Splitting two 5’s against 5 or 6?

[ArcticInferno]

No, I don’t split my 5’s.
I consider it as a total of 10 and double down.
This is an academic question.
If you split the 5’s and catch 3, 4, 5, 6 or A, then you
can double down and get more money onto the felt. No?
Has anyone crunched some numbers to see how bad of a
mistake it is to split the 5’s?
If splitting the 5’s isn’t an unforgivable mistake, then it
can possibly serve as a cover play.

 

[NightStalker]

it's around 55% EV loss for both

splitting 5's against 5 is -EV move while doubling 10 against 5 is surely >50% EV...

Is that expensive? better play 6:5 crapjack..

 

[Sucker]

Splitting 5's against a dealer's 6 (DAS IS allowed) will cost you a little bit more than 1/2 of a bet! I've also run the numbers for holecarding; if the dealer has exactly 16 (but NOT 15) and the rules allow DAS, it's almost exactly a break-even play to split 5's. For this reason, I HAVE been known to split 5's while holecarding; it sometimes has a tendency to settle down a nervous pit crew.

 

[Canceler]

Splitting 5's against a dealer's 6 (DAS IS allowed) will cost you a little bit more than 1/2 of a bet!

Yes.

Has anyone crunched some numbers to see how bad of a
mistake it is to split the 5’s?

Of course they have.

http://www.bjmath.com/bjmath/ev/ev.htm (Archive copy)