Blackjack Switch

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Blackjack Switch is a very interesting blackjack variant that was invented by blackjack expert Geoff Hall and is only available online via Playtech.

The game is played with six decks and you begin by placing an equal-sized bet on two hands. You are then dealt four cards in two hands face up, and the dealer one card face up and one card face down as usual.

The unique aspect of this game is that you can 'switch' your cards around as you see fit. Say, for example you are dealt two 15s in the form of a five and a ten. You can switch your hands so they are worth 20 (two tens) and 10 (two fives) respectively. You will have much better chance of beating the dealer with 20 and 10 than two 15s.

On the surface, this sounds like a sure-fire winner … but there are complications which swing the house edge back towards the house, of course. The key rule change to consider is the fact that when the dealer scores 22 it is a push, rather than a loss, except against any player blackjack.

Blackjack also only pays evens, and the dealer hits on soft 17. Insurance (which pays 2-1) is offered if the dealer's up-card is an ace, and dealer always checks for blackjack. A dealer blackjack immediately beats all hands aside from player blackjack.

You can double down on all totals, including after splitting. You can only split once, and you can't switch split hands. Split aces only receive one more card.

You can also place a side bet, known as 'Super Match'. You get evens if two cards within the four you are dealt are a pair, 5-1 if three are the same, 8-1 if you receive two pairs and 40-1 if all four cards are the same value.

The house edge in this game is a tiny 0.17 percent. The house edge for the side bet is also small, at 2.55 percent.

Conclusion

Even obsessive blackjack fans can become jaded if they are constantly playing the same strategy for each hand. This at least mixes things up a bit, and you will not find many blackjack games with a greater RTP than 99.83 percent. It certainly makes for a worthwhile distraction and the interface looks great. It's also an extremely easy game to play. If you are a blackjack fan, you could find yourself switching to enjoyable blackjack variant from Playtech.