 17 has a house edge of about 0.52%. Read more on the European blackjack page.

07Aces and 5s: always split, never split

An ace counts as 11 unless that would bust the hand, then it counts as 1. Two aces make soft 12: one ace counts as 11 and the other as 1.

When you split, each ace starts a new hand worth 11. Each split ace gets one more card, and a ten-value card on an ace gives you 21.

5s

Two 5s make hard 10. You play them as a 10, not as a pair.

Double down against 2–9, or hit if the table does not let you double. Hit against 10 and A.

Learn more on the double down page.

Victoria's tip

When you get two 5s, read them as hard 10 and use the hard 10 row of the chart.

08Practice your split decisions

Pairs are easy to spot. The hard part is remembering which dealer up cards change the play.

The row for 4s is a good example. You split only against a dealer 5 or 6, and you hit against every other up card.

• Blackjack trainer – you get hands, choose a move, and see if it matches the chart.
• Blackjack simulator – you play many hands with the rules you choose and see the results.

Victoria's tip

Practice the pairs that change with the dealer card first: 9s, 4s, 6s and 7s.

Basic strategy lowers the house edge to about 0.62% under standard rules. It does not remove the house edge.

Questions people ask