Photo: Liza Summer

Should I split 8s when dealer shows 7?

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

Who is the fittest man on earth?

He became the first person to win the title of "Fittest Man on Earth" four times with his first-place finish in the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014...

Last updated Aug 16, 2019

Are tipsters worth it?

As with all elements of gambling, it is important to know that risk is still involved and paid tipsters are not a guaranteed way to win, but they...

Last updated Dec 25, 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.

Who is the fittest man alive?

Rich Froning Jr. Personal information Born July 21, 1987 Mount Clemens, Michigan, U.S. Education Tennessee Tech (Exercise Science) Occupation...

Last updated May 2, 2019

Am I in trouble if I get audited?

What happens if you get audited and owe money? If you get audited by the IRS and owe money, you'll be notified of the additional tax that you're...

Last updated Nov 9, 2021

Promotion

Do you split 6s in blackjack?

You may find the following two rules an easy way to remember how to play your 6s: In a single- and double-deck game with DAS, split 6s against dealer's 2‒7; otherwise hit. If NDAS, split against 2‒6. In a multi-deck game with DAS, split 6s against dealer upcard of 2‒6; otherwise hit; if NDAS, split against 3‒6.

888casino.com - Blackjack School: How to Play a Pair of 6s - 888 Casino

When you are dealt a pair of 6s in the game of blackjack you have two viable playing options:

Split Hit

Which blackjack strategy you should invoke depends upon what the dealer’s upcard is, the number of decks of cards being used, and whether double down after pair splitting is allowed. The basic playing strategy for a single- and double-deck game where doubling down after pair splitting is not allowed (NDAS) is to

Split 6s against a dealer’s upcard of 2 through 6; otherwise hit

If the blackjack rules allow doubling down after pair splitting (DAS)

You should also split against a dealer’s upcard of 7 (Illustrate splitting against 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.)

In a multi-deck game, the basic playing strategy is

If NDAS, split against a dealer’s upcard of 3 through 6; otherwise hit

If DAS, split against dealer’s upcard of 2 through 6; otherwise hit

The following color-coded charts summarize the basic strategy for a pair of 6s (Note: P = Split; H = Hit.)

What's the best sport to wager on?

You never know what could end up at the top of your list for best sports to bet on. ... With that in mind, here is our top ten list of the best...

Last updated Oct 31, 2020

What is the easiest number to hit in darts?

Only five of the 20 single numbers around the board represent the majority of attempts; single 20 alone is the subject of 23.6%, and together with...

Last updated Aug 2, 2021

Promotion

How do I bet on my phone?

How Do You Place Bets on a Mobile Device? Log into your preferred account (either on the mobile site or mobile app). Click on the sport you want to...

Last updated Dec 9, 2018

Promotion

What is bit YEET?

Tossing some knowledge your way. What to Know. Yeet is a slang word that functions broadly with the meaning “to throw,” but is especially used to...

Last updated Oct 5, 2020