Splitting Pairs in Blackjack

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. 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. Splitting Aces is a very strong player move, so the casino restricts you to drawing only one additional card on each Ace.