Online blackjack is for the most part one of the easiest online casino games to learn to play. The rules are basic and the game software will even add up your hand total for you. The part of online blackjack that is a little bit trickier to manage is the strategy.
Really online blackjack strategy is not overly difficult. All a player need do is follow basic strategy to the letter—or to the play—and they can reduce the house edge over time to 0.5%. Even without basic strategy knowing when to hit or stand is pretty easy to do. It is the doubling down and pair splitting that strategy gets a little bit tricky.
We here at onlinecasinosuite.com like to pride ourselves in not only providing reviews for the top online casinos to play at, but we also give our readers tips and how-tos for their favorite online casino games. Today I am going to give you the two pairs in online blackjack that should never, ever be split. Since there are only two pairs, this is an easy tip to remember.
The two hands in online blackjack that should never be split are a pair of 10’s and a pair of 5’s.
The reason you do not ever split a pair of 10’s is because of what their hand totals are: 20. A pair of 10’s is another way of say a hard 20, and a hard 20 is the second strongest hand to be dealt after a natural 21. While a hard 20 does not win every single round it is dealt into, it wins more often than not. This is because the only way for the dealer to beat a hard 20 is by having a natural 21 himself; if the dealer has a hard 20 as well he will only push you and you at least will not lose your wager. If you were to split a pair of 10’s it would require extra risk to build those hands back up to being strong, which may or may not happen. Splitting a pair of 10’s an easy way to let greed hurt your odds.
As for a pair of 5’s, it is also stronger as a hard 10 rather than being split into two hands with low cards. A hard 10 is one of the two hands that can always be doubled down on. Doubling down when opportune can hit the house’s edge and knock 1.6% off. This is because doubling down is a strong hand that also has the potential of paying out for twice the normal amount if the dealer is beaten. A hard 10 will always be stronger than a pair of 5’s split up.
There you have the reasons for not splitting a pair of 10’s or a pair of 5’s. Keeping this tip in mind when you are playing blackjack online can help you to get the most out of your player odds, which means getting the most out of your game.