Updated 2026-07-22 · 8 decks · S17 · DAS · methodology
A,A (pair of aces) vs dealer 2: the verdict
The math is in: split. Two hands of A beat one 12 against a dealer 2 — split them.
The numbers
| Action | Win | Push | Lose | EV per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Split* | 57.9% | 7.7% | 34.4% | +0.471 |
| Hit | 50.2% | 7.8% | 42.0% | +0.082 |
| Double | 45.7% | 5.0% | 49.3% | −0.072 |
| Stand | 35.4% | 0.0% | 64.6% | −0.293 |
* 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 2. Split, each new hand starting from A wins 57.9% — enough that two of them (EV +0.471 across both) beat the best single-hand line at +0.082.
For context, a dealer 2 finishes on 17–20 about 52.8% of the time, on 21 11.8%, and busts 35.4%. 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 $972 per 100 such hands at $25 a hand (−0.389 EV per dollar). The genuinely expensive error here is stand: −0.763 per dollar, or roughly $1909 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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A,A against other dealer cards:
Other key hands vs a dealer 2: