Blackjack Switch

Blackjack Switch is a very popular game among gamblers due to its special rules and peculiarities, which distinguish it from other variants of blackjack.

In comparison with traditional blackjack, it has smaller payouts, but a greater probability of getting a winning combination.

The rules of the game are not much different from those of classic blackjack. In Blackjack Switch, six decks of 52 cards each are used. All of them are carefully shuffled, after that the dealer starts distributing cards. Each player is dealt 2 hands simultaneously, so that a player has to make two equal bets. The goal of the game is to get a higher score than the dealer, but not exceeding 21 points.

The scoring is standard for blackjack: points for numerals correspond to their value, face cards count as 10, Aces are considered as 1 or 11 depending on other cards of a hand.

When a player bets on a box, the same bet appears immediately on the adjacent one. The dealer deals 2 cards for each hand. When the dealer plays out his hand, his cards can be observed by all players. Before that, players can see only one card (the second one is dealt face down).

The peculiarity of this variation of blackjack is that you can interchange upper cards between boxes. This opportunity significantly increases the chances to win. For example, you are dealt 8-5 and 6-3 (5 and 3 are top cards). The optimal move is to change 5 and 3 to make the hands 8-3 and 6-5.

To balance the game, the following rules were added:

• The dealer doesn’t lose with 22 points (it’s a push), except for a player’s blackjack received directly after dealing.
• Blackjack is paid 1:1.
• The dealer beats a player’s soft 17 points (a hand that totals 7 points, but contains an Ace).

Having two cards in your hand, you can double your bet, if you are sure of getting a winning combination with the help of the next card. In this case you can get one card only.

If the dealer’s open card is an Ace, you are offered “Insurance”, a special bet in the amount of half of the initial bet. Being paid 2:1, insurance allows you to save your money in case the dealer gets blackjack. If the second card of the dealer is other than a face card or a Ten, you lose your insurance bet. Insurance can be used for each box.

Another useful option which allows raising the initial bet is called “Split”. It can be used when you’re dealt 2 cards of the same rank within one box. So, you can split them to form two independent hands. In this case the amount of the initial bet is added for the second hand too. After separating cards, the dealer draws one card on each hand, and you make further decisions on the hands sequentially. Splitting is allowed one time per deal only. In the case of splitting two Aces, you can get only one additional card for each hand. Blackjack after a split is not possible – it is considered as ordinary 21 points.

If you think that your loss with two initial cards is obvious, you can discard by choosing “Surrender”. This move will cost you half of the initial bet. If you continue playing and need an additional card (without doubling), you should click the “Hit” button. Press the “Stand” button, when you don’t want to take another card.

Bonuses

In Blackjack Switch, you can make the additional bet called “Super Match”. This is a side bet on several combinations, which can be formed using 4 initial cards (that is both hands). If you make such a bet, you are paid a bonus for the following combinations which have its own ratio:

• “One pair” – 1:1;
• “Tree of a kind” – 5:1;
• “Two pairs” – 8:1;
• “Four of a kind” – 40:1.

Basic Strategy of the Blackjack Switch

Like in the classic version, the basic strategy of the Blackjack Switch is to take an optimal decision based on the face-up card of the dealer and own cards. As a result of an in-depth analysis of the game, the basic strategy chart has been elaborated, which takes into account all possible combinations. By following the optimal strategy, you can reduce online casino’s profit to 0.5%.