---
title: 'How to Play a Pair of Eights in Blackjack'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=p8Z3qAdoznk'
video_id: 'p8Z3qAdoznk'
date: 2026-08-14
duration_sec: 33
---

# How to Play a Pair of Eights in Blackjack

> Source: [How to Play a Pair of Eights in Blackjack](https://youtube.com/watch?v=p8Z3qAdoznk)

## Summary

This video explains the optimal blackjack strategy for playing a pair of eights, emphasizing that splitting is always the correct move regardless of the dealer's upcard. It clarifies that while you may still lose against strong dealer cards, splitting minimizes long-term losses compared to hitting or standing.

### Key Points

- **Always Split Aces and Eights** [00:00] — The video states that the common advice to always split aces and eights is absolutely true, and a pair of eights should be split against every dealer upcard.
- **Splitting Against All Upcards** [00:14] — It doesn't matter if the dealer shows a 2, 3, 4, 10-value card, or an ace; splitting is always the recommended action.
- **Minimizing Long-Term Losses** [00:26] — Against a 10-value card or ace, you are likely to lose, but splitting reduces your long-term losses compared to hitting or standing on that hand.

### Conclusion

The video concludes that splitting a pair of eights is the mathematically optimal play in blackjack, even when the dealer shows a strong card, because it reduces expected losses over time.

## Transcript

When you're dealt a pair of eights in blackjack, this is one hand that most people know how to play correctly. You've probably heard it said that you should always split aces and eights, and that is absolutely true, okay? A pair of eights should split against every dealer's up card.
Doesn't matter if it's a two, three, four, or a 10 value card or an ace, right? Against a 10 value card or an ace, yes, you are likely to lose, but if you split, you will lose less in the long run
on that particular hand than by doing something else hitting or standing. So you always want to split your eights in blackjack.