1. What Is Blackjack Switch Games
2. What Is Blackjack Switch Circuit

The game of Blackjack has been around in casinos since the early 1700s. Back then, when it first appeared in France, there was just 1 basic version – nowadays there are plenty more.

This article covers Blackjack Switch – whereas most of the rules are the same as standard Blackjack. There are some notable differences, the main ones being that you need to pay for 2 hands of an equal amount and you can ‘Switch’ the 2nd card of each hand if you wish in order to get a better chance of winning.

Due to this obvious advantage for the player, the casino is always going to adjust something in favour of the house to counteract this. In this version of Blackjack, if the Dealer gets 22, any remaining hands that don’t have Blackjack are ‘pushed’ and the bets returned. A player Blackjack pays at even money.

Blackjack Switch Rules

As mentioned above, most the rules are the same as a standard game of Blackjack, we assume you know the basics if not these can be found in a separate article.

• All rules are the same as standard Blackjack unless mentioned below
• The game uses either 6 or 8 decks of cards depending on the casino
• The Dealer ‘hits’ on soft 17 (a 17 containing an Ace and therefore being worth either 17 or 7)
• The Player needs to place 2 bets of equal size, either both, 1 or none of these bets can be winners
• Player cards will be dealt face up
• Dealer ‘peeks’ for Blackjack if they have an Ace or a 10 as their upturned card (after Players have a choice of Insurance if the upturned card is an Ace). If they have Blackjack, all hands that didn’t take Insurance will lose except Player Blackjack which will ‘push’. Insurance pays 2 to 1.
• The Player can choose to ‘Switch’ the 2nd cards of their hands around to make 2 new hands. For example, if they are dealt 10, 6 and 5, 10 the 2nd cards – in this case, 6 and 10 – can be swapped giving them 10, 10 and 5, 6 instead, a much better position to be in
• If the Player ‘Switches’ to form Blackjack, this counts as 21 as opposed to Blackjack
• The player may ‘Double’ on any 2 cards, including after ‘Switching’
• The player may ‘Double’ after a ‘Split’
• Player may ‘Resplit’ up to 4 times
• A Player Blackjack pays even money

Above is an example of the layout for a Blackjack Switch game. You will see that it looks a lot like a standard Blackjack game except that the Player has to have 2 hands with the same initial bet.

1. The best place to play blackjack switch is actually Casino Royale because they will pay you immediately for a switched 'blackjack'. They only pay even money as all blackjack switch games pay, but at least they don't treat it like a 21 like the other casinos do after a switch.
2. For the shedding-type card game sometimes called Black Jack, see Black Jack (Switch). For other uses, see Black Jack. Blackjack, formerly also Black Jack and Vingt-Un, is the American member of a global family of banking games known as Twenty-One, whose relatives include the British game of Pontoon and the European game, Vingt-et-Un.

Blackjack switch is a game any jaded classic twenty-one players should try. Not only do the switching rules add a whole other dimension to the game, but the house edge is lower than classic 21, if the rules are the same. Blackjack Switch Tips. Due to the Switching element of Blackjack Switch, we suggest you play for free first to get the hang of when to Switch and when to keep your hands. Even if you are a Blackjack expert, this version is considerably different and adds an element of strategy not found in any other version.

Switching Strategy

One of the hardest aspects of the Blackjack Switch is when to Switch and when to leave the hands as they are.

By following the chart below, you won’t go far wrong.

If the Dealer has a 7 or 8 upturned, try and balance the hands by making the weakest hand as strong as possible, using the table below if you can.

If the Dealer has any other upturned card, make the strongest possible hand from the table below to give yourself the best possible chance of winning at least 1 hand.

1. 21
2. 20
3. 19
4. AA
5. 11
6. 10
7. 9
8. 18 or 8
9. 88 if the Dealer has between a 2 and an 8

If you cannot make any of the above hands either by leaving the hands as they are or ‘Switching’, make the strongest possible hand out of the following:

1. 7 or 17
2. Any hand that should be Split according to the chart below
3. Any 12
4. Any 13

Hitting or Standing strategy

As the Dealer ‘Pushes’ any remaining hands if they get 22, the strategy for Blackjack Switch is considerably different to a standard version.

The table below shows the action you should take in each instance after a Switch has or hasn’t been made.

Hard Hands – No Ace

H = Hit D = Double S = Stand

Soft Hands – With an Ace

H = Hit D = Double S = Stand

Pairs

H = Hit D = Double S = Stand SP = Split

Blackjack Switch Tips

Due to the Switching element of Blackjack Switch, we suggest you play for free first to get the hang of when to Switch and when to keep your hands. Even if you are a Blackjack expert, this version is considerably different and adds an element of strategy not found in any other version. All good internet casinos should allow you to play for free before parting with your own funds.

Remember that if the Dealer gets 22, all Player hands except for Blackjack ‘push’. Again, this is different from any other version and therefore takes some getting used to.

As with all casino games, ensure you play within your means and remember that in Blackjack Switch, you need to place 2 bets of an equal amount at the start of a game, this is before extra bets for Doubling and Splitting are taken into account. Therefore, factor this into your thinking when deciding how much to bet per hand – we would advise you to start a session with enough for around 40 games.

Blackjack References:

Blackjack Rules, Strategy & Tips
Card Counting in Blackjack
Play Real Blackjack Online

Featured Gambling Guides

Blackjack switch is a blackjack variant patented by inventor Geoff Hall in 2009. The variant allows the player a classic cheating maneuver, in which the player switches cards between two hands. The player makes two equal bets and can switch the top two cards between the hands. Due to this, the blackjack variant pays equal money and a dealer 22 pushes all non-busted hands except natural. The variant is also known as Blackjack Exchange in Austrian casinos. So, there are several variants of this game, you can play them here.

History

The inventor of this blackjack variant, Geoff Hall was a card counter who was fed up of being dealt 2 weak hands all the time. He felt that the game could be improved significantly if the top 2 cards were allowed to be switched. Hall developed this idea and showcased it at a 2000 G2E Las Vegas conference. In February 2001, Blackjack Switch was installed in a casino in Iowa. Hall then modified the game to include the 'Push on 22' rule. After the inclusion of this rule, Blackjack Switch was installed in Four Queens at the end of 2003 and has since become popular around the world. Blackjack switch can also be found on online casinos.

What Is Blackjack Switch Games

Blackjack Switch Rules

All the rules for blackjack switch are the same as in blackjack unless noted. The table uses 6-8 card decks, with the dealer standing at a soft 17. After placing two equal-sized bets, the cards are dealt face up, with the dealer peeking for a blackjack with a ten up or ace. If he hits a blackjack when dealing, all player hands lose.

The switch allows the player to exchange cards before each hand. If he switches to blackjack, he gets a score of 21. The player can double on two cards and after a split. He can re-split up to 4 hands with the blackjack paying even money.

Strategy

There are both basic and advanced strategies for blackjack switch. They cover the switch and the decision on either standing, switching the card, drawing a further card or doubling. The switching strategy is hard to summarize. Sometimes, the switch is obvious due to the largest difference in advantage, but sometimes, you can break-up a natural by switching.

Compared to traditional blackjack, there are fewer occasions where a split or double is rewarding in blackjack switch – instead, there are more instances where it's correct to hit risk or go bust.

There are also advanced blackjack switch strategies such as the Cindy Liu Advanced Switching Strategy, which is legal under Las Vegas rules. There's also a blackjack switch calculator online under Playtech rules with an infinite deck assumption.

Blackjack switch allows a side bet as well (also known as Super Match). This type of bet rewards three-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind, pairs and two-pairs in the 4 starting cards of the player's first two hands. Depending on the deck, the rewards are different. For a 6-deck table, the side bet pays 1/1 for a pair, 5/1 for three-of-a-kind, 8/1 for two pairs and 40/1 for four-of-a-kind. This bet, however, stops the player from making a meaningful switch as it raises the house edge.

What Is Blackjack Switch Circuit