The ace is the most valuable card in a blackjack game. It may be used as a 1 or 11, whichever is more advantageous for a hand. It is also half of the hand that makes a blackjack, which pays 3-2 at most tables.
A pair of aces is the best start hand in Texas Hold’em. Blackjack is not much different. Split aces allow a player at least two chances to win. In some cases, there are up to four chances to win in a single hand, each containing the best card in the deck.
Re-split aces
Some Las Vegas casinos will allow players to re-split aces. This means that if a player receives another ace after splitting aces, the hand may be split again for another bet. Casinos that offer re-split aces will allow up to four hands if aces continue to come off the top of the deck. A blackjack game that allows aces to be re-split has a house edge that is .08% lower than one that does not, assuming that all of the other rules are otherwise the same.
Hitting Split Aces
All standard blackjack games do not allow hitting split aces. This is due to the fact that it would drop the house edge by .19%. Most blackjack games have a house edge of .5% or lower. The house must have an edge that covers its overhead.
Allowing split aces to be hit would also increase the variance. Imagine a hand where a player gets four aces in a row and split them into four hands while having the ability to hit and maybe even double down. That would be a blackjack dream hand.
There are two blackjack variations that allow split aces to be hit. They are Super Fun 21, known as Super 21 at Real Time Gaming online casinos, and World’s Most Liberal 21. These games also pay even money on most blackjacks and have a higher house edge than most blackjack games.
Doubling Split Aces
A house that allowed doubling after splitting may also have to include aces for consistency. Allowing a double down on split aces would take another .08% from the house edge. Super Fun 21 and World’s
Most Liberal 21 allow double down after splitting and re-splitting aces. As mentioned, these games short pay on a natural blackjack. Triple Attack Blackjack allows double down on split aces but does not allow players to hit them.
Getting 21 on Split Aces
Splitting aces and receiving a ten-value card will look identical to receiving a dealt blackjack off the top of the deck. This does not count as a natural blackjack. It simply counts as any other 21 would and does not automatically win. It would tie the dealer if the house also made a 21 hand.
