When it comes to receiving a blackjack hand made up of two aces, players are often unsure about what to do next. Basic blackjack strategy suggests that players should always split a pair of aces, and in this article we’ll explain why that is and what to be mindful of when splitting aces. You can then put your newly learned strategies to use by playing blackjack for real money at All Slots Casino.
Splitting aces in blackjack
As we all know, the aim of blackjack is to obtain a hand as close to 21 as possible, but going over 21 results in an instant bust. In blackjack the ace card has a value of either one or eleven, depending on the call of the player at the time.
When being dealt two aces, this means the player has the choice of either counting both aces as ones, for a total hand of two, or counting one ace as one and the other as eleven to bring the hand to a soft twelve.
Neither of these hands are particularly lucrative and leave much to be desired. A soft twelve runs the high risk of receiving a ten or face card and going over 21, while a hand of two will require several hits and once again runs a high risk of busting.
As with other pairs in blackjack, players also have the choice of splitting aces in order to create two separate hands. The overall consensus by blackjack strategists is to always split a pair of aces, no matter what, as two hands with a value of 11 each extend much better opportunities of a win than one single hand valued at 12 or two. This gives players not only twice the chance to win, but the attractive possibility of receiving a card with the value of 10 to bring in a winning blackjack.
When learning basic blackjack strategy, ‘always split aces’ should be your golden rule. The same typically applies to splitting a pair of eights, but this will depend more on the dealer’s up facing card.
Rules when splitting aces
Splitting a pair of aces in blackjack is so desirable that most casinos apply certain rules regarding what a player can do in this scenario. The most common rule is that upon splitting a pair of aces, the player must work with the cards then dealt without the chance to double down, hit or re-split. This means your fate is determined by one card only. Some casinos will even enforce the frustrating rule that receiving a ten on split aces is not considered a ‘natural blackjack’ and does not constitute a bonus.
Even taking these rules into consideration, splitting a pair of aces is always recommended, but it’s always smart to check the rules of the game you’re playing to check whether there are certain restrictions to how you can play upon splitting two aces.
Where can I play blackjack online?
Unlike games of chance like roulette or pokies, blackjack requires a level of player strategy to be successful. Our favourite blackjack sites give punters the option to play games for free in demo mode, so if you’re a newbie to blackjack or not familiar with online play you can try it risk-free to get a feel for the game before moving on to place a real money bet.
We recommend these casinos to test out strategies of what to do when dealt a hand of two aces:
• All Slots – along with several blackjack variants there is also a huge range of live dealer blackjack games
• G’Day Casino – classic blackjack variations along with Pontoon, European Blackjack, Super 7 Blackjack, Blackjack Pro and several live dealer games.
• Guts Casino – over 30 blackjack variants on offer from various game developers including Microgaming, NetEnt and Betsoft
• Royal Vegas Casino – Atlantic City Blackjack, Classic Blackjack Gold, Vegas Downtown Blackjack, Double Exposure, Bonus Blackjack, Super Fun 21 and Playboy live dealer blackjack among many others.
These casinos offer a range of secure deposit and withdrawal options, including Visa, MasterCard, bank transfers, debit cards and web wallet services like Neteller and Skrill.