How to Play Blackjack Switch: Basic Strategy

We dive into the strategy behind blackjack switch.

Casinos

Posted by James Guill on July. 26. 2022 7 Minute Read

Since casino-style gambling began to establish itself as an acceptable pastime enjoyed by the masses, around the 1950s, blackjack emerged as the favored table pick for many. Something that happened due to the game’s simplicity and its super low house edge, a combo that makes twenty-one action appealing to veteran players who prefer gaming picks where decision-making plays a factor in in-game results. Moreover, card counting, a possibility in physical locales, presents an opportunity for gamblers to tilt the odds in their favor, further enhancing this game’s overall appeal.

Over the years, multiple gamblers and companies have tried to capitalize on the popularity of blackjack by inventing different variations that offer novel twists on this classic. Blackjack switch is likely one of the more famous examples of a successful modification of traditional blackjack that has found its niche at online casino USA sites.

Top Rated Casino

#1

5/5

BONUS $400

Min Deposit $20 650+ Slots

Deposit Methods

E-Wallet

ecoPayz

InstaDebit

+6

Interac E-transfer

Mastercard

Neteller

Skrill

Trustly

Visa

Payout Speed
1 day (Process) up to 10 days (payment)

Play Now

Jackpot City Review

#2

4.9/5

BONUS $1000

Min Deposit $20 300+ Slots

Deposit Methods

eCheck

ecoPayz

Flexepin

+6

InstaDebit

Interac E-transfer

Maestro

Mastercard

Neosurf

Visa

Payout Speed
24-48 hrs

Play Now

Spin Casino Review

#3

4.8/5

BONUS $1500

Min Deposit $20 400+ Slots

Deposit Methods

Bank Transfer

ecoPayz

InstaDebit

+7

Interac E-transfer

Mastercard

Neosurf

Paysafe Card

Skrill

Visa

Voucher

Payout Speed
1-5 days

Play Now

All Slots Casino Review

#4

4.75/5

BONUS $3000

Min Deposit $25 12+ Slots

Deposit Methods

American Express

Bank Transfer

Bitcoin

+8

Bitcoin Cash

Discover

Ethereum

Litecoin

Mastercard

Person to Person Methods

Ripple

Visa

Payout Speed
Instant (Bitcoin) 10 days (check)

Play Now

BetOnline Casino Review

#5

4.72/5

BONUS $3000

Min Deposit $20 150+ Casino Games

Deposit Methods

American Express

Bank Transfer

Bitcoin

+8

Discover

ecoPayz

Ethereum

Litecoin

Mastercard

Ripple

Skrill

Visa

Payout Speed
1 to 15 Business Days

Play Now

SportsbettingAG Review

See All Casino Reviews

Created in 2000 by gambler Geoff Hall, Switch’s gameplay is essentially the same as playing blackjack regularly, with the distinction that players here get dealt two hands, and they can switch the top cards between them. In most cases, safe online casinos pay 1:1 for natural blackjacks in Switch instead of the standard 3:2 payout most gamblers have gotten accustomed to getting for such a card combo.

Below, we dive deep into a few blackjack strategy tips that help lower the house edge of this version of twenty-one, advice that should help boost players’ chances of attaining profits at real money casino sites when enjoying this highly-popular variant.

Online versions of Switch are ideal for implementing basic and Switch-specific strategies.

5 Blackjack Switch Basic Strategy Tips

The best tip concerning playing any version of online blackjack is to seek out a platform that offers enticing promotions for live dealer and software-powered twenty-one gameplay. Getting a vast amount of free-play cash will extend a gambler’s session and provide more opportunities for substantial wins.

However, a few other vital gameplay suggestions to keep in mind when partaking in some Switch entertainment in Las Vegas or at an online casino are:

Split Aces
Hit on Soft 13-15
Utilize Side Bets
Stand on Soft 19
Stand on Hard 17

We explain these more in-depth in the subheadings that follow.

Tip 1: Split Aces

In blackjack, splitting refers to an option of dividing two cards of the same value into separate hands. When a gambler opts for this, a new wager must get placed on the newly formed hand. That one must be equal to the player’s original bet. Naturally, due to the nature of the game, specific hands are favorable for splitting, as they indicate a base for a higher winning probability. Such an example is getting two Aces. In Switch, gamblers can create up to four hands, playing each individually. But aces can only get split once, and players only receive one new card per hand. As a rule of thumb, aces should always get split regardless of the blackjack variant played.

What a soft-17 hand looks like.

Tip 2: Hit on Soft 13-15

Whenever a hand features an Ace, that gets labeled as a soft one. That is so because the total value of a combo that includes an Ace can get adjusted depending on the current situation. Hence, an Ace can assume the role of an eleven or a one, based on a gambler’s requirements. In scenarios where a player has a card total amounting anywhere from thirteen to fifteen, it is always beneficial to hit. If the soft total is sixteen, hitting is an option, or choosing to double down against a six is also a wise choice.

Tip 3: Utilize Side Bets

Most gamblers would advise that players avoid any side bets in all online casino games for real money. In 99% of cases, these offer substantially lower winning chances than ones provided in games’ base gameplay. Typically, Switch allows a side wager called the Super Match, which has a house edge of 2.55%. That is not at all shabby. It rewards three-of-a-kind, pairs, two-pairs, or four-of-a-kind among the player’s four initial cards.

Tip 4: Stand on Soft 19

A nineteen is a terrific card total in blackjack. Even if a gambler accumulates this figure with an Ace, the risk incurred of dissolving it in hopes that he may get a twenty or twenty-one total is great. The associated hazard is significant, so virtually all strategy charts recommend standing on a hand with a soft nineteen or higher.

Tip 5: Stand on Hard 17

Hard hands are one where the total that gets comprised without an Ace. Of course, these allow no flexibility if a gambler chooses to hit. Therefore, a hard seventeen gets considered a quality hand. The busting probability involved if one chooses to hit on this total is substantial. So, it is best to stand on it.

Arnold Snyder is the author of many blackjack books and his own Switch betting system.

What’s Arnold Snyder’s Switching Strategy?

Arnold Snyder is one of the original inductees into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. He is the author of The Blackjack Formula, one of eight books he has written on this game. His blackjack strategy gets detailed in his Big Book of Blackjack, where he introduces a classification system that labels hands as winners, losers, push, or chance.

Snyder’s strategy depends on memorizing what card total or hand falls into what categories, gamblers can make snap judgments on how to play the cards in front of them. Those interested in utilizing the mentioned chart should pick up Snyder’s 2006 Big Book of Blackjack, available in paperback and Kindle form.

What’s Cindy Liu’s Switching Strategy?

Cindy Liu is a renowned Vegas blackjack maven. Her strategy is appropriate to use under Las Vegas rules and results in a cost of errors of 0.17%. That means that an error will occur once every eighteen hands or so. What’s more, an error with an expected value of over 10% will happen once every eighty-two hands. Her strategy consists of a hand strength ranking that starts with 21 at the top, followed by 20, 19, AA, 11, 10, 9, 18, or 8, 8-8 with 2-8 up.

There are various rules gamblers must implement in different scenarios if they choose to follow Liu’s formula. The basic ones dictate that against a dealer’s seven or eight, a player’s two hands must get balanced so that the weaker one is as high as possible. If gamblers cannot make the desired hand like one from the featured rankings above, they should look to form one from this list, 7 or 17, any hand that should get split, 12 (any), 13 (any).

It is best to Google Cindy Liu’s switching strategy to look at her entire chart and seek to find a decent casino bonus to pair your implementation of this system with en route to potentially dramatic wins.

What’s Blackjack Switch’s House Edge?

Assuming optimal strategy, the house edge of Blackjack Switch is 0.58%. That is slightly higher than the edge offered by traditional blackjack, assuming a gambler uses a strategy chart.

Hence, there is not much difference concerning winning probability between these two gambling picks. Switch supplies better gaming diversity, and it gets offered at many online casinos that have no deposit bonus deals, which is why it gets preferred by many interactive gamblers.

Those who favor simplicity and do not care about Switch’s dynamism should stick to the classic variation of twenty-one.

How to Play Blackjack Switch: Basic Strategy