Cap. 4

Pairs

When to split

A pair gives you a choice no other hand has: play it as one hand or split it into two. The rules compress into a few reliable patterns — always split aces and 8s, never split 10s and 5s, and read the dealer's upcard for everything else. This chapter covers the full pair matrix, why the 'always' rules are unconditional, and how double-after-split changes several of the borderline calls.