Blog Posted on 11/12/2019 | Author: Karen Macarthur
What is Double Down and Split in Blackjack?
Blackjack, also known as 21 is one of the most popular casino games where the main objective is to create a hand whose total points is close to 21 than the banker’s hand and that too without going over 21. There is no perfect system for winning in this game, but you can increase your casino odds and minimize the house edge by playing with the perfect Basic Strategy, by making the right bets at the right time and by also counting the cards which are quite difficult nowadays.
You have the option to Double Down, Split, Hit, Stand or even take Insurance when playing Online Blackjack. Each of these terms means something in the game:
- Hit – You ask for another card.
- Stand – You decide to take no other card
- Double Down – Double the amount of your bet and get an extra card and Stand
- Split – If you have two cards of the same value, you can split them into 2 separate hands
- Insurance – If the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, you can take insurance which is a bet that is half the worth of your original bet.
Here, we will understand what split and Double Down Blackjack mean and are they important for the game.
What is Split in Blackjack?
When splitting, you are offered a chance to split your two hole cards if they are forming a pair. For example, if you have two cards in your hand which are the same number as two sevens and two nines, then you can split them apart and play each one like two separate hands instead of one. As soon as you split your cards, you’ll have to place your original bet on one hand and place an equal bet on the second, split hand. Due to this, you now have a chance to double your winnings with an added disadvantage as well of doubling your losses too.
Splitting always raises the stakes and may also provide a little bit of excitement, but you need to understand when it is good to split and when it is not. You should not split on any double value card, but instead, split when you have a certain advantage that will improve your chances of winning. It is best to split when you have a pair of aces or a pair of eights.
While one hand of sixteen containing two eights is a very rare win, splitting it into two different hands improves your chances of winning. We have more 10-value cards, i.e. the face cards than any other card in the entire deck. So, it provides a good statistical chance of hitting at least one 21 when you split aces. For every given pair, there is a statistically right or wrong option to split when certain cards open up in front of you. Once you split, the dealer will give you card on saying ‘hit’. You can continue to hit until you are satisfied, or you bust. After this, you move to your other hand and have the dealer hit you with cards until you say ‘stop’ or if you go over 21. Once you go over 21, the bet on the hand is lost.
What is Double Down in Blackjack?
When do you Double Down in Blackjack is a question whose answer separates the champions from the also-rans and the runner ups. If you double down at the right moment, you will be the champion else you belong to the rest of the herd that lost the game. And if you can answer when you Double Down in Blackjack, you have an excellent strategy to win. Double Down in Blackjack is a concept when the house permits you to double the size of your wager after they have dealt the initial cards. But, in return, the house will pose a condition that after you Double Down, you will only be dealt a single card and no additional card.
Statistically, it makes sense to Double Down Blackjack when your hand is equal to 10 or 11. When the dealer deals another card, there is a 30% chance that the card the dealer deals will hit a 10 value card and thus making your hand high. When playing hard hands, you can also double down in case you hold 10, and the dealer is showing 4, 5 or 6 or you can also Double Down if you hold 9 and the dealer shows a 5 or a 6.
Blackjack is fast-paced and a simple card game that requires quick-thinking to decide what to do next. You need to be calculative on what your next move which determines whether you will succeed in the game.
