Split the 8s.
The famous blackjack pro Ken Uston was once asked a similar question and responded with the correct answer. When asked why, Uston didn’t hesitate: "Because the computer says so." He offered no explanations nor rationalizations. He didn’t need to. His answer was perfect.
Blackjack’s "basic strategy" is the computer-derived best way to play any combination of cards you hold versus any dealer up-card, based solely on the rules and number of decks in force (no consideration of prior cards seen). The math is accurate and basic strategy says to always split 8s (and aces), regardless of the dealer’s up-card.
Now, with that because-I-said-so reasoning firmly conveyed, and with apologies to the late great Uston, here’s a quickie rationalization. Blackjack is essentially a game of offense and defense. An example of an offensive move is doubling with an 11 vs. a dealer 5. You do it because doubling, as opposed to simply hitting, results in a higher long-term win rate. Splitting 8s is a defensive move. No matter what you do with 8,8 against a dealer ten—stand, hit, split, double, or surrender—you’ll lose money over the long run. However, splitting the 8s results in the lowest long-term loss of all the options, which is why it’s the basic strategy play.
Want more? The classic book How to Play Winning Blackjack by Julian Braun dissects these types of plays better than any other, despite being published way back in 1980. Braun’s analysis shows that splitting produces a net loss that’s five units less than the loss produced by hitting the hand (the second-best option). Further to 8s, splitting them against 3-7 is an offensive move (it turns losing percentages from standing or hitting into winning percentages for splitting), while splitting against all other dealer up-cards is defensive.
Braun’s book is long out-of-print, but you can find used copies at Amazon. At the time of this QoD, there are 14 used copies available ranging in price from $15.96 to $193.65.
