Casino & Table Games

Blackjack basic strategy pairs

Also called

Pair splitting; splitting pairs; split decisions in basic strategy charts.

Standard rule

Always split aces and eights.¹²

Applies to

Blackjack, specifically the player's initial two-card pairs and the decision to split them.

Key points

• If dealt a pair of identically ranked cards, the player may split them into two hands, placing a second wager equal to the original bet.¹
• Basic strategy specifies whether to split a given pair against the dealer's upcard to minimise expected loss.³
• This term refers to the strategy rule set itself, not a printed chart or house-edge figure.

Where this term is used

• Blackjack

Not the same as

• Basic strategy blackjack — the broader whole-hand decision system; pairs are only one section of it
• Blackjack strategy card — a printed reference chart, not the strategy rule itself
• Blackjack basic strategy chart 6 decks — a specific chart for six-deck games, not the general pair-splitting rule set

Related terms

Sources

1. Aces and eights (blackjack) en.wikipedia.org Supports the standard rule to always split aces and eights, and the mechanics of splitting pairs.
2. Blackjack - Basic Strategy (General) wizardofodds.com Supports the standard rule to always split aces and eights, and the term's use in basic strategy charts.
3. Exact Calculation of Expected Values for Splitting Pairs in ... arxiv.org Supports the expected-value calculation for splitting decisions in basic strategy.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.