Another rule in blackjack is called splitting. When you receive two cards of the same value you are allowed to split the cards into two separate hands. You are then required to match your original bet on the new hand you have made so your total stake will be twice your original. One half is bet on either hand. To indicate to the dealer that this is what you want to do, separate the two cards and place the additional bet on the table.

You are not required to split if you receive two cards of the same value, the choice is up to you. Depending on the cards dealt and the dealers up card (The card you are able to see after everyone has been dealt their first two cards) it may or may not be beneficial to split your cards. This choice will be explained in detail later.

Once each card or the matching card has become a separate hand the dealer will deal a card to the first hand and you will "hit" or "stand" accordingly. The dealer then does the same with the second hand. With regard to the bets placed each hand is independent of the other so may win both, win one, or win none of the two hands depending on what the dealers gets in his hand.

At some casinos it is possible to split more than once so if after having split the first hand another card of the same value is dealt to you, you may split again leaving you with 3 separate hands. The same will apply if a fourth card is dealt. For each additional hand you will have to match the original bet.

The rules for splitting aces are different to splitting cards of other values. If you receive two aces as your first two cards and decide to split them you will only be dealt a maximum of one card to each hand. So if on your first hand you are dealt a 3 then your hand will finish with a value of 14 and you are not allowed another card to be dealt to that hand even if you want one. The other difference between splitting aces compared to normal is that if you are dealt a card of value 10 therefore scoring a blackjack. You are paid out at even odds rather than the usual 3/2.