Play Switch Blackjack Game Online

Blackjack Switch is a variant of blackjack in which two hands are dealt to each playing position, and the player is initially allowed to exchange ("switch") the top two cards between hands. 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. Natural blackjacks are paid 1:1 instead of the standard 3:2, and a dealer hard 22 pushes all player hands except a natural. The initial bets on the two hands must be identical, although during playing out they may be doubled and split independently. The two wagers are resolved separately.

The Switch Decision

The correct decision regarding whether to switch is sometimes obvious, particularly when there is the largest difference in advantage. However, bordeline 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. Arnold Snyder presents a protocol for switching decisions based on four categories of hand, "winner", "push", "loser" and "chance" [1] which he claims reduces the house edge to 0.25% under his ruleset.

Basic Strategy After the Switch Decision

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.

Side Bet

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. The 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 a lucky pair of four of a kind. [2] 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.