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

6,6 (pair of 6s) vs dealer 6: the verdict

Q: Hit or stand on a pair of 6s against a dealer 6?

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 47.9% (push 2.6%). Full EV math for every action is in the table above.

SPLIT

Basic strategy says split. Two hands of 6 beat one 12 against a dealer 6 — split them.

The numbers

Action	Win	Push	Lose	EV per $1
Split*	47.9%	2.6%	49.5%	+0.108
Stand	42.3%	0.0%	57.7%	−0.154
Hit	39.3%	4.4%	56.3%	−0.171
Double	39.3%	4.4%	56.3%	−0.341

* 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 6. Split, each new hand starting from 6 wins 47.9% — enough that two of them (EV +0.108 across both) beat the best single-hand line at −0.154.

For context, a dealer 6 finishes on 17–20 about 48.0% of the time, on 21 9.7%, and busts 42.3%. 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 stand instead of split costs about $654 per 100 such hands at $25 a hand (−0.262 EV per dollar). The genuinely expensive error here is double: −0.449 per dollar, or roughly $1122 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

6,6 against other dealer cards:

vs 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5 vs 7 vs 8 vs 9 vs 10 vs Ace

Other key hands vs a dealer 6:

16 vs 6 12 vs 6 15 vs 6 soft 18 vs 6 8,8 vs 6

Frequently asked

Do you split on 6,6 against a dealer 6?

Yes — split is the basic-strategy play for 6,6 (pair of 6s) vs 6 (EV +0.108 per $1). Stand is the second-best option at −0.154.

What are the odds of winning with 6,6 vs 6?

Playing it correctly (split), you win 47.9% of hands, push 2.6% and lose 49.5% per split hand.

Should you always split 6,6?

Not against every upcard — the verdict for 6,6 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 6s against a dealer 6?

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 47.9% (push 2.6%). Full EV math for every action is in the table above.