A pair in blackjack is a set of identical cards regardless of the suit. Blackjack players often get confused when they are dealt a pair. Many questions swirl in the head of a blackjack player upon receiving a pair. Should I split it? Will a hit lead to a bust? Do I need to consider dealer's up card? Should I double down my bet? Questions like these often add to the confusion. It may look fine to you to take a chance on small bets. But you must take calculated risks when you place big bets.

Luckily, there is a way to play pairs in blackjack. And it's simpler than it sounds. You don't need to perform complex mathematical calculations. Rather, you just need to know how to read a chart. Simply compare your pair with the dealer's up card and take the suggested action. As simple as that. The chart is better known as blackjack basic strategy chart. It's easily available in the market. You can even download it from the Internet and make a print to use as a pocket reference.

According to the blackjack strategy chart, do not split your 10s. It also suggests that you should split your 8s and 9s, without considering the dealer’s up card.

You should always split your Aces. The reason lies with the card total. Two aces contribute to a hand total of 12. It's not a potentially winning hand. Besides, you cannot negate the chance of receiving a 10 and going bust. So, it’s wise to split your Aces because there are more chances of you getting two Blackjacks.

If you’re dealt a pair of 2s of 3s, and the Dealer is showing 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, split your pair. Otherwise hit.

Playing a pair of 4s is a tricky one. You should split if the Dealer’s up card is 5 or 6, otherwise hit.

Double down on receiving a pair of 5s except when the Dealer shows 10 or an Ace.

In case of a pair of 6s and 7s, hit if the Dealer is showing 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace. You should split if the Dealer’s up card is 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.

That's more than enough to get you started with playing a pair with care. Give these tips a try and see how effective they really are. Be sure to don your lucky charm cause you never know when luck will play its role.

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