Two 8s make 16, the worst hand in blackjack. Split, each hand starts at 8 and often ends on 18. Two hands of 8 lose less than one hand of 16, even against a 10.

Often yes, up to 3 or 4 hands, except aces, which usually get one card each. It depends on the casino.

When to Split in Blackjack: Every Pair Explained (with Chart)

Q: Should you split 10s in blackjack?

No. 20 is the second-best hand in the game: it wins nearly 8 times in 10 against a dealer showing 5 or 6. Splitting it loses money over time.

What is splitting?

When your first two cards have the same value, you can split them: you place a second bet equal to the first, and each card becomes the start of a new hand. The dealer adds a card to each, and you play them one after the other.

Example: you have 8 and 8 (16) against a 7. You split: hand 1 = 8 + 10 = 18, hand 2 = 8 + 3 = 11, which you can still double if the table allows it.

The two golden rules

Always split aces and 8s. Two aces make 2 or 12, a poor hand; split, each ace has almost a one-in-three chance of getting a 10. Two 8s make 16, the worst hand in the game.
Never split 10s or 5s. 20 is nearly unbeatable. Two 5s make 10, a great hand to double.

Pair by pair

Pair	Split against	Otherwise
A,A	Every card	—
10,10	Never	Stand
9,9	2 to 6, 8 and 9	Stand against 7, 10 and ace
8,8	Every card	—
7,7	2 to 7	Hit
6,6	2 to 6	Hit
5,5	Never	Double against 2 to 9, else hit
4,4	5 and 6	Hit
3,3 and 2,2	2 to 7	Hit

Rules: 6 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split allowed. The surprising one: 9,9 against a 7, stand, because your 18 beats the 17 the dealer usually makes with a 7.

The pairs chart

H HitS StandD DoubleP Split

Pairs
Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
6,6	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
5,5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
3,3	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
2,2	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H

What changes with the table rules

No double after split: split small pairs less. 2,2 and 3,3 only against 4 to 7, never 4,4, 6,6 against 3 to 6.
European blackjack (no hole card): avoid splitting against a 10 or ace (except aces), since a dealer blackjack would take both bets.
Split aces: usually one card each, and ace + 10 counts as 21, not blackjack.

Practice: the game lets you split up to 4 hands, with a coach that corrects you.

Play with the coach

FAQ

Should you split 10s?

No. 20 wins nearly 8 times in 10 against a dealer showing 5 or 6. Splitting it loses money over time, even against a 6.

Why split 8s against a 10?

You are in bad shape either way, but 16 loses about 3 times in 4. Two hands starting at 8 lose less overall. You split to cut the loss, not because you are the favourite.

Can you re-split?

Often yes, up to 3 or 4 hands (Blackjack Play allows 4 by default). Aces usually can't be re-split.

Is a jack and a king a pair?

In most casinos, yes (same value, 10). But just like two 10s, don't split them.