Switch Blackjack

Striving for Better Hands with Switch Blackjack

Blackjack is a casino game enjoyed by many players because it combines skill and luck and often has a comparatively low house edge. Because many players favour blackjack for its low house advantage, casinos have developed variations of the game with additional rules that shift the edge back in their favour. At the same time, these rules can introduce new decisions, risks, and potential rewards.

One popular variation of the card game is Blackjack Switch, which is available at some land-based casinos and numerous online casinos. If you have ever wished you could exchange cards between two hands to improve them, Blackjack Switch may be the right game for you. By adding this feature to the gameplay, the variation has become popular with many players, particularly because its house edge can also be quite low.

Best Rated Casinos for United States 

1. 
   Sign Up Bonus
   Up to $3500
   350% Bonus!
   9.7
   REVIEW
   GET BONUS
2. 
   Sign Up Bonus
   Up to $500
   400% Bonus!
   9.4
   REVIEW
   GET BONUS
3. 
   Sign Up Bonus
   Up to $2000
   200% Bonus!
   9.3
   REVIEW
   GET BONUS

Invented by Geoff Hall, Blackjack Switch was patented in 2009. Hall came up with the idea after playing a blackjack session in which he was dealt two weak hands. He realised that switching the top two cards could improve his hands. In October 2000, Hall unveiled his idea at the G2E conference in Las Vegas. In 2003, he added the “Push on 22” rule because most of the existing rules favoured players.

Casinos gradually began offering the game to attract more blackjack enthusiasts. The first casino to offer Blackjack Switch was Harvey’s Casino in Iowa. Today, the game is available at many online casinos powered by Playtech.

Rules

Gameplay

Side Bet

Considerations

Blackjack Switch Rules

As Blackjack Switch is a variation of blackjack, its basic rules are largely the same. Your aim is to form a stronger hand than the dealer’s without exceeding twenty-one. In general, the higher the total value of your hand, the better your chances of winning. However, if you exceed twenty-one, your hand busts and loses automatically.

Card values are also unchanged. An ace can count as either one or eleven, while all face cards are worth ten. The remaining cards are worth the values printed on them.

What sets this variation apart from classic blackjack and other variants is that you play two separate hands and can exchange their top cards. Exchanging cards between hands is not permitted in standard blackjack. This feature changes how you evaluate and play both hands.

Being able to switch the top cards makes it easier to improve one or both hands. Another major difference is the blackjack payout: this winning combination pays even money rather than the standard 3:2.

In this variation, you can place an insurance bet that pays 2:1, provided the dealer’s upcard is an ace. If the dealer’s total is twenty-two, the result is a push unless you have a natural blackjack. This rule does not apply to players, so a player hand totalling twenty-two still busts. The rule applies only to the dealer and works in the casino’s favour.

Doubling down after splitting is permitted, and you can make this move on any two initial cards. You are also allowed to resplit to form up to four hands, although this rule can vary between casinos.

Blackjack Switch Gameplay

At the beginning of the game, you must place two initial bets of equal value. Once your wagers are placed, you receive two face-up cards for each hand, positioned in the designated areas on the table. The dealer receives one face-up card and one face-down card.

At this point, you may exchange the top card of one hand with the top card of the other to create better totals. For instance, if one hand consists of a two and an eight while the other contains an ace and a four, you can swap the eight and the four. This switch creates a strong hand totalling nineteen with the ace and the eight. After deciding whether to switch cards, you must choose one of the standard blackjack moves: hit, stand, double down, or split if you have a pair.

Screenshot of Blackjack Switch gameplay

Switch Blackjack Strategy: A Step-by-Step Guide

Blackjack Switch introduces a twist to traditional blackjack by allowing players to swap cards between two hands. Using this option effectively can improve the strength of your hands. The following guide summarises the main strategic considerations:

1. Understanding the Basics: Your primary goal remains to beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21. However, the switch option lets you exchange the top cards of your two hands to improve your chances.
2. Evaluating Your Hands: Assess the strength of both hands in relation to the dealer’s upcard. The main purpose of switching cards is to improve the overall strength of your two hands.
3. Dealer’s Position: Check the dealer’s upcard to evaluate their position. A 7, 8, 9, 10, or ace indicates a strong position, so you should optimise your hands accordingly. Conversely, if the dealer’s upcard is between 3 and 6, the dealer is in a weaker position, and you should adjust your strategy.
4. The Push on 22 Rule: This rule changes how you should evaluate a dealer upcard of 2 compared with standard blackjack.
5. Cindy Liu’s Switching Strategy: This strategy categorises hands by strength, from 21 through 8-8, and focuses on improving the weaker player hand when the dealer shows a 7 or 8. If the dealer has any other upcard, the player should aim to improve the stronger hand into a top-tier hand.
6. Hand Improvement Priorities: If you cannot form a top-tier hand, aim to improve the stronger hand into a viable alternative, such as 7, 17, a splittable pair, 12, or 13.
7. Ace Management: Keep aces together if your second hand is weak, such as 3-8 or 2-8, or if the dealer’s upcard ranges from 2 to 6.

The Super Match Side Bet

Blackjack Switch also offers Super Match, a side bet that adds another possible outcome to the game. As its name suggests, this bet wins when your initial four cards contain at least one matching pair. If you decide to place it, you must do so at the beginning of the game, before any cards are dealt.

• If you have two cards of the same rank, you receive a payout of 1:1.
• If you have three cards of the same rank on the initial deal, you receive a payout of 5:1.
• For two pairs, the payout is 8:1.
• If you are dealt four cards of the same rank, you receive a payout of 40:1.

Payouts for the side bet may vary depending on the casino and the number of decks in use. Although the returns may look appealing, most side bets work in favour of the casino and are not beneficial for players. Under the rules described here, Super Match has a house edge of 2.55%. By comparison, the house edge in the base game of Blackjack Switch, using six decks, with the dealer hitting on soft 17, a switched blackjack counting as 21, and the player following basic strategy, is 0.58%.

Playing Strategy for Switch Blackjack

Blackjack players can reduce the house edge by applying basic strategy. However, basic strategy is not static and changes with each variation of the game. In Blackjack Switch, you must first decide whether to exchange the top cards of your hands. In some situations, the answer is obvious because your goal is to improve your hands based on the dealer’s upcard.

For instance, if you hold 10-2 and 3-King, you should swap the top cards to form a strong hand consisting of a 10 and a King. However, the best move is not always that clear. You need a strategy to determine the best option. First, decide whether the dealer is in a strong position. If their upcard is 7, 8, 9, 10, or an ace, the dealer is considered strong. Conversely, if the exposed card is 3 through 6, the dealer is in a weak position.

An upcard of 2 requires separate consideration because of the special “Push on 22” rule. The dealer’s likelihood of busting is considered low when their upcard is a 2. With that in mind, it is helpful to understand one of the most popular switching strategies.

One such strategy, proposed by Cindy Liu, considers the strength of the player’s hands. The hands are ranked in the following order: 21, 20, 19, A-A, 11, 10, 9, 18 or 8, and 8-8. According to the strategy, players should improve the weaker hand to any of these totals when the dealer shows a 7 or 8. If the dealer’s upcard is anything else, players are advised to improve the stronger hand to one of the top-tier hands listed above. If that is not possible, they should aim to improve the stronger hand to one of the following: 7 or 17, a splittable pair, 12, or 13.

Players should also keep aces together when their other hand totals 3-8 or 2-8, or when the dealer shows 2 through 6.

Blackjack Switch Strategy Chart

Rules:

• A dealer total of 22 results in a push against all non-busted hands except natural blackjacks.
• Blackjack pays 1:1.
• The dealer hits on soft 17.
• Six decks. Note: With eight decks, do not double on 9 vs. 5.

Legend:

• H: Hit
• S: Stand
• D: Double if possible; otherwise, hit
• Ds: Double if possible; otherwise, stand
• P: Split (pair)

Conclusion

Blackjack Switch is a challenging and entertaining variation that offers a distinctive take on traditional blackjack. Its core rules are straightforward, although making effective switching decisions requires careful strategy. The ability to exchange cards between two hands is the feature that sets this version apart.

In this version, you play two hands and can exchange their top cards, which may help you improve one or both hands. Although additional rules offset the advantage provided by switching, Blackjack Switch remains one of the blackjack variants with a comparatively low house edge.

FAQ: Blackjack Switch