Blackjack Pair of 8s vs Dealer 10
Basic strategy: Split the pair.
For 6-deck blackjack where the dealer stands on soft 17 (S17), with double-after-split and late surrender — the Vegas Strip S17 rules.
Pair of 8s plays better as two hands than one against a dealer 10. Split the pair so each card starts a fresh hand instead of being stuck together in a single weak total.
Two 8s make 16 — the worst hard total — so even against a dealer 10 you split to escape it, turning one bad hand into two fresh starts. Always split 8s, against every up-card.
Exact EV for this hand
The board below is loaded with pair of 8s against a dealer 10. Fullcount computes the precise expected value of every action from the live shoe — change the rules or add cards to see how the best play shifts.
More on this decision: read When to split pairs, browse the full basic-strategy matrix, or start from the basic strategy overview. Playing a different game? Compare rule variants.
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