Split 10's vs 6 always!!

[Just Learning]

I bet after reading the title of this thread one of two things happened. 1: you thought this thread might contain some new formula to extract more money from the casinos. 2: you could not belive there is some one out there that is that stupid. The point of this thread is to learn if splitting 10's vs 6 is profitable or not. First of all I am not a card counter, yet. I am just learning. I want to get your ideas why this might be good or bad and where I might find some info on this.

But first a little back ground...

I was thinking about how to get more money on the table when the dealer has a 6 showing. Why not split my 10's. If the count was very high, a lot of 10s in the deck, then the chance of the dealer having a 16 then hitting to bust is a high probality. If I split my 10s and get more 10s then I will have more hands of 20 on the table. Or I just keep spliting to the table max. Either way I have a lot of money on the table and the count is still positive.

If the count is low then if I split my 10s I might be able to drive the count back to positive by taking more cards. With a 6 showing the dealer still has a chance to bust, so I might still win with low hands.

QUESTION: Does this sound like a good idea or is my thinking flawed? Either way if you can give my reasons why you think that. And if you know of any source that address this issue please let me know.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[TonyDee]

all of this is a matter of greed vs. playing smart

when you have a twenty you virtually have the casinos money in your pocket, why jeopardize it?

 

[SweetAxtion]

If I recall the numbers in my head a dealer only busts 43% of the time when he holds a 6. By you spliting your 10's it is all fine and dandy if you split and draw further 10's but if you draw a stiff and the dealer then draws a face and a measly Ace for a 17 you've lost.

By deviating from basic strategy this alone will cost you many more dollars than the money you may make from the odd time splitting your 10's does work.

And unless you are seriously card counting and have a very, very high count I wouldn't even suggest it. In fact...most card counters I reckon wouldn't want the heat generated and risk of banishment by giving up that much information about themselves by splitting faces to earn a few extra dollars.

 

[Mikeaber]

Splitting Ten's is always a bad idea. You should double instead!

SweetAxtion is dead solid perfect on that reply. Why would you reveal your skills and invite an escort to the door to just to get a little more money on the table when you have a virtual cakewalk with the twenty to start with?

There may be an index in counting indicating that mathematically, splitting the tens in your favor, but you'll never find a Basic Strategy chart or book by any reputable source that indicates this as being the correct action.

 

[cyclinggimpe]

I don't see why you would split your 10's when you have the second best hand there is. I cringe when I see people doing this at the table because the dealer doesn't always bust his 5 or 6. A few times I've seen guys split their 10's and got two 10's (2 hands of 20) and the rest of us had 14 or 13 or 15. There were a lot of groans when he did that and then the dealer didn't bust; he had a 17. The guy that split his 20 was the only winner. Boy, there were some upset players at the table since the dealer would have busted if the guy didn't split. I usually don't stay at the table long when I see people splitting their 10's.

 

[BAMA21]

Well, splitting tens is the fastest way I know of to clear a table. I also heard someone say once that the pit automatically knows that you are either an idiot or a counter if you split your tens, so once you do that, they'll have an easy enough road figuring out which one you are. For that reason alone, many counters don't split their tens, even when their index calls for them to do so.

Go to http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/bjapx1.html for a chart that shows your expected return with various actions. You'll note that, with a betting unit of $10 per hand, you'll win just over $7.00 each time you get twenty and stand against a dealer 6. However, you'll only win just under $4.70 each time you split two tens against a dealer 6. In other words, even though you do get more money on the table by splitting, you end up with less in your pocket.

 

[PokerJunky]

Upset Players

I don't see why you would split your 10's when you have the second best hand there is. I cringe when I see people doing this at the table because the dealer doesn't always bust his 5 or 6. A few times I've seen guys split their 10's and got two 10's (2 hands of 20) and the rest of us had 14 or 13 or 15. There were a lot of groans when he did that and then the dealer didn't bust; he had a 17. The guy that split his 20 was the only winner. Boy, there were some upset players at the table since the dealer would have busted if the guy didn't split. I usually don't stay at the table long when I see people splitting their 10's.

From my experience, blackjack players are the biggest "Monday Morning QB" there are in gambling aside from those betting sports. Personally, I have seen the poorest of plays on a table and they go both ways. Unfortunately, most people speak up when it goes against them and remain quiet when the person that played incorrectly causes the dealer to break. Also, it's there money, if they choose to bet foolishly you have 2 options: stay or leave. Unfortunately what I tend to find is that people complain that "you are not playing for the table". I laugh when I hear this because frankly nobody gives a damm if you lose playing correct basic strategy as long as the complainers are winning.

Gamblers are a greedy bunch (including myself) and most of us are there for 2 reasons have fun and make money or (make make money and have fun!)

 

[Midnite]

Some advice

Other than in a B J tournament, you should not split 10's.
Thirty some years ago an old dealer at the Landmark gave a guy some good advice.
He split his 10's against the dealers 7. Hit the first one with a 4 and stood.
A five on the second and stood.
The dealer turned up a face for 17.
He said : Sonny, think of your 20 as a sore peter and don't f**k with it.
Maybe a little too risk-gay, but it does drive home a point.....

 

[Ace of spades]

Wong says

Wongs book Professional BJ says that it is the correct play to split 10's against a 6 at a count of +4, against 5 at +5, and against 4 at +6. But they do say that it could bring heat. I don't do it but I might try it on my next trip if I want to try and clear the table. Thats a good idea. haha.