There is another possibility for the game, which is called card splitting. Having two cards of the same value, you can split them and then play each card on the separate boxes.
For instance, if you have a couple of eights you have to make the stake equal to your primary one, and say to dealer that you want to split the couple. Then dealer will split your cards and will give you a card to your first eight.
The beginning of this topic:
Blackjack Playing Rules in American Casinos #1
How to Play Blackjack in American Casinos #2
Rules For Playing Blackjack in American Casinos #3
Gambling Rules of Blackjack in American Casinos #4
Unlike the doubling, you do not have to take only one card, you can play as usually. After you finish taking the cards for your first eight, the dealer will begin to give you cards for the second eight. Though I have said that you were not restricted by taking only one card during the splitting, there is an exception, which is applied to the aces. Almost all the casinos will give you only one card to each your ace.
Meanwhile, the ten, have been dropped to your ace, will give you 21, not the blackjack, so having won you will only receive 1 to 1.
Besides, some casinos allow you to split the ten-pip cards, for example, a jack and a king, or a ten and a queen, but you’d better not to do this, because you will split the 20 which is very good amount of pips. Never split ten-pip cards. By the way, if you are going to split the cards being dispensed facedown, you just have to expose them and say to dealer that you want to split the cards.
The last game opportunity you can only find in some casinos of Las Vegas, which is surrender, the possibility to stop playing. You can lose only 50% of your stake, if, having seen, the two you cards you understand that your further game will not have any prospects.
For instance, you have been dispensed the 10 and 6, which give you 16 in total, and dealer has faceup cards of 10 value. Your 16 is not very good amount, especially against the dealer’s 10, so it will be quite nice to refuse playing. When a dealer starts with you, you need to say, “I want to stop,” or just, “surrender”. The dealer will take the half of your stake and your cards. Surrender is useful for players, because you lose less, than during the bad dispensation. Always play in the casinos which allow surrender.
Look at the tables below and you will see how some changes in the rules can help you or spoil the game. The minus means that a casino receives the advantage in the game, and the plus, vice versa, means your advantage.
The rules, unprofitable for the blackjack players:
- Two decks – 0.35%
- Four decks – 0.48%
- Five decks – 0.54%
- Six decks – 0.58%
- The dealer can take one more card in “soft” 17 – 0.20%
- There is no doubling during the “soft” deal – 0.14
The rules, helpful for blackjack gamers:
- The doubling of a stake after the splitting + 0.13%
- The surrender + 0.06%
- The double split on the aces + 0.14%
- Doubling in any time + 0.20%