Doing this will cost you serious money
Consider myself a well-read relatively new blackjack player. A couple of times I've experimented a bit splitting two tens against the dealer's 5 or 6. Wong suggests one not do this unless one has a positive mimimum +4 count. However, I've won frequently doing this, often playing basic strategy only.
Using Cacarulo's charts on www.bjmath.com a $10 bet on this situation has the following EV for standing vs splitting:
1D H17
10,10 v 6: 6.68 3.26
10,10 v 5: 6.71 3.02
Overall loss in EV: 0.52%
2D H17
10,10 v 6: 6.73 3.87
10,10 v 5: 6.70 3.25
Overall loss in EV: 0.46%
6D H17
10,10 v 6: 7.03 4.26
10,10 v 5: 6.71 3.45
Overall loss in EV: 0.45%
So, while you are making money by splitting, you would make more money by standing. In you insist on using this, subtract 0.45%-0.52% from your expected value, i.e. the EV for 1D, H17 is normally -0.18%. Using this strategy, your EV would be -0.70%. This does not sound like a plan to me.
For some reason, this move deeply disturbs other players, some even going so far as to call me greedy or winning with the move or flaunting some basic rule.
The reason people get annoyed at you is because they think you are "messing up the flow" or some other superstition. Generally, ignore what other people at the table say.
Not seen this move discussed much in the literature. Anyone have experience/suggestions or better win/lose rates with this move?
This move has received a fair amount of discussion for card counters, because using this play when count is right can be risky from a cover stand-point, as the only people that would do it either don't know have a clue (no insult intended) or do what they are doing. As a result, it will draw attention from the pit to find out which. So, even though this strategy deviantion is among the best (listed high in the Illustrious 18), many serious card counter avoid doing it. The KO Blackjack book purposely omits this play in its "preferred" strategy charts.
