Blackjack Switch

1. Blackjack Switch App
2. Blackjack Switch Review
3. How To Play Blackjack Switch
4. Blackjack Switch House Edge
5. Blackjack Switch Strategy Card

Blackjack Switch is a variant that requires the player to bet on two hands. The switch part of this permits the player to trade cards between these hands. This generous deal has a couple of major differences to offset it.

Blackjack switch is a blackjack variant which allows the player to do what is normally considered a classic cheating manoeuver, trading cards between two hands. The player must make two bets of equal size and is allowed to switch the second card dealt to each hand. Of course, nothing good comes without a trade-off. Blackjack Switch may seem like a no-brainer choice in that it increases odds in favor of the player, but keep in mind some other Blackjack Switch rules that to some extent restore the house edge. The most significant of these is that Blackjack Switch pays even money at 1:1 instead of the normal 3:2 as is the case in regular blackjack, which is. BLACKJACK SWITCH DECISION CALCULATOR Select card values from the pulldowns. The calc will return whether switching or holding has a higher EV.

Blackjack Switch is a new blackjack game that was originally tested at the Taj Mahal and slowly rolled out to many other brick-and-mortar casinos. Now you can also enjoy Blackjack Switch at Casino.com. In this game, players are dealt two hands and are provided with the opportunity to “switch” the second cards on each hand. Blackjack Switch Rules As mentioned above, most the rules are the same as a standard game of Blackjack, we assume you know the basics if not these can be found in a separate article. All rules are the same as standard Blackjack unless mentioned below. The game uses either 6 or 8 decks of cards depending on the casino.

This blackjack variant is spread at both live and online casinos. There are 18 Las Vegas casinos that offer it. Playtech online casinos also have it. Players on the east coast will find it at Bally’s in Atlantic City.

The game originated at Casino Royale. It is still there to this day and is in fact the best blackjack game to play at this venue.

Differences Between Blackjack Switch and the Traditional Game

There are several differences between Blackjack Switch and the traditional version of the game.

For one, players must make two wagers to start the hand. The player may take the second card dealt from one hand and switch it with the other.

Blackjack pays even money. A switched hand that creates an ace and a 10-value card counts as 21 and is not paid as a blackjack.

If the dealer makes a 22, all players still in the hand push. The dealer can only bust on 23 and higher.

Once you find a Blackjack Switch table, it is easy to get started.

At a live casino, put two equal chip stacks into the circles in front of you.

Online Blackjack Switch games typically have a minimum bet of $1.

At a Playtech online casino, click the denomination that you would like to play. Click one of the betting circles. The software will place the second bet simultaneously. Click deal to receive cards.

Each player receives two hands of two cards. The dealer receives one hand. The dealer gets one card up and the other down.

Blackjack Switch App

If the dealer has a 10-value card or an ace showing, the other card is peeked at. If the dealer has blackjack, the hand ends. Player hands of blackjack push. All others lose. Insurance is not offered in Blackjack Switch.

If the dealer does not have blackjack, it is time for the players to act. A player that is dealt blackjack receives even money. Players have the option to switch cards at this point. Notify the dealer at a live game on your turn if you would like to do this. At an online casino, click the switch button.

Hands then have the typical options of hit, stand, and double down. Split is offered if a hand has a pair. At online casinos, each action has a specific button on the table if it is available at the time.

To draw a card at a live table, tap the table in front of the hand that you would like to hit. You may draw until you bust or stand.

To stand, which means not draw any more cards, wave your hand over the bet. To double down, place an equal wager next to the existing one.

If you have a pair, you may split. Place an equal bet next to the hand that you would like to split. You may double down after splitting.

Once all players have acted, it is the dealer’s turn.

• The dealer hits on 16 and lower
• The dealer hits on soft 17 (an ace and other cards that equal 6)
• The dealer stands on hard 17 and 18 and higher
• The dealer busts on 23 or higher

If the dealer makes 22, it pushes all bets still in the hand. If the dealer makes 17 to 21, it is compared to each hand still alive.

If the dealer beats a player’s hand, the house wins the associated bets. If the player beats the dealer, even money is paid. If the dealer and player have the same value, the hand pushes and bets are returned.

Each hand and split are graded separately. It is possible to push one hand and win the other. You can also win both, lose both, and everything in between.

At an online casino, click the re-bet button to start a new hand with the same bet. If you would like to change your bet, you may add it before hitting deal.

There are two strategies to learn for Blackjack Switch. One is related to how to set the hands. The other is how to play them once they are set.

Here is a list of hand rankings for Blackjack Switch.

• 21
• 20
• 19
• Pair of aces
• 11
• 10
• 9
• 8 or 18
• Pair of 8s against a 2 through 8

Using the above rankings, play the hand according to the following rules.

• Against a 7 or 8, make the weaker hand as high as possible on the list above
• Against all other dealer cards, make the higher hand as strong as possible
• If none of the above applies, play for a 7 or 17, any split hand, 12 or 13
• Keep a pair of aces together if unable to make a 20 or 21

Once the hands are set, follow the strategy below for how to play it out.

A hard hand is one that either does not contain an ace, or if it does, one that can bust.

• 4 to 8: Always hit
• 4 to 8: Always hit
• 10: Double down against 2 through 8; otherwise, hit
• 11: Double down against 2 through 9; otherwise, hit
• 12: Stand against 5 and 6; otherwise, hit
• 13: Stand against 3 through 6; otherwise, hit
• 14 through 16: Stand against 2 through 6; otherwise, hit
• 17 and higher: Always stand

A soft hand is one with an ace that cannot bust.

• Soft 13 through 15: Always hit
• Soft 16: Double down against 6; otherwise, hit
• Soft 17: Double down against 5 or 6; otherwise, hit
• Soft 18: Double down against 5 and 6, hit against 9, 10 and ace; otherwise, stand
• Soft 19 and higher: Always stand

Split is offered when dealt a pair. Play pairs according to the following list.

• 2s and 3s: Split against 5, 6 and 7; otherwise, hit
• 4s: Always hit
• 5s: Double down against 2 through 8; otherwise, hit
• 6s: Split against 4, 5, and 6; otherwise, hit
• 7s: Split against 2 through 7; otherwise, hit
• 8s: Split against 2 through 9; otherwise, hit
• 9s: Split against 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9; otherwise, stand
• 10s: Always stand
• Aces: Always split

The below chart summarizes all the above information on how to play your hands once they are set.

Where to Play Blackjack Switch

There are 18 Las Vegas casinos that spread Blackjack Switch. The locations are as follows.

• 4 Queens
• Aria
• Bellagio
• Casino Royale
• Encore
• Excalibur
• Luxor
• Mandalay Bay
• MGM Grand
• Mirage
• Monte Carlo
• New York New York
• Palazzo
• Palms
• Paris
• SLS Las Vegas
• Venetian
• Wynn

Blackjack Switch is also spread in Atlantic City at Bally’s, and Playtech online casinos spread the game.

For low rollers, our picks for Blackjack Switch are 4 Queens and Casino Royale. Both casinos spread the game with a $5 minimum bet. 4 Queens is on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Casino Royale is where Blackjack Switch originated. It is between Harrah’s and Venetian on the Strip.

Players looking for a luxury experience will want to move up to $15 and play it at Wynn on the Las Vegas Strip.

Playtech is the only option for Blackjack Switch at online casinos. We recommend Bet 365 because of its long history of taking care of players in terms of customer service and withdrawals.

Summary

Blackjack Switch is a great change of pace with a low house edge of about 0.65%, depending on the level of effort that you are willing to put into learning strategy.

The advanced strategy may be impossible to learn for some people as there are some exceptions beyond the basic one. This complex strategy may be a turnoff to some players. For online ones, it is easy enough to have the list handy, though.

For those willing to learn the game, we feel this is a good way to take a break from traditional blackjack tables.

Blackjack Switch is a casino gambling game invented by Geoff Hall and patented in 2009.^[1] It is based on blackjack, but differs in that two hands, rather than one, are dealt to each playing position, and the player is initially allowed to exchange ('switch') the top two cards between hands. Natural blackjacks are paid 1:1 instead of the standard 3:2, and a dealer hard 22 pushes all player hands except a natural.

History[edit]

Blackjack Switch was conceived after Hall - who was a card counter at the time - became frustrated at being dealt 2 weak hands when playing Blackjack that could be improved dramatically if the top two cards were allowed to be switched. Hall then developed this idea and exhibited the game at the G2E conference in Las Vegas in October 2000. Blackjack Switch was installed in Harvey’s Casino in Iowa in February 2001. After this Hall modified the game to include the ‘Push on 22’ rule in 2003. This modification led to the game being installed in Four Queens in December 2003.^[2] The game has since become widely available in offline casinos in Las Vegas and around the world and is offered online only by Playtech casinos. Further games developed by Hall that are found in Las Vegas casinos include Free Bet Blackjack,Zombie Blackjack, and Zappit.^[3]

Play[edit]

Blackjack Switch is played with four, six or eight 52-card decks which are shuffled together. The shuffled cards are dealt from a dealing shoe or a shuffling machine.

A semicircular card table with a similar layout to blackjack is used. Each playing position has two betting boxes, rather than one, and the initial wagers in these two boxes must be identical. However, each corresponds to a separate hand; during play they may be doubled and split independently, and are resolved separately.

In the initial deal, the dealer puts one card face up on each box of each playing position starting from his left, deals a face-up card to himself, and then a further card to each box left to right. After resolving any side bet, the dealer then consults each player in turn, initially asking them whether they wish to 'switch' their top cards. For example, if the player is dealt 10-5 and 6-10, then the player may switch to transform the two hands into 10-10 and 6-5. After a player has made a decision whether or not to switch, the dealer offers him the chance to hit, stand or double, firstly for the hand on the player's right-hand box, then for the one on the left. As in blackjack, a player hand which exceeds 21 is 'bust'; its cards are removed and its backing wager acquired by the house.

When all players have been consulted, the dealer plays out his hand according to blackjack-style drawing rules, with the difference that a dealer hand of 22 is not a bust but a push (a tie) against any surviving player hand; the only exception is a player blackjack which has not been obtained by switching or splitting.

The small variations in dealer drawing rules between casinos which are found in blackjack are also found in Blackjack Switch, such as whether the dealer must stand or hit on soft 17 (a hand totalling 17 but containing an ace counted as 11. A-6 or A-3-3, for example), whether even money/insurance is offered, whether a player may double after a split, and whether a player may hit split aces.

Strategy[edit]

The strategy of Blackjack Switch covers both the switch decision and the subsequent decisions of whether to stand, double, or draw a further card which are familiar from blackjack strategy.

Blackjack Switch Review

The switch decision[edit]

The correct decision regarding whether to switch is sometimes obvious, particularly when there is the largest difference in advantage. However, borderline and counter-intuitive cases are relatively common, and switching strategy is hard to summarize. While an often-quoted rule of thumb is to choose the option that forms or preserves the best single hand, this is unreliable; sometimes it is even correct to break up a natural by switching, for instance in the case AT + T[3-8] vs. dealer 7, 8 or 9. The correct switching choice depends on the dealer card in a significant minority of cases. Near-optimal schemes which can be learnt have been developed by several authors: Arnold Snyder presents a protocol for switching decisions based on four categories of hand, 'winner', 'push', 'loser' and 'chance'^[4] which he claims reduces the house edge to 0.25% under his ruleset. Cindy Liu presents a scheme based on assigning a point value to the dealt hands and those produced by switching.^[5]

Basic strategy after the switch decision[edit]

Basic strategy for playing out blackjack switch hands, after the switching decision has been made, is tabulated below, for a game in which the dealer hits soft 17 and peeks for blackjack. Compared to traditional blackjack, in Blackjack Switch there are fewer occasions where doubling or splitting is rewarding, and more occasions where it is correct to hit at the risk of going bust. The differences originate from the push-on-dealer-22 rule.

How To Play Blackjack Switch

Key:

S = Stand

H = Hit

D = Double

SP = Split

Side bet[edit]

Blackjack Switch tables typically allow a side bet, called Super Match, which rewards pairs, three-of-a-kind, two-pairs or four-of-a-kind among the four initial cards comprising the players two hands. For a 6-deck game, the Super Match bet pays out 1 to 1 if there a pair is present, 5 to 1 for three of a kind, 8 to 1 for two pairs and 40 to 1 for four of a kind.^[6] This seems to mitigate the adverse effect on the player of the case where the two top or bottom cards are identical, which robs the player of a meaningful switching decision, although, like most side bets, playing it increases the house edge.

References[edit]

1. ^Norm Wattenberger. 'Modern Blackjack'. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
2. ^ThePOGG (27 November 2012). 'ThePOGG Interviews – Geoff Hall – The creator of Blackjack Switch'.
3. ^Michael Shackleford. 'Blackjack Info Interview with Geoff Hall'. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
4. ^Snyder, Arnold (2006). The Big Book of Blackjack. New York: Cardoza Publishing. pp. 229–45. ISBN1-58042-155-5.
5. ^Shackleford, Michael (May 2011). 'Switching decision'. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
6. ^'Blackjack Switch'. blackjackswitch.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-28.

Blackjack Switch House Edge

External links[edit]

Blackjack Switch Strategy Card