Updated 2026-07-30 · 8 decks · S17 · DAS · methodology

3,3 (pair of 3s) vs dealer 5: the verdict

Q: Hit or stand on a pair of 3s against a dealer 5?

Basic strategy says Split. A genuine coin-flip — the gap is under half a cent per $1. Your chance of winning with the best play is about 48.0% (push 3.4%). Full EV math for every action is in the table above.

SPLIT

Basic strategy says split. Two hands of 3 beat one 6 against a dealer 5 — split them.

The numbers

Action	Win	Push	Lose	EV per $1
Split*	48.0%	3.4%	48.6%	+0.102
Hit	46.9%	2.7%	50.4%	−0.035
Stand	41.6%	0.0%	58.4%	−0.167
Double	41.6%	0.9%	57.4%	−0.316

* win/push/lose shown per split hand; EV covers both hands per one initial bet.

Why split is correct

Played as a single total, this hand is weak against a 5. Split, each new hand starting from 3 wins 48.0% — enough that two of them (EV +0.102 across both) beat the best single-hand line at −0.035.

For context, a dealer 5 finishes on 17–20 about 47.5% of the time, on 21 10.8%, and busts 41.6%. Those dealer outcomes are the same no matter what you hold — the whole game is choosing the action whose distribution fits them best.

What the mistake costs

Choosing hit instead of split costs about $343 per 100 such hands at $25 a hand (−0.137 EV per dollar). The genuinely expensive error here is double: −0.418 per dollar, or roughly $1045 per 100 hands at the same stakes.

Does the rule set change it?

No — split holds across every common configuration: Vegas Strip, Atlantic City with late surrender, H17 games and European no-hole-card tables all agree here.

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Related spots

3,3 against other dealer cards:

vs 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 6 vs 7 vs 8 vs 9 vs 10 vs Ace

Other key hands vs a dealer 5:

16 vs 5 12 vs 5 15 vs 5 soft 18 vs 5 8,8 vs 5

Frequently asked

Do you split on 3,3 against a dealer 5?

Yes — split is the basic-strategy play for 3,3 (pair of 3s) vs 5 (EV +0.102 per $1). Hit is the second-best option at −0.035.

What are the odds of winning with 3,3 vs 5?

Playing it correctly (split), you win 48.0% of hands, push 3.4% and lose 48.6% per split hand.

Should you always split 3,3?

Not against every upcard — the verdict for 3,3 changes with the dealer’s card. Use the links below to see the full row, or the chart for the complete picture.

Hit or stand on a pair of 3s against a dealer 5?

Basic strategy says Split. A genuine coin-flip — the gap is under half a cent per $1. Your chance of winning with the best play is about 48.0% (push 3.4%). Full EV math for every action is in the table above.