Splittingaces and eights is part of blackjackbasic strategy. Rules vary across gambling establishments regarding resplitting, doubling, multiple card draws, and the payout for blackjack, and there are conditional strategic responses that depend upon the number of decks used, the frequency of shuffling and dealer's cards. However, regardless of the various situations, the common strategic wisdom in the blackjack community is to 'Always split aces and eights' when dealt either pair as initial cards.[1] This is generally the first rule of any splitting strategy.[2]
- 1Splitting
Splitting[edit]
The object of blackjack is for a player to defeat the dealer by obtaining a total as close to 21 as possible without accumulating a total that exceeds this number.[3] In blackjack, the standard rule is that if the player is dealt a pair of identically ranked initial cards, known as a pair, the player is allowed to split them into separate hands and ask for a new second card for each while placing a full initial bet identical to the original wager with each. After placing the wager for the split hands the dealer gives the player an additional card for each split card. The two hands created by splitting are considered independently in competition against the dealer.[4][5] Splitting allows the gambler to turn a bad hand into one or two hands with a good possibility of winning. It also allows the player to double the bet when the dealer busts.[2] Some rules even allow for resplitting until the player has as many as four hands[4] or allow doubling the bet after a split so that each hand has a bet double the original.[6][7] The standard rules are that when a bet is doubled on a hand, the player is only allowed to draw one more card for that hand.[8][9]
Aces[edit]
- When the dealer is showing an Ace, and does NOT have a Blackjack, s/he still is going to end with a total of 19 or more 46% of the time and will bust only 17% of the time. That’s why surrender is valid, even if the dealer doesn’t have a Blackjack.
- One goal of blackjack is to get a hand as close to 21 as possible, but the main goal is to get a better hand than the dealer who is also trying to get to a value of 21 without going over. The best of all blackjack hand values to have is the “Natural Blackjack”. This consists of an Ace plus a second card worth 10 (either a 10 or a face card).
Blackjack Card Values. In Blackjack an Ace can either have the value of 1 or 11, cards from 2 -10 have the same value as the card and all face cards (King, Queen, Jack) and 10 all have the value of 10. Below is a table with the card values used during a game of Blackjack.
A pair of aces gives the blackjack player a starting hand value of either a 2 or a soft 12 which is a problematic starting hand in either case.[2][10] Splitting aces gives a player two chances to hit 21.[11] Splitting aces is so favorable to the player that most gambling establishments have rules limiting the player's rights to do so.[2][10] In most casinos the player is only allowed to draw one card on each split ace.[8][10] As a general rule, a ten on a split ace (or vice versa) is not considered a natural blackjack and does not get any bonus.[6] Prohibiting resplitting and redoubling is also common.[2] Regardless of the payout for blackjack, the rules for resplitting, the rules for doubling, the rules for multiple card draws and the dealer's cards, one should always split aces.[10][12][13]
Eights[edit]
If a player is dealt a pair of eights, the total of 16 is considered a troublesome hand. In fact, the value 16 is said to be the worst hand one can have in blackjack.[10] Since sixteen of the other fifty cards have a value of 10 and four have a value of 11, there is a strong chance of getting at least an 18 with either or both split cards. A hand totaling 18 or 19 is much stronger than having a 16.[6] Splitting eights limits one's losses and improves one's hand.[10][11][12] Probabilistic research of expected value scenarios shows that by splitting eights one can convert a hand that presents an expected loss to two hands that may present an expected profit or a reduced loss, depending on what the dealer is showing.[14] A split pair of eights is expected to win against dealer upcards of 2 through 7 and to lose less against dealer upcards of 8 through ace.[15] If a player hits on a pair of eights, he is expected to lose $52 for a $100 bet. If the player splits the eights, he is expected to lose only $43 for a $100 bet.[16]
History[edit]
Blackjack's 'Four Horsemen' (Roger Baldwin, Wilbert Cantey, Herbert Maisel and James McDermott), using adding machines, determined that splitting eights was less costly than playing the pair of eights as a 16.[17] They were part of a 1950s group that discovered that strategy could reduce the house edge to almost zero in blackjack.[18] Now a typical strategy involves the following sequence of playing decisions: one decides whether to surrender, whether to split, whether to double down, and whether to hit or stand.[19]
One of the earliest proponents of the strategy of splitting eights is Ed Thorp, who developed the strategy on an IBM 704 as part of an overall blackjack strategic theory published in Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One in 1962.[18][20][21] Thorp was the originator of the card counting system for blackjack.[18]
Notes[edit]
- ^Gros, p. 60
- ^ abcdeOrtiz, p. 56
- ^Gros, p. 48
- ^ abGros, p. 51
- ^Jensen, pp. 22–23
- ^ abcSchneider, p. 47
- ^Gros, p. 52
- ^ abSchneider, p. 49
- ^Gros, p. 50
- ^ abcdefJensen, p. 53
- ^ abJensen, p. 56
- ^ abHagen and Wiess, pp. 68
- ^Schneider, p. 48
- ^Hagen and Wiess, pp. 66–67
- ^Scoblete, Frank. 'Why Splitting Eights At Blackjack Is An Iron Clad Rule'. Golden Touch Craps. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^Tamburin, Henry (25 October 1999). 'Splitting Aces and Eights'. Casino city Times. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^Snyder, Arnold (2005). 'Blackjack Basic Strategy: Aces and Eights'. Player Magazine (republished).
- ^ abcGros, p. 44
- ^Jensen, p. 51
- ^Thorpe, Beat the Dealer as cited in Snyder, Arnold citation below
- ^Levinger, Jeff (10 February 1961). 'Thorpe, 704 Beat Blackjack'(PDF). The Tech. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
References[edit]
- Dunki-Jacobs, Frits. Betting on Blackjack: A non-counter’s Breakthrough Guide to Making Profits at the Tables. Adams Media. pp. 28–34. ISBN1-58062-951-2.
- Gros, Roger. The Winner's Guide To Casino Gambling. Carlton Books Limited. pp. 44–69. ISBN1-85868-899-X.
- Hagen, Tom & Sonia Weiss (2005). The Everything Blackjack Strategy Book: Surefire ways to beat the house every time. Adams Media. pp. 66–68. ISBN1-59337-306-6.
- Jensen, Marten (2003). Beat Multiple Deck Blackjack. Cardoza Publishing. pp. 22–23, 51–56. ISBN1-58042-069-9.
- Ortiz, Darwin. Casino Gambling For The Clueless. Carol Publishing Group. pp. 55–59. ISBN0-8184-0609-7.
- Schneider, Meg Elaine. The Everything Casino Gambling Book (2nd ed.). Adams Media. pp. 47–49. ISBN1-59337-125-X.
- Thorp, Ed (1966). Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One. Vintage. ISBN0-394-70310-3.
There exist enormous variations in Blackjack rules, but some of commonto nearly all casinos. The popularity of casino Blackjack has increasedgreatly over the last thirty years since it was discovered that this isthe one of the few casino games that can be regularly beaten with expertplay. Despite this, the casinos have profited handsomely because veryfew players have the patience to practice sufficiently to beat the casinos.Interestingly, Blackjack also provides one of the greatest advantagesfor the casino when a bad player plays. This section contains a briefdescription of the basic casino Blackjack rules. For additional Blackjackrules see Blackjack Rule Variations.
Blackjack Objective
A casino Blackjack game consists of a dealer and one to seven players.You do NOT play Blackjack against other players; You play against thedealer. In fact, other players are not relevant to your play. They aremainly a distraction. You are betting that you have a better hand thanthe dealer. The better hand is the hand where the sum of the card valuesis closer to 21 without exceeding 21. A hand that is greater than 21 isreferred to as 'busted' and automatically loses.
Card values
The value of cards two through ten is their pip value (two through ten).Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) are all worth ten. Aces can be worthone or eleven. A hand's value is the sum of the card values. Soft handsand hard hands exist. A soft hand contains an Ace that is being countedas eleven. (Remember, an Ace can count as one or eleven.) For example,if a hand has an Ace and a Six, this is a soft 17. This hand cannot bebusted by drawing another card. If a ten is drawn, the Ace would be countedas one instead of eleven, and the hand would still have a value of 17.However, this would now be a hard 17, because the Ace now counts as oneand an additional draw could cause a bust.
The Play
Once players have placed their bets, the deal begins. Players are eachdealt two cards, face up or down depending on the casino and the tableat which you sit. The dealer is also dealt two cards, normally one up(showing) and one down (hidden). The players are allowed to draw additionalcards ('hit' their hand) to improve their hands. When all ofthe players have finished, the dealer's hand is completed. The dealerplays by strict rules set by the casino. Generally, the dealer will drawadditional cards until the dealer hand is above hard 16. In some casinos,the dealer will hit a hand with 17 if it is a 'soft' hand. Thisis a bad Blcakjack rule.
Note: the dealer has an advantage because the players play first. Ifthe player busts, then the dealer does not need to risk a bust. On theother hand, players also enjoy an advantage because they get to see oneof the dealer's cards and are allowed to vary their play accordingly.Other player advantages will be explained below:
Blackjack or Natural
This Blackjack rule developed in the early part of last century definesa bonus for which the game was named. If the player's first two cardsadd to 21 (an Ace and a ten value card), this is called a 'Blackjack'or 'natural'. As long as the dealer does not also have a Blackjack,the player is guaranteed to win the hand and the payoff is 3:2 insteadof the normal 1:1. This is a valuable bonus that occurs about every 20hands. If the dealer also has a Blackjack, the hand is 'pushed'.That is, there is a tie and the player's chips remain in the bet box.
Hitting and Standing
Hitting refers to drawing additional cards. You may draw as many cardsas you wish as long as you do not pass 21. Standing refers to stayingwith the cards that you have.
Splitting Pairs
If your first two cards have the same value, you may split them intotwo hands. For example, two eights can be split into two hands each havingone eight. You can then play the two hands separately. You must add anadditional bet for the second hand. If you draw yet another card of thesame value, some casinos allow you to split into three hands (or evenfour with an additional eight). This is called a resplit. Most casinosimpose limitations when splitting two Aces. You can only draw one cardto each Ace, and you cannot get a Blackjack. Note: Blackjack rules likethis must be correctly used to obtain decent results.
Doubling Down
An additional option, 'double down', allows you to double yourbet on your first two cards. You draw exactly one card with double down.This is common practice if you have a good hand that cannot be bustedand the dealer has a bad hand. Remember, because face cards all countas ten, there exist more cards with a value of ten than any other value.If the dealer has a six showing, there is a good chance that the dealerhas a 16. Since a dealer must draw with a 16, there is a good chance thatthe dealer will draw a card that carries the dealer hand over 21 causinga dealer bust. If you have an eleven (say a seven and a four), you cannotbust with one card. You are likely to end up with a good hand. This optionallows you to double your bet when you have a better than even chanceof winning.
Insurance
If the dealer's up card (the card that is showing) is an Ace, you areallowed to make an 'insurance' bet. This is a side bet thatthe dealer has a ten-value card as the down card giving the dealer a Blackjack.The dealer will ask for insurance bets from all players before the firstplayer plays. You make this bet by placing chips equal to half of yourcurrent bet on the 'insurance line' just above your cards. Ifthe dealer has a ten, the insurance bet pays 2:1. In some casinos, thedealer then peeks at the down card and pays or takes the bet immediately.In other casinos, the payoff waits until the end of the play. Note: ThisBlackjack rule should never be used by a Basic Strategy player.
Surrender
Blackjack Strategy Card
A few casinos allow an option referred to as 'Surrender'. Inthese casinos, you can Surrender a lousy hand before you have drawn anyadditional cards. You will lose half of your bet.
Blackjack Strategy Card Pdf
For additional Blackjack rules see BlackjackVariations.