Blackjack Switch Strategy & Tips

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.

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