Aces and eights (blackjack)

In blackjack, "aces and eights" is a specific hand combination that some players consider to be particularly difficult to play. It refers to holding a pair of aces or a pair of eights. The perceived difficulty stems from the common strategic advice for these hands, which often involves splitting them regardless of the dealer's upcard, a strategy that some players find uncomfortable or counterintuitive, especially when facing a dealer's high card.

Splitting aces is generally considered a strong play because it gives the player two opportunities to make a strong hand. Similarly, splitting eights is often recommended to avoid a potentially weak hand of 16, which is likely to lose against many dealer upcards. However, some players hesitate to split when the dealer shows a strong card like a 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace, fearing that the dealer is likely to make a strong hand anyway.

Despite the potential discomfort, basic strategy charts typically advise splitting both pairs of aces and pairs of eights in most situations, as this maximizes the player's long-term expected value.