Blackjack is a game that players excel in only when they have mastered blackjack skills and strategies. One such strategy entails splitting cards. Often, newbies are told that when they are dealt two identical cards at first, they should split. Is this a golden rule? Well, not really. There are times when it is advisable and times when it’s not advisable to split. Suppose the first two cards are 4s, do you split 4s in blackjack? To get the answer, just continue reading this guide.

Splitting is a skill that players have to master when playing blackjack. There are times when splitting can aid players to win the game and times when it is detrimental to one’s chances of winning. When it comes to the question of do you split 4s in blackjack, the two possible answers and when to use them are explored below.

When You Should Split 4s in Blackjack

  • The best time to know when do you split 4s in blackjack is when playing at casinos that allow doubling after splitting. Once you split your 4s, getting low-value cards afterwards won’t be much of a trouble as you can simply double down.
  • Splitting 4s is also recommended only when playing single-deck blackjack. Well, when playing this game, it’s also recommended that you split 4s only when the dealer has a 5 or 6 and you can count cards.

When You Should Not Split 4s in Blackjack

  • 4s aren’t exactly the best cards in blackjack especially when you get them first. As such, the rule ‘always split if you receive cards of the same rank’ doesn’t apply when it comes to 4x. You should only split them if you satisfy the requirements set out in the section above.
  • To be crystal clear, it’s not recommended at all to split 4s when playing at casinos that don’t allow doubling after splitting. Going against this increases your chances of busting as you will need high-value cards to get a good ranking while at the same time risking your chances of busting
  • Another route in which you should never split 4s in blackjack is when playing blackjack with multiple decks. The presence of multiple decks makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to count cards. As such, even if the dealer has a 5 or 6, you can’t predict the next actions s/he will take.

What to Do When the Dealer’s Upcard is 4

It’s possible that when you get a pair of 4s, the dealer may also have an upcard of 4. If this is the case, the rule to follow is simple. When playing single-deck blackjack, you should split your 4s as this marginally increases your chances of winning. However, when playing blackjack with multiple decks, you should not split at all.