The split bet is an added weapon in the blackjack player’s arsenal.  When used tactically, it can enhance the probability of beating the dealer.  As with all the skill-based games at Juicy Stakes Casino, there is a strategy that defines exactly when to split in blackjack.

The Cost of the Split Bet

The split is similar to the double down feature.  You have to place an additional bet equal in value to the original wager in order to optimise your chances of winning.  As you are essentially risking double or even treble the stake, you obviously only want to split when the theoretical probability is favourable.

How Does Splitting Work in Blackjack?

Are you a new player at Juicy Stakes Online Casino and don’t know too much about the mechanics of splitting?  In most variations of blackjack, the split bet only applies to the initial two cards you are dealt.  If they happen to be of matching numerical value – in other words, a pair – you can split the pair into two separate hands and play each hand individually.

Why Rules Do Matter

It is important to note that the rules governing the split can and do differ from game to game.  At Juicy Stakes Casino there are several online blackjack games developed by different software suppliers.  In some games, you may only be allowed to draw one more card after splitting, or only split pairs once – or only split ten value cards of the same rank.

A Sample of Split Rules at Juicy Stakes Online Casino

The lesson here is without the proper knowledge of the rules, you can make costly errors.  That of course means there is less money in your Juicy Stakes Online Casino account to spend on gambling online.

We clearly don’t want that, so here is a brief overview of the split rules that apply to three of the high hit rate blackjack games you can play at Juicy Stakes Casino:

• Tangente Blackjack:  You can split up to two hands, aces can only be split once and only one card is dealt to split aces.  Ten value cards of different ranks – such as 10-J or K-Q – can be split.  After splitting, a ten-value card and an ace count as 21 – and not as a blackjack.
• Betsoft Pirate 21 Blackjack:  You can re-split aces and hit and double down on split aces.  The rules obviously apply to all other pairs too.
• World Match Blackjack Single:  You can split only once on the first hand and only one card is dealt to split aces.  The double down feature is active after the split – and a ten-value card and an ace are not considered a blackjack, but rather 21.

Find Blackjack Rules On-Demand

Where do you find the split rules in blackjack?  That’s easy.  Simply click on the information icon or menu button on the gaming interface and you will be presented with a separate window displaying the rules of that particular blackjack game.  You’ll also find other useful info such as the pay table and game settings.

Best Blackjack Split Strategy

Now to the best blackjack split strategy and one that you are encouraged to adopt whenever you play blackjack online at Juicy Stakes Casino.

Always split when you are dealt:

1. A pair of eights:  16 is considered a really poor hand in blackjack.  Why?  The odds of going bust are high as any card of six or above catapults you over the magical tally of 21 – and that’s one for the dealer.  When you split eights, you have a chance of getting at least one good hand and maybe even two.
2. A pair of aces: This is the gold standard when it comes to splitting in blackjack.  When combined with a 10-value card, the ace creates either a blackjack or 21, both of which pay out at odds of 3:2 and 1:1 respectively.  What makes splitting aces a no brainer is the fact that there are 16 ten-value cards in a single deck of playing cards.  At Juicy Stakes Casino you can play blackjack games that use six, and even eight decks of cards… and that means there are up to 128 cards that can deliver the big money on the split!

Avoid splitting the following pairs:

1. A pair of fours:  When tallied together eight is a reasonable score.  You can’t go bust on the next hit and if you happen to draw an ace, 19 can be a winning hand.  When you split fours, there are only three cards that can give your hand a boost – five, six or seven – but even then, you are left with two bad hands.  With the odds stacked against you, the smart play is to keep the pair intact.
2. A pair of fives:  This equals ten – and that is a great hand to double down on, provided the dealer isn’t showing a nine, ten or ace.  When you are holding ten, there is a high probability of getting 21 while the bust is taken out of the equation.
3. A pair of tens:  With a hand of 20 the sky is the limit… unless of course the dealer has blackjack.  When you split a pair of tens you need to hit an ace in order to improve upon your existing hand – and that can be a tall order considering there are only four viable cards in a single deck.

Play Blackjack Online at Juicy Stakes Casino

As you can see, splitting in blackjack can be a really powerful tool.  What’s more, you can easily memorise the strategy outlined above as there are only five pairs that matter – one way or the other.  Now that you have all the facts at your fingertips, it is a good time to sign up at Juicy Stakes Casino.  Besides multiple versions of online blackjack, there are more than 300 cross-category casino games available on-demand!

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