# Rude behavior at blackjack tables **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394 "2010-06-16T03:41:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/121 "2010-06-25T19:27:13Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I still split aces though. I would hope so given your hand is either a 2 or a 12. Always split 8’s as well. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/122 "2010-06-25T19:52:19Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I used to do this fairly frequently–felt it was a good bet that I’d get another couple tens. And wouldn’t it follow that if you get another 10 you should split it again? And then you get a 6 and you’ve turned your 20 into a 16. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/123 "2010-06-27T18:23:10Z")
Just a quick rules question, are you permitted to split different tens? I mean, for example, if you get a ten spot card, and a Queen, can you split them? I know it’s always a bad idea, but is it actually allowed? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/124 "2010-06-27T20:42:43Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Shouldn’t you still be crying over someone breaking into your piece of shit car? **MPB** this is uncalled for. Stop being a jerk. Everyone else: I see the snappishness going on here and it’s mostly just under the line. How 'bout everyone dial it back a bit? **Ellen Cherry IMHO Moderator** ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/125 "2010-07-04T20:24:23Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Just a quick rules question, are you permitted to split different tens? I mean, for example, if you get a ten spot card, and a Queen, can you split them? > > I know it’s always a bad idea, but is it actually allowed? Yes, it is. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/126 "2010-07-05T02:48:07Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > You wanna know what’s really rude? Splitting tens. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > It certainly would be, if it happened. Has anyone ever seen it happen? I can’t imagine someone deliberately losing money just to annoy someone else. > > But id you encounter it, so what. They are losing more than you. Just laugh it off. I split 10s once. To deliberately piss someone off even. I was at 3rd base and had taken a hit on a 12 with the dealer showing a 3. I busted and the woman at 1st base complained I had taken the dealer’s bust card. :rolleyes: She said I didn’t know how to play and was hurting everyone at the table. So the next hand, I was dealt 2 tens, looked at her, gave a big grin and split them. I think the thing about it that ticked her off the most was I got a 9 and a ten, with the dealer getting a hard 17. She looked like her head would explode, then left the table. I went back to playing basic strategy and ended up $300 for the night. They were Australian dollars, but it was still a very good night. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/127 "2010-07-05T09:26:23Z")
> [@Lok](#): > > I split 10s once. I’m surprised no one’s mentioned that a card counter will often split tens when the dealer has, say, a six showing _ **and the deck is very rich in tens** _ (and/or aces, nines). If this isn’t clear, suppose that the residual deck has _nothing but_ Tens, Nines and Aces (and the single Six which dealer is showing). Clearly best player strategy then is to split tens, and keep splitting (at least until cards are so depleted you’re reaching a shuffle-up point). Because the ten-rich deck is precisely the deck where card counter is betting big, and repeated splits can make the bet much bigger, this situation can be an important and exciting (and not so very rare) event in the card-counting world. Splitting tens is usually a sucker’s play, but if you see a big bettor do this, there might be something more there than is readily apparent! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/128 "2010-07-05T19:41:15Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Splitting tens is usually a sucker’s play, but if you see a big bettor do this, there might be something more there than is readily apparent! This is true. Either the player is very good and very smart; or very stupid. Odds are it’s the latter. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394/129 "2010-07-05T22:44:19Z")
Is splitting 10s common for card counters? Aren’t they, most of the time, trying to hide the fact that they’re counting cards and therefore would avoid such obvious tells? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rude-behavior-at-blackjack-tables/543394.md?page=6)