Blackjack Switch

Player Rules

Unlike in typical online blackjack, the switch variant requires players to make two individual bets of equal amounts on two different hands before the cards are dealt. Four cards are dealt face up to the player, two and two.

If the dealer does not have a natural blackjack, the game continues.

At this point, the player sees the dealer’s one up card and can decide how to structure their two hands. They are allowed to swap one card from each hand to strengthen their overall chances of winning both hands.

So, if one hand was an 8-5 and the other a 3-10. The player could swap the 8-for-3 to get 11 and make 15 on the other hand. The player could then – like in original blackjack – double down on the 11 and receive one card in an effort to make 21.

If one of the player’s hands features a pair, he may split and double-down as necessary.

Unlike in original variant, switch blackjacks pay 1:1 rather than 3:2.

Dealer Rules

The big thing in blackjack switch variant is that if a dealer draws a 22 they do not BUST, but rather push against any hand on the table. Only a natural blackjack by a player is paid out.

The other two dealer rules are they do get to peek at their down card if the up card is a 10 or an Ace. Dealers also must hit on a soft 17 at most casinos, be it brick and mortar or online gambling sites.

House Edge for Blackjack Switch

Under standard, six-deck rules, the house edge against a blackjack switch player using optimal strategy is on 0.58%. Standard rules include the dealer hitting a soft 17. If the game is boosted to eight-decks, the house edge increases slightly to 0.60%. Other rule adaptations include whether the player automatically wins with a switched blackjack (by making 21 in one of the two hands). This decreases the house edge to only 0.18%!