Photo: Monstera

Do you split 8 against a 6?

Other experts advise against splitting 8s against anything but a 7, or unless the dealer shows a bust card of 3, 4, 5 or 6. (In the latter case, you likely would split anything short of 9s or 10s.)

sfgate.com - Splitting 8s in blackjack: Is it worth the risk? - SFGATE

Is poker mostly luck or skill?

The answer is simple: it's skill. Therefore, poker has to be classed as a game of skill overall, as it's skill, and not luck, that leads to players...

Last updated Oct 5, 2022

How do you break a gambling addiction?

What to do if you feel like gambling Talk to your support person. Write your feelings and actions in your gambling diary. If you gambled, look at...

Last updated Jun 24, 2021

Make Your Bookie Cry And Pull The Hair By Generating $23,187

Promotion

Blackjack players are taught early on to split aces and 8s. But your faithful gambling columnist, always the skeptic, wonders: why?

Before we get into specifics, it's only fair to offer a primer for the rookies: In blackjack, when your first two cards match, you're allowed to "split" them, essentially turning one hand into two. When you split aces, you get only one card for each ace. When you split all other cards (including 10s, though cardrooms frown upon this), you can play the hand out however you like. Naturally, you're only going to split cards if doing so helps you win (or gives you a stronger hand to stand a chance against the dealer) - which brings us to our lesson about splitting 8s. Experts say the reason to engage in this tactic is to improve your hand: A 16 is not a strong hand, and the likelihood of turning each 8 into an 18 is relatively strong (as there are 16 10s in each deck). Still, justification for this move is marginal at best. Mathematicians say that over the course of millions of hands, there is a percentage factor in favor of splitting those hands. But because many of us gamblers likely won't live long enough to see millions of hands, other experts offer different explanations. Michael Shackleford, who calls himself "the Wizard of Odds," says splitting 8s against a dealer 10 has the "smallest expected loss" (as opposed to staying, hitting or doubling) of all moves with a pair of 8s. It's important to note that Shackleford's math indicates there's still an expected loss - likely more than half of your original bet. Other experts advise against splitting 8s against anything but a 7, or unless the dealer shows a bust card of 3, 4, 5 or 6. (In the latter case, you likely would split anything short of 9s or 10s.) John Patrick, who has written books on the subject, advises players against splitting 8s against what he considers to be the dealer's "power" cards (9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace). "Why would you take a rotten hand of two 8s where you're risking one betting unit and turn it into two rotten hands where you're risking two units?" he asked rhetorically during a recent interview. "The answer is: You don't. You should hit that lousy 16 and probably get beat, losing one unit instead of losing two." I side more with Patrick on this one, though I do split 8s when the dealer shows a 9. In my experience in Northern California casinos, staying on two 8s usually causes great consternation among the other players at the table. Sometimes, my fellow players even curse me out. In the long run, however, I know I'm losing less money on that hand than they are. It's a small consolation for an otherwise gutsy play.

What are the odds of hitting trips with a pocket pair?

The odds of flopping trips are about 1.35% or about 74-to-1 against. Oct 19, 2021

Last updated Oct 1, 2018

What does under 1.5 runs mean?

MLB run line betting system That means that for the favorite to cover the -1.5 run line and win the bet, it has to win the game by two or more...

Last updated May 13, 2019

Promotion

What is grand salami bet?

What is the Grand Salami? The Grand Salami is a total or over/under bet taken to a whole new level. As opposed to just the number of points scored...

Last updated Mar 22, 2019

How do you get someone to stop gambling?

Treatment Therapy. Behavioral therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy may be helpful. ... Medications. Antidepressants and mood stabilizers may...

Last updated Dec 28, 2019

Promotion

Why is 4/3 3 The best formation?

One of the key benefits of the 4-3-3 formation is that it allows teams to press the opposition's defence high up the pitch into the final third....

Last updated Nov 12, 2022

Promotion

Is there a 5 card rule in blackjack?

Chances are, you had a rule whereby if you collect five cards in your hand without busting, you automatically win – unless the dealer has a...

Last updated Jul 13, 2018