This is an educational guide to how casino games work. House edge and payout figures are typical values and vary by game, rules and operator. No casino game can be beaten in the long run — play for entertainment, never as a way to make money, and only stake what you can afford to lose.
What Is Splitting in Blackjack?
Splitting is one of blackjack’s most useful moves — and getting it right is a core part of basic strategy. Here’s how it works.
How it works
When your first two cards are a pair — two 8s, say — you can split them into two separate hands. You place a second bet equal to your original, and each card becomes the start of its own hand, played out one at a time.
Which pairs to split
Two rules are worth memorising: always split Aces and 8s, and never split 10s or 5s. Splitting Aces gives you two chances at 21; splitting 8s turns a weak 16 into two fresh hands. Splitting 10s breaks up a strong 20, and splitting 5s wastes a great doubling total.
A note on Aces
Most casinos give just one extra card to each split Ace, so you can’t keep drawing. Even so, splitting them is almost always correct. See doubling down, how to play blackjack and blackjack basic strategy.
Frequently asked questions
What does splitting mean in blackjack?
When you’re dealt a pair, you can split them into two separate hands, each with its own bet equal to your original.
Which pairs should I split?
Basic strategy says always split Aces and 8s, and never split 10s or 5s.
Do I bet more to split?
Yes — splitting adds a second bet equal to your first, one for each new hand.
Related guides: doubling down, how to play blackjack and blackjack basic strategy.