Have you ever been playing blackjack and thought the dealer’s upcard was a nine? Maybe he or she was. If you decide to split those two cards, you’re left with only a five and a two, which makes you very susceptible to busting. But what are the cards that you should never split in blackjack?
The rules of blackjack
The rules of blackjack are relatively simple, and anyone can educate themselves on how best to play it. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by getting cards that add up to a total of 21. A player achieves this by either hitting or drawing cards and then adding them together. If the total equals 21, the player wins the hand.
There are a few important things to keep in mind when playing this game. It’s important to know how to count cards. Each card has a number on one side (the face), and a letter or symbol on the other (the back). The numbers and symbols can be used together to make up suit totals (e.g., 3 of spades = 9), so it’s important to keep track of which suits are being played.
Another thing to keep in mind is the house edge. Blackjack is a game where the house always wins, no matter how badly the player beats their opponent. This means that for every $100 that you bet, the house will end up taking $81 back from you – that’s a pretty sizable advantage!
Blackjack remains one of the most popular casino games out there – partly because it’s relatively easy to learn and play, but also because there’s enough strategy involved to make it interesting for even experienced players. So if you’re interested in trying out some basic strategy tips before stepping up to more complicated games like poker or craps, try Blackjack.me.
The Risks of Splitting Cards in Blackjack
There are a few reasons why you should never split cards in blackjack. The first is that it increases your chances of getting stuck with a high hand, which can lead to a loss.
Additionally, it also increases the chances of getting dealt another low hand, which can also lead to a loss.
In general, it’s usually best to just stick with playing without splitting cards. However, if you feel like you’re being forced to split cards by the casino staff or another player, it might be worth considering whether or not you want to play that particular game.
What cards not to split?
One of the most important things to remember is that when you split a card, the odds of hitting on each hand decrease significantly. This can be especially dangerous if you’re playing with a higher-stakes table as this could lead to big losses.
Another thing to keep in mind is that splitting aces can lead to losing hands pretty easily.
Since an ace counts as one point, any other card that’s split with an ace will add up to 10 points which can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Below are 5 cards that you should never ever split:
1) Two 2s – When two 2s are split, the average chance of hitting on each hand goes from 1/26th (.007%) to 1/54th (.013%), meaning your chances of winning go down significantly.
In addition, when two 2s are split, the house advantage goes up by around 1%.
2) Three of any kind – Splitting three of any kind (including 3s, 3bs, 3cs, and 3ds) decreases your chances of hitting on each hand by around 25%. In addition, if three different kinds of cards are split (e.g., two 3s and a 2), then the player has a 50/50 shot at cheating (either intentionally or accidentally). This means they would have earned a free drink if they had won the hand.
3) Two pairs – When two pairs are split, the chances of hitting on each hand decrease even further to 1/100th (.01%). This means that your chances of winning go down significantly when splitting two pairs of cards.
4) Ace – When an ace is split, the odds of hitting on each hand decrease by around 50%.
In addition, when an ace is split, the house advantage goes up by around 2%.
5) King and any other card – When the king and any other card (except a 2 or 3) are split, the average chance of hitting on each hand decreases to 1/5000 (.0016%). This means that your odds of winning go down significantly when splitting king and any other card.
How to win at blackjack
There is no one definitive strategy for playing blackjack, as each casino has its own rules and layout. However, there are some general principles that will help you play better overall.
1) Keep Your Hands Steady
This means avoiding long sequences of cards that would tend to increase your chances of getting card values higher than 21 (a “natural”). Instead, try to keep your hands close to each other so that all of your cards are dealt at once. If possible, try not to use any wildcards or double down.
2) Play Basic Strategy
Stick with standard winning and losing strategies based on the odds of the game you’re playing. For example, if the odds are 2-to-1 in your favour (meaning for every $100 bet on blackjack, you will win $202), then stick with basic strategies that involve betting only $20 at a time.
3) Adjust Your Strategy Based on the Odds
If the odds are in your favour, you may want to make more aggressive plays (betting more money) in order to increase your chances of winning. Conversely, if the odds are against you, you may want to play more conservatively in order to minimize your losses.
Always keep an eye on the odds of the game you’re playing in order to make the best decision for your individual situation.
Sitting down at the table
Splitting cards in blackjack is a common tactic that players use to improve their odds of winning the game. But, as you might have guessed, there are some cards that you should never split with another player — and these are the two jacks. Why? Well, because when you split a jack with another player, it increases the chances of getting a high-valued card like an Ace or King. So if splitting cards is something that worries you, keep this list in mind next time you sit down at the table.
