How And Where To Play Blackjack Switch In Canada
If you head over to any land-based or online casino in Canada, you’ll find a huge number of blackjack variations. One of our favorites is the blackjack switch. Its distinct feature is that the player plays with two hands at the same time. As you can imagine, this certainly up the ante in terms of both excitement and new strategies. Though you might gain a huge number of benefits with dual hands, unfortunately, casinos impose new rules to ensure that any new advantages are kept firmly in check.
Where To Play Blackjack Switch In Canada
If you go to the live dealer section of any online casino in Canada you’ll discover several varieties of the classic table game of blackjack. All the top and most reputable casinos will offer an interesting and original variation called blackjack switch. This is one of the best blackjack card game types and was invented by Geoff Hall. He also invented other variations of the game such as Free Bet Blackjack.
In 2019, he patented his creation and then sold the rights to the software developer company Playtech. So if you’re wondering where to play blackjack switch in Canada, you’ll find that all online and land-based casinos that are using Playtech software will feature this game.
What makes blackjack switch so distinctive is the fact that you play with two hands simultaneously. At the same time, you have the option to switch the top cards between the same two hands. By doing so you’ll improve your chances to win the jackpot online. Having said that, this interesting twist on the game also increases the level of gameplay complexity. So, though the blackjack switch is incredibly exciting to play, it also needs a new way of thinking about traditional blackjack strategies.
How To Play Blackjack Switch
In truth, a blackjack switch is not a difficult game to master. After all, virtually all of its rules are taken directly from the traditional game. Provided that you have an understanding of casino blackjack then learning the basic blackjack rules of this new version will be easy.
One of the key factors you’ll instantly notice is that you need to post two bets per round to cover both the hands in play. There’s also an additional side wager which is the “Super Match Side Bet.” Other than these couple of distinct features, then the objectives of the game remain the same. The idea is to beat the dealer with a higher hand total. But without exceeding a total score of 21.
Where To Play Blackjack Switch In Canada: Basic Rules
Now you may first think, what a great idea it is to play a game of blackjack whereby your chances of winning have been improved thanks to the ability to be able to switch between two hands. But what the Canadian casinos give with one hand, it also takes away with the other.
To that end, new rules come into play with the blackjack switch. These are to compensate for any advantage the new gameplay might give you. The first thing to note is that the game is dealt from a shoe that contains multiple decks. The number of these can vary considerably depending on which land-based casino in Canada you’re playing at. Some will offer the use of four, whereas others go up to six, and even higher up to eight decks of cards.
Even Money Payouts
If you’re playing at one of the best online blackjack sites in Canada, like 22Bet Casino, then you’ll find up the use of six decks of cards is standard. They will be shuffled together after each round. Just as in the regular game of blackjack, you’ll have the options to either stand, split, hit, double down, or buy insurance. It’s important to remember that in this version of the game, the dealer hits on a soft 17.
He’s also able to peak for naturals when showing an Ace or a 10-value card. Another point to keep in mind is that there is no surrender possible in the blackjack switch. As far as payments go, blackjack pays out at even money. Also, instead of going past, the dealer pushes the player on having a hand total of 22.
Where To Play Blackjack Switch In Canada: The Insurance Bet
If the dealer exposes himself with an Ace, then you can make the prop wager with the name “insurance.” To buy insurance, you must first post an extra wager equal to half of the amount of your original wager. Now if the dealer’s up card has a 10 value card in the hole for a blackjack, then a winning insurance bet will pay out at a rate of 2 to 1. If this happens then you win your insurance bet. But you’ll lose your initial wager. This rule means that you will essentially break-even for the round.
Here at Blackjackchamp.com, we consider the insurance bet to be a bad wager to make. The reason behind this is that it carries a bigger house edge. And by so doing, it carries with it a negative expectation. Essentially, when you take an insurance bet, you’re wagering that the dealer has a 10 in the hole for a blackjack.
It’s important to keep in mind that the insurance bet has zero impact on your odds of winning your original hand. Many blackjack players believe that the insurance bet will protect them against the dealer having blackjacks. But if you look into perfect blackjack strategy, you’ll see that it recommends that players never insure their hands.
The Double Down In Blackjack Switch
The players in blackjack switch can double down on any two-card total. By doing so, they’re able to take advantage of any occasions when the dealer finds himself in a tough spot. But if you do double down, then you must post an additional wager that’s equal to your original bet.
Having said that, it’s quite possible to find some land-based casinos in Canada where you’re able to double down for less. Nevertheless, we don’t think this is a very smart idea. That’s because it’s going to stop you from making the maximum profit from an advantageous situation. You may also find that in some casinos in Canada, being able to double down after you split is allowed.
Where To Play Blackjack Switch In Canada: Blackjack Switch Splitting
If you’re playing blackjack switch and have a pair of cards to the same value, then you’re able to split. You’ll also find that in this version of blackjack, 10 value cards like the Jack and Queen can also be split. Once again, you need to pony up an additional bet to cover the split. What’s great about the blackjack switch is you able to split twice. In other words, you can form four separate hands.
Super Match Side Bets
In blackjack switch, all players have an option of being able to post a side wager which is the “Super Match.” What’s interesting about this is that it pays out whenever you form a specific poker hand with your initial two hands. To look at the Super Match bet in more detail take note of the following.
- Even money for 1 pair
- 5 to 1 for 3 of a kind
- 8 to 1 for 2 pairs
- 40 to 1 for 4 of a kind
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Where To Play Blackjack Switch In Canada: The House Edge And RTP
Contrary to popular belief blackjack switch doesn’t produce a very big house edge. If you’re playing online in Canada and utilizing Playtech’s version, the return to player stands at around 99.87%. OK, this isn’t so bad. As it translates to a house edge for the player of 0.13%. But it’s important to remember that you’ll only achieve this if you play with the optimal strategy for this particular variation of the game of blackjack.
Also, keep in mind that the basic strategy for blackjack switch is going to be different from other varieties of the game. As with all gambling games, we suggest that you approach blackjack switch as a means of playing online blackjack for fun.
