There Are Times to Split 10s at Blackjack, but They're Rare 13 September 2004 By Alan Krigman. Anyone who's ever received advice, sought or otherwise, about blackjack is familiar with the edict, 'never split 10s.' And most have at least wondered why it should be so. Sure, a total of 20 is a strong pat hand.

While at the blackjack table, you will inevitably find yourself in situations when the dealer will deal you starting hands that consist of paired cards, i.e. two cards of the same numerical value. It is ultimately your decision how to play the hand. In the vast majority of cases, you will have the option to split the pair after doubling your initial stake.

• Why not split my 10's. If the count was very high, a lot of 10s in the deck, then the chance of the dealer having a 16 then hitting to bust is a high probality. If I split my 10s and get more 10s then I will have more hands of 20 on the table. Or I just keep spliting to the table max.
• Splitting 10’s I know you’re never supposed to do it.but I had 10/10 against a 6 the other day. I was just there for fun and thought what the hell, I’ll split em.here’s where it gets better. First one gets an Ace, second one gets a 10.

In the event of splitting, the dealer will separate the pair into two hands and draw one more card on each of the two new hands. You will then play each hand as normal and have the chance to win twice as much than you otherwise would.

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The most commonly occurring pair in blackjack consists of 10s for the simple reason the cards that are assigned a value of 10 outnumber any other card denomination in the deck. A single deck contains 16 of those – four 10s, four Jacks, four Queens, and four Kings. A pair of 10s makes for a very strong hand of 20 which can be beaten only if the dealer has a blackjack or a total of 21.

There are three types of players who would venture to split this pair – the blackjack novices who have not yet learned basic strategy, tournament players, and those who have mastered card counting. This article discusses the reasons why splitting 10s is detrimental to basic strategy players and advantageous for professionals.

Playing Decisions with a Pair of 10s

When players are dealt a pair of 10s, they have a choice from two playing options only, to stand or to split. Doubling, hitting, and surrendering do not make the cut for obvious reasons. If the player chooses to stand on this pair, they end up with a hard total of 20. This is almost impossible to beat unless the dealer has a blackjack or draws to 21.

Provided that the player splits, they form two separate hands and each one starts with a 10. In most landbased and online variations of the game, players are granted the option to resplit, usually up to two times so that they form four separate hands during a single round of play.

If you split Q-K, for example, and receive another Queen on one of your split hands, you will be allowed to resplit again to make three hands and each of those will start with a ten-value card. Which is the optimal decision according to basic strategy?

Why Casual Players Should Never Split 10s

Some recreational players would split this pair regardless of what upcard the dealer exposes. Others choose to split pairs of 10s only when the dealer is at a disadvantage showing small cards like 5 and 6. Their reasoning is something along those lines – “The dealer is going to bust with this 5 or 6 so and so. Let me split the 10s. I can make two great hands instead of one and double my profits”.

Neither decision is optimal in the long run, though. Suppose you are playing six-deck blackjack where the dealer is required to stand on soft totals of 17. You are dealt a pair of 10s and the dealer ends up with a 5 as the upcard.

If you choose to stand on the pair of ten-value cards, you end up winning 84 out of every hundred hands and lose the remaining 16 hands on average. We exclude the cases when you and the dealer push. This makes sense because a total of 20 is difficult to beat, especially by a dealer who starts at a disadvantage with 5 or 6 as their upcards.

Your expected value decreases when you split the pair of 10s against the 5 consistently. When you split, you end up winning only 63 out of every hundred hands and lose the other 37 times on average. The decrease in profits is considerable because players who split their 10s often end up with two weaker hands with totals that are below 20.

Why Casual Players Should Never Split 10s – Additional TipsIf you flat bet $1, your average long-term profits when you stand on your 10s over the course of hundred hands are equal to $84 – $16 = $68. But if you split the 10s, you will experience a decrease in your average profits per every hundred hands of $63 – $37 = $26 * 2 = $52. As you can see, splitting the 10s against the dealer’s 5 as opposed to standing will cost you $16 on average.

Respectively, if you decide to split the 10s against a dealer with a 6 as the upcard, you are bound to win 64 out of every hundred hands and lose the remaining 36 hands on average. You end up incurring average profits of $64 – $36 = $28 * 2 = $56.

However, if you decide to stand against the 6 instead, you will win 85 out of every hundred hands and lose the other 15 hands on average, which is to say you will net profits of $85 – $15 = $70 over the long run. This accounts for a drop of $14 in your average profits provided that you consistently split the 10s against the 6 instead of standing.

It should be noted that basic strategy favors standing over splitting the 10s regardless of the number of decks in play, the dealer’s upcard, and their fixed standing rules. You will inevitably arrive at the conclusion that standing on the pair of 10s yields more profits than splitting in the long term.

More importantly, if splitting was a bad decision in the first place so is resplitting when you happen to catch another 10 on the draw. The bottom line is basic strategy players should altogether refrain from splitting pairs of 10s and settle for a total of hard 20 instead.

A Few Exceptions to the above Rule

There is a saying in the blackjack circles which states that only clueless players and card counters ever split 10s and indeed, there is some truth to this statement. But why is splitting 10s detrimental to the former and advantageous for the latter?

Unlike casual players, card counters are able to keep track of the ratio of high cards to low cards in the remaining deck or shoe. They would sometimes split a pair of 10s when the dealer shows weak upcards like 5 and 6 but only on condition the composition of the shoe allows it and there are many ten-value cards left to be dealt.

Splitting becomes a good idea under these circumstances because the player is more likely to catch ten-value cards and form two totals of 20 (or potentially draw some Aces for even better totals of 21). This increases profitability for the card counter.

Additionally, when the shoe is rich in ten-value cards, the dealer becomes even more susceptible to busting with their 5 or 6. This is so because high cards are generally detrimental to the blackjack dealer. When there is an excess of ten-value cards in the shoe, advantage swings to the player and vice versa. If the small cards in the remaining shoe outnumber the high ones, the house has an edge over the players.

Additional ExceptionsProvided that you are using a popular card counting system like the Hi-Lo, you may choose to split pairs of 10s but only when you have a positive true count of 5 or higher.

Keep in mind most professional card counters refrain from splitting 10s altogether for the purpose of avoiding detection and barring. This play is viewed with suspicion by dealers and pit bosses alike so you should not overdo it, especially not during the same gaming session or shift.

Another situation when splitting 10s gives us more value than standing is in blackjack tournaments, particularly during the last round of play. In tournaments, your goal is to beat fellow players by generating more profits than they do within a predetermined number of hands. Splitting your 10s may be the proper course of action when you are trying to catch up with the table’s chip leader and get ahead of them after the last hand.

The crux of the matter is splitting 10s is a good idea only if you are a skilled card counter or are playing blackjack tournaments. It is never wise for a basic strategy player to split this pair because this takes away from their long-term expected value. Standing on your 10s is the optimal strategy decision because it yields the biggest profits in the long run.

I always split 10's against a dealers face card of a 5. I do this even if a strategy chart would discourage it. The only thing I dislike about splitting 10's is that the dealer will then bellow out loudly that someone is splitting 10's. As if to notify the pit boss that the person splitting 10's should be on their radar.
I am not a card counter, because I don't frequent the casinos with the mind set that my goal should be to always beat the house. Sometimes I just want to play for recreation and not count cards. So personally I think that if more people would split 10's, then this would help take away from the Casinos 'Radar' edge of yelling 'Splitting 10s'.
However then again, I am a small time recreational better, of 5 to 25 per hand. If I were playing a $100 hand, or $1000 hand, then I would definitely not be splitting 10's.
Anyway, just my thoughts. Thanks for all of the Black Jack players who have helped me on this forum.

SnapBack,
Don't make a hair-brained play like this. What's the matter with you? Never split 10s. It's a big -EV move. If you can't help yourself from doing it quit playing blackjack and just mail the casino a check. Don't make me hurt you!

I always split 10's against a dealers face card of a 5. I do this even if a strategy chart would discourage it. The only thing I dislike about splitting 10's is that the dealer will then bellow out loudly that someone is splitting 10's. As if to notify the pit boss that the person splitting 10's should be on their radar.
I am not a card counter, because I don't frequent the casinos with the mind set that my goal should be to always beat the house. Sometimes I just want to play for recreation and not count cards. So personally I think that if more people would split 10's, then this would help take away from the Casinos 'Radar' edge of yelling 'Splitting 10s'.
However then again, I am a small time recreational better, of 5 to 25 per hand. If I were playing a $100 hand, or $1000 hand, then I would definitely not be splitting 10's.
Anyway, just my thoughts. Thanks for all of the Black Jack players who have helped me on this forum.

You're fine. I'm not going to knock you for trying to add some excitement by splitting 10s in what can be a tedious and boring game.
As a counter I will split 10s whenever the count calls for it after evaluating for any heat. Here's a little trick that some counters use. Split 10s during a neutral count when you have your minimum bet out. It won't cost a lot and the idea is to get the pit used to the fact that you're an idiot. I can't say that it will always work and you must leave after showing your max bet whether you've made any index plays or not.

SnapBack,
Don't make a hair-brained play like this. What's the matter with you? Never split 10s. It's a big -EV move. If you can't help yourself from doing it quit playing blackjack and just mail the casino a check. Don't make me hurt you!

That's ridiculous. If he enjoys splitting 10's against a 5 (or 6) more power to him. Not everyone thinks they are going to bankrupt a casino by being the worlds best advantage player. He's playing for fun.

Blackjack Split 10 And Jack

When I play, I play for fun as well. I know every house advantage percentage, every 'sucker' bet and every play people that take this too seriously cry about. And despite all of that, I've split 10's, doubled on Blackjack, played a Pai Gow hand differently than optimal, let my bets ride on a hunch in Let it Ride, etc, etc, etc.
Why can't people just play like they want to and have fun without being asked what's the matter with them or being slapped with it being an -EV move? Tipping 25% instead of 15% or 20% on a restaurant bill probably costs more than splitting 10's but you don't see people telling others that's -EV.
ZCore13

SnapBack,
Don't make a hair-brained play like this. What's the matter with you? Never split 10s. It's a big -EV move. If you can't help yourself from doing it quit playing blackjack and just mail the casino a check. Don't make me hurt you!

Wait a minute now, GJ. I assume this statement is meant for this particular non-counter poster. For a card counter, splitting tens is +EV. Pretty big +EV, when done correctly. It is one of the top strategy change plays behind taking insurance at the proper index. Problem is as 1BB alluded too, it draws big attention. And if it doesn't draw initial attention, it might draw what I call secondary attention from the other players at the table making comments and/or a fuss.

Blackjack Splitting 10s Game

There is a common comeback on several BJ sites of 'there are other players at the table?', meaning you should ignore other players and their comments and play should not influence anything you do. BUT, when their comments lead to extra attention in the form of a pit critter walking over to see what is going on, then yes there are definitely other players at the table and their actions/comments can be negative consequence in the form of additional attention.
Splitting 10's is one of a handful of plays that casinos use to identify counters. Just like taking insurance and even hitting 16 vs 10, it is the fact that these plays are made sometimes and not at others that are the big 'tells'.
For a player such as myself, who's whole game is about drawing minimal attention and flying under the radar as much as possible, I have all but given up the +EV play of splitting 10's. It just isn't +EV when weighted against ALL the consequences (extra attention). I say 'all but given up' because like most things in life, there are exceptions. I will still do so, if I think I can get away with it, while drawing minimal attention if the count is real high. I mean significantly above the proper index. Even above the risk-adverse index. Of course, I will exit at the shuffle after such a move, which I would be doing anyway after showing my max bet. I am also a little more 'willing' to do so, when I am out of town, away from my regular rotation of stores.

Can somebody provide some insight as to WHY split tens are always announced by the dealer? It is hardly a good way to identify counters, I would assume that most of the split tens on any given day in a casino come from recreational players. If they wanted to identify counters, they should rather announce things like '5-fold bet increase'...

It isn't that splitting 10's alone identifies card counters. You probably have heard the saying that only idiots and card counters split 10's. So what it does is draw attention. And once someone, pit or surveillance begins to take a look at your play, it usually isn't hard for them to distinguish if you are an idiot or a card counter.
That is basically the situation with all these 'tells' that are used to identify counters. The' tell' itself doesn't prove anything, but it may cause someone to take a closer look and upon further examination........

Can somebody provide some insight as to WHY split tens are always announced by the dealer? It is hardly a good way to identify counters, I would assume that most of the split tens on any given day in a casino come from recreational players. If they wanted to identify counters, they should rather announce things like '5-fold bet increase'...

Pretty sure it's so there's evidence when the play fails and the player tries to claim it isn't what they wanted. Same reason they call out for doubling a hard 12, etc.
And they do also call out for large bets in most shops, especially when it's a break from a player's past betting values. 'black/purple/yellow action' 'Checks play', etc.

Wait a minute now, GJ. I assume this statement is meant for this particular non-counter poster. For a card counter, splitting tens is +EV. Pretty big +EV, when done correctly. It is one of the top strategy change plays behind taking insurance at the proper index. Problem is as 1BB alluded too, it draws big attention. And if it doesn't draw initial attention, it might draw what I call secondary attention from the other players at the table making comments and/or a fuss.
There is a common comeback on several BJ sites of 'there are other players at the table?', meaning you should ignore other players and their comments and play should not influence anything you do. BUT, when their comments lead to extra attention in the form of a pit critter walking over to see what is going on, then yes there are definitely other players at the table and their actions/comments can be negative consequence in the form of additional attention.
Splitting 10's is one of a handful of plays that casinos use to identify counters. Just like taking insurance and even hitting 16 vs 10, it is the fact that these plays are made sometimes and not at others that are the big 'tells'.
For a player such as myself, who's whole game is about drawing minimal attention and flying under the radar as much as possible, I have all but given up the +EV play of splitting 10's. It just isn't +EV when weighted against ALL the consequences (extra attention). I say 'all but given up' because like most things in life, there are exceptions. I will still do so, if I think I can get away with it, while drawing minimal attention if the count is real high. I mean significantly above the proper index. Even above the risk-adverse index. Of course, I will exit at the shuffle after such a move, which I would be doing anyway after showing my max bet. I am also a little more 'willing' to do so, when I am out of town, away from my regular rotation of stores.

I know all about what you're saying. You're entire post that has relevance to what I responded to was your first line, 'Wait a minute now, GJ. I assume this statement is meant for this particular non-counter poster.'

Blackjack Never Split 10s

This guy is a beginner. And I'm not trying to encourage him not have fun. But mathematically, for him, it is a crazy-bad play.

Blackjack Splitting 10s Vs

Don't get me wrong about the rest of our post. You have, as usual, some great observations.Thinking about it without the math, or in other words: trying to explain the math...

Blackjack Strategy Splitting 10s

You have a situation where, if you stand, it is highly likely that you both keep your initial bet, and also win the bet.
If you split, you are doubling your potential loss, while possibly weakening both hands. A dealer 5 or 6 is not only good because the dealer is more likely to bust, he is less likely to get 20's as well. So you really do give up a lot with the 20, and if you end up with 2 18's, even then you have a good chance of losing.