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Do you split 3s against an 8?

For example, pairs of twos, threes, and sevens should be split when the dealer shows a relatively low card. If the dealer has an eight or better showing, just take a hit. Some resources recommend splitting twos and threes (but not sevens) when the dealer shows an eight.

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What table game has the best odds of winning?
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Article Summary

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In Blackjack, you have the option to split any matched pair of cards into two new hands and double your bet. However, this isn’t always the best option. To know whether or not to split your pairs, pay attention to which cards are in your hand as well as the dealer’s hand. Some types of pairs should be split no matter what the dealer is holding. For instance, it’s always a good idea to split a pair of aces. With a split pair of aces, you can get a 21 with either hand if you get a ten or any face card. You’ll also get a much better chance at a good hand if you split a pair of eights. If you happen to get a second pair of aces or eights, take the opportunity to triple your bet and split again. On the other hand, there are some pairs where the dealer’s hand should factor into your decision to split. For example, if you have a pair of twos, threes, or sevens, it’s a good idea to split if the dealer shows a seven or lower. However, if the dealer shows an eight or higher, don’t bother splitting. Similarly, it’s best to split sixes if the dealer shows a two through six, but not if they have a seven or higher. Split nines if the dealer has a two through six, an eight, or a nine, but not if they have a seven, a ten, or an ace. Finally, there are some pairs you should never split. A pair of tens on its own is a good hand and you have a much lower chance of making a better one if you split the pair. Likewise, a pair of fives is a strong starting hand that you’ll only weaken by splitting it. Stay away from splitting fours, too—you’ll likely just end up with two weak hands.

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How much should I buy in for blackjack?

A decent rule of thumb is to bring at least 100 betting units (for a 4 hour session). So if your betting unit is $100, then I'd bring $10K. That might sound like overkill, but I've had sessions where I've been in for that many bets or more.

The Honest Answer

Well, it depends. I’ll give you a neat, clean, mathy answer about it in a minute, but honestly it’s complicated. And while many professional card counters are quick to say, “I wouldn’t bother getting into card counting with less than $20,000,” I cannot give you that same answer. Why? Because that’s not our story. I started with $2,000. though I don’t think I ever bought in past my first $1,000 stake. Ben started with $800. Did we start with a perfect game? Doubtful. But we worked our tails off to get perfect at blackjack. Were we patient? Absolutely. I estimate that I was generating about $5/hr to 7/hr for the first couple months, but we were growing something so it didn’t matter! Were we lucky? Probably. Our risk of ruin (the odds of losing our entire blackjack bankroll) would give most card counters (not including Ben) severe hypertension. Were we aggressive? Insanely. We weren’t worried about backoffs, and would play a 1-20 bet spread or higher, always playing the table minimum below a true 1 and leaving the table at a true -1. While a $20,000 initial stake would be great, that’s not our story, nor is it realistic for many people. But, you’ll have to be patient, aggressive, have a perfect game, and you may need to be willing to take on a little more risk. But then again, never starting your card counting career is also a risk.

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