In blackjack, splitting the pairs is a very important strategy since it allows players to double their bets in some favorable cases. There are not many players however who know the perfect splitting pairs strategy. As a rule of thumb, eights and aces should always be split and the pairs of 5s and 10s must never be split. For all the other pairs, the strategy given below gives the best results:

The Strategy

· Nines- though 18 is a considered a high value, it is always better to split pairs of nines. Almost 30% of the cards have a value of 10 which means that you would be able to improve the hand when separated. However, do not split when the dealer has a 7, 10 or any face card or even when he/she has an ace.

· For eights, always split.

· Sevens- there is a 56% for the player to bust with a value of 14 so for that reason it is always better to split the hand unless the dealer has a card of the value of 8 or more. In these cases, the dealer might bust quite easily so it is best to not split in that case. The dealer might still win if he/she receives a 10 or any face card which can beat the 7s even though you might get a face card or an ace.

· Sixes- with sixes there is a 31% chance that the player would bust since the value of the hand is 12. For this reason only split when the dealer has a four, five or six otherwise it is best not to split.

· Fives- do not split with a pair of 5s. This pair is a total of 10 so it is best to stand. There are many cards in the deck with the value of 10 which provides a good chance of making a good hand.

· Fours- even when you are hitting, there are not many chances that a pair of fours would bust. You would still have a 30.7% chance of improving the hand. Only when the dealer has a card of five or six value should you consider splitting otherwise it is best not to do so.

· Threes and deuces- if the dealer has a card with value four through seven you should split. This would still give you a good chance to win the hand. However, in general you should avoid splitting in the rest of the cases.

This was the general guideline on splitting the pairs in blackjack online. Splitting pairs is a very good option from the point of view of the players though there are quite a lot of restrictions in some casinos on how and when the pairs can be split. This would have some effect on the splitting strategy so it is best to check the rules of the game before going ahead and applying this strategy. With just a little practice it is possible to perfect this simple strategy.