Reader’s Questions to Mark Pilarski
Gaming Guru Mark Pilarski has a regular column wherein he answers questions from readers. Questions are basically about anything related to card games. As I was reading one of his recent posts, a topic caught my eye. A reader was asking about Blackjack Switch, which we have covered a couple of times on this blog. The question itself was phrased in an interesting way. However, they way Mark Pilarski answered it was more than interesting – it was beautiful! Read for yourself what they both have to say:
Dear Mark: I just returned from a stay at Harrah’s Reno where they were pushing a new game called Blackjack Switch. The player must make two bets of equal size and is dealt two hands. The player then can switch the second card of each hand to improve one or both hands before standing or hitting. The catch is that a Dealer “22″ is a push, not a player win, and a player’s blackjack pays even money.
Gee, why do I smell a trap here? Only the second cards can be switched, the house doesn’t lose when the dealer busts with 22 (the player loses with 22), and a player’s blackjack is even money even if dealt before switching. Was I right to give this “opportunity” a wide berth? Mike H.
You’re not smelling a trap, Mike, but perfume. What is considered cheating, that of trading cards between two hands, is now legal for those who play Blackjack Switch. Players must make two bets of equal size and they are then allowed to switch the second card dealt to each hand. For example, you are dealt a seven and then a six on one hand, and a five followed by a three on the other. Normally this would give you a 13 and an 8. With Blackjack Switch you can now switch the second card dealt, the six with the three, and you now have two great hands to double down with 5+6 (11) and 7+3 (10).
Granted, Mike, a winning player’s blackjack is paid even money, and the dealer is compensated with a push on 22, but, using perfect basic strategy similar to, but — due to the push on a 22 — not exactly like conventional blackjack, the house edge is 0.16% with six decks and 0.18% with eight decks.
So what do you guys think about Pilarski’s explanation? Is it really NOT a trap but a great chance, instead? I suppose, one of Blackjack Switch’s greatest assets – if not THE greatest – is the fact that you can “switch” (hence the name) cards between hands. One thing worth mentioning here is the fact that he emphasized basic strategy. Though it is not quite like the conventional basic strategy, the importance of having the knowledge is there. To be honest though, the odds that he presented up there were not quite clear to me. I mean, I can’t figure out how he calculated that but there is no reason for him to present false figures. The odds are then pretty good for Blackjack Switch, aren’t they?
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Written by The Blackjack Advisor on February 27th, 2007 with
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