Blackjack Splitting

What Is Splitting?

When your first two cards are of the same value, you can separate them and play them as two separate hands. In order to do this you must double your original bet so that you are betting the same amount on each hand.
In order to signify to the dealer that you wish to split your equal value cards, place an equivalent wager of chips beside your original bet when it comes time to play your hand.
After this is done you are in effect playing two separate hands. You may draw as many cards as you wish, except in the case of splitting Aces (you only get one card in this instance).

Example:
You have 10 dollars (two $5 chips) out on the table. You are dealt two 8's. You realize that you have 16. The dealer is showing a 7. You realize you will have to hit this 16, but you wisely decide to split the two 8's.
When the dealer turns to you for your decision, you place two 5-dollar chips next to your original bet. The dealer will then separate your two 8's and you will now begin to play each 8 as the first card of two hands one hand at a time.
On the first eight, the dealer deals you a 10. That's 18. You know you must stand with 18 versus the dealer's 7. You wave the dealer off of the first hand.
Now, for the second eight, the dealer deals you another 8! So, you have 16 again. You may split the two 8’s again (just make sure this is per the specific casino’s regulations).
So, you wheel another 10 dollar bet out, next to your original two.
Now, you have an 18 (from your first 8) and two 8's separated in front of you. On the middle eight the dealer deals you a 5. You have 13, which you know you must hit versus the dealer's 7. The next card, unfortunately, is a 10, and you bust.
On your last 8, the dealer deals you an Ace, totaling 19, which you must stand. So, you see how you can turn a 10 dollar bet of 16 vs. 7 into three separate 10 dollar bets of 18 vs. 7, Bust vs. 7, and 19 vs. 7.
Please note: you can split your first two cards if they have the same point value. However, we don't recommend you do this all of the time. The proper splitting strategies are:

• Always split Aces and 8's.
• Never split 4's, 5's and any 10 value cards (K,Q,J,10).
• Split 9,9 vs. dealer 2-6, 8 and 9.
• Split 7,7 vs. dealer's 7 or less.
• Split 6,6 vs. a dealer's 3-6.
• Split 2,2 and 3,3 vs. a dealer's 4-7.