Blackjack is a game of strategy in which the object is to beat the dealer by getting cards that add up to 21 or closer. While the game has a high house edge, it is possible to mitigate that by learning some basic strategies and applying them while playing. Splitting is one such strategy. It involves taking two cards that have the same value and placing them on separate hands, each with an equal bet amount. However, many players are confused about when to split a pair of sixes in blackjack. The answer is yes, but it depends on the situation and the dealer’s upcard.
In general, splitting 6s is a good move. This is because it improves your chances of making a strong hand by giving you two hands that can be played independently. Additionally, it decreases your average losses and increases your gains while in favourable situations. Moreover, it allows you to transform bad starting hands into potentially winning ones.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that splitting is not always the best option. Some cases require that you hit instead of splitting. For instance, a pair of sixes against a dealer’s two is not a good hand to begin with, especially since it is possible to bust on any other card. Consequently, hitting this hand will result in you losing more money per dollar than standing on a hard 12.
On the other hand, a pair of sixes against the dealer’s five is a better hand to play. This is because you will be able to make a strong hand of 11 or more, which will defeat the dealer’s weaker hand. In addition, you can also use the two remaining sixes to form a double-down hand, which is very profitable.
Another scenario that requires you to split is a pair of fours against the dealer’s nine. In this case, you should split the pair to form two hands of 11 and 10 each, which will be easier to play against a dealer’s 9 than a single hand of 16. This way, you can increase your chances of winning by obtaining more valuable cards.
In contrast, you should never split a pair of sevens in blackjack. This is because it will be hard for you to build a strong hand with two sevens and will be more likely to bust. However, you can improve the hand by adding a four or five to it. In addition, you can split pairs of eights and fives. However, you should avoid splitting a pair of twos as it will be impossible to get a 10 from it and will only give you a weak hand.
