Many of us are familiar with the traditional game of blackjack. Blackjack switch is a modern twist on the original game, but is it worth playing? What is the house edge? And which version is better for the player, traditional Blackjack or Blackjack switch?
First of all we will have a refresher course in the original game of blackjack. The aim of the game in blackjack is to attain a score as close as possible to 21 without going over. Players are dealt 2 cards initially, as is the dealer. All cards are worth their face value, picture cards are worth 10 and aces are worth either 11 or 1 whichever suits your hand best. The player (you) always goes first and you have the decision to hit, stand or fold. Once you have finished making your decisions and you have not busted out, the dealer has their turn. Normally they must draw to at least 17. Once this has been achieved whoever has the closest score to 21 is the winner. If the dealer busts then the player wins. If a player or dealer has a picture card and an ace it is known as a blackjack. If a player has a blackjack they are paid 3:2 on their bet.
This is all standard stuff; this version has been played for years and is by far the most popular version of blackjack around. However in recent years casino operators have tried to add some variation to the game and have created a number of variations of the original game. Blackjack switch allows players playing 2 hands with an equal bet on each to switch the second card they receive from one hand to another. This action if played correctly can turn 2 bum hands into to very lucrative hands. But (and there is always a but) there is a price to pay.
There are 2 rules which aim to even out the advantage gained by the player switching the hands are as follows. Firstly if the dealer gets a score of 22 then it is a push or a draw. In conventional blackjack if the dealer attained a score of 22 he would bust and you would win the bet. The second difference to affect the odds is the fact that player blackjacks now only pay even money instead of the traditional 3:2 ratio.
Players may only switch the second cards dealt. For example say you were dealt a 7 6 and a 3 4, you would switch the 6 and the 4 to make new hands of 7 4 and 3 6 thus greatly improving your chances of generating a winning hand. In many cases the decision as to whether or not you should switch the cards will be fairly self explanatory, but detailed calculations are very much more complex.
You can play blackjack switch online. Bewise bets has a list of casinos that offer the game (see link at the bottom of the page). The odds are considered slightly better than that of traditional blackjack although the benefits are marginal at best. Overall it makes little difference as to which game you play but it can be nice to play as a change.
Mark Hirst is experienced gambler specialising in the online industry. He prides himself on providing honest online gambling site reviews. You can also visit his online blackjack strategy site for honest consumer reviews and detailed blackjack software & strategies.
Source: www.ezinearticles.com
