Swish Card Game Blackjack
- Appendices
- Miscellaneous
- External Links
Introduction
Blackjack switch is a blackjack variant which allows the player to do what is normally considered a classic cheating manoeuver, trading cards between two hands. The player must make two bets of equal size and is allowed to switch the second card dealt to each hand. Of course, nothing good comes without a trade-off. In this case a dealer 22 results in a push against all non-busted hands and blackjacks pay even money.
- Blackjack Switch is a casino gambling game invented by Geoff Hall and patented in 2009. It is based on blackjack, but differs in that two hands, rather than one, are dealt to each playing position, and the.
- So we play a card game at home, I have no idea what it should be called, it is certainly not the game you play in the casino, or does it have any relation to “Vingt-et-un” (21) or similar. I learnt this game when I was in the 6th form – a long, long time ago.
The game goes by the name Blackjack Exchange at the Bregenz Casino in Austria.
Just play for fun or acquire some practice before playing for real money. This game gives you an opportunity to switch the 2nd card of 2 hands. The game rules are available on the left border of the game screen.
Rules
- All rules are based on conventional blackjack unless otherwise noted.
- Six or eight decks are used.
- Dealer usually hits a soft 17. I hear in Ontario, Canada, the dealer stands on soft 17.
- The player must make two bets of equal size.
- Cards will be dealt face up.
- Dealer will peek for blackjack with an ace or ten up. If the dealer has a blackjack all player hands will immediately lose, except a player blackjack will push.
- The player may switch the second card dealt to each hand. For example, if one hand has 5,10 and the other has 10,6, the player may switch the 10 and 6 to have two hands of 11 and 20. The player may also switch cards to form a blackjack.
- If the player switches to a blackjack, it counts as 21 points.
- Player may double on any 2 cards.
- Player may double after a split.
- Player may resplit up to four hands.
- Winning player blackjacks pay even money.
- A dealer total of 22 will push against any player total of 21 or less. A player blackjack will still beat a dealer 22.
Russian Rules: Same as the rules above, except early surrender allowed (sometimes not against an ace), dealer does not take a hole card, and dealer stands on soft 17.
Playing Strategy
The following tables show the basic strategy under the 8-deck Las Vegas rules after the switch decision has been made. The reason for the differences compared to conventional blackjack strategy is the push on 22 rule.
If 6 decks are used the player should double 9 against a 5.
At this time I have not created a strategy for the Russian rules or Ontario rules.
Simple Switching Strategy
The following is the 'Cindy Liu Simple Switching Strategy,' appropriate under the Las Vegas rules. It is based on the following list of hands in order of strength:
- 21
- 20
- 19
- AA
- 11
- 10
- 9
- 18 or 8
- 8,8 with 2-8 up
Following is how to use it.
Against a dealer 7 or 8, balance the hands, by making the weaker hand as high as possible, using the above scale of hands, if you can.
Against any other dealer up card, maximize the strength of the higher hand, using the scale above, if you can.
If you can't achieve one of the desired hands in the list, then make the strongest hand possible from the following list, in order of strength:
- 7 or 17
- any hand that should be split
- any 12
- any 13
Exceptions:
- With A,A + 3,8 — keep the aces together.
- With A,A + 2,9 — keep the aces together if the dealer has 2-6
- With A,A + 2,8 — keep the aces together
The simple strategy, compared to optimal strategy, results in a cost of errors of 0.17%. It results in an error once every 18.6 hands, and an error with an expected value of more than 10% once every 82 hands.
Advanced Switching Strategy
The following is the 'Cindy Liu Advanced Switching Strategy,' appropriate under the Las Vegas rules. To use it, add up the points for each hand for both ways to play them, and play the one with the greater number of points. In the case of a tie, use the the simple strategy.
Let's look at an example. Suppose you have 8+4 and A+8 against a dealer 6, where the underlined card is the second one dealt. So you can play (1) 12 and soft 19, or (2) 8-8 and soft 15. Which pair of hands is better? According to the table, the 12 is worth 0 points and the soft 19 is worth 1, for a total of 1. For the alternative, 8-8 is worth 1 and the soft 15 is worth 1, also for a total of 2. So the odds favor switching to 8-8 and soft 15. Note that the simple strategy would incorrectly advise the player to not switch. My Blackjack Switch appendix 1 shows that the combined expected value of 12 + soft 19 is -0.2108+0.3634=0.1526, and 8-8 + soft 15 is higher at 0.1461+0.0365=0.1824.
The cost of mistakes in the advanced strategy, compared to optimal strategy, is 0.08% only. The player will make an incorrect decision once every 24.5 hands, and a mistake with an expected value over 10% once every 250 hands.
I also have a printer friendly version (PDF) of both switching strategies, as well as the basic strategy.
Arnold Snyder Switching Strategy
The Big Book of Blackjack by Arnold Synder contains an easy and intuitive switching strategy. Out of respect for copyright, I won't say more than that about how it works. According to Cindy Liu, the Sndyer strategy results in a cost of errors of about 0.2% compared to optimal strategy. Besides that, I highly recommend the book for breaking new ground in blackjack, which is not easy to do any more.
Switching Calculator
Swish Card Game Rules
My Blackjack Switch calculator, courtesy of Jing Ding, will advise when to switch in any situation. The calculator is based on the Playtech rules and an infinite deck assumption.
House Edge
Under the standard Las Vegas rules, with six decks, the dealer hits a soft 17, and a switched blackjack counts as 21 points, the house edge is 0.58%, assuming optimal strategy. Follow are the effects on the house edge of some rule variations:
- Eight decks: +0.02%
- Switched blackjack automatically wins: -0.40%
- Blackjack automatic winner: -0.21%
- Dealer stands on soft 17: -0.30%
The house edge under the Russian rules is 0.20%, assuming early surrender against an ace is allowed.
Side Bet
There is also a Super Match side bet based on the player's initial four cards. The following table shows the paytable, probability, and return of each hand:
Super Match Side Bet
| Hand | Combinations | Probability | Pays | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pair | 136401408 | 0.352205 | 1 | 0.352205 |
| 3 of a kind | 7577856 | 0.019567 | 5 | 0.097835 |
| 2 pair | 5941728 | 0.015342 | 8 | 0.122738 |
| 4 of a kind | 138138 | 0.000357 | 40 | 0.014268 |
| Nothing | 237219840 | 0.612530 | -1 | -0.612530 |
| Total | 387278970 | 1 | -0.025485 |
The lower right cell shows a house edge on the side bet of 2.55%.
C4
The Casino Bregenz in Austria offers Blackjack Switch under the name Blackjack Exchange. They add a side bet called the C4, which is based on the poker value of the player's initial four cards. The table below shows a house edge of 14.32%, based on six decks.
C4 — Six Decks
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four of a kind | 500 | 138,138 | 0.000337 | 0.168425 |
| Straight | 20 | 3,649,536 | 0.008899 | 0.177988 |
| Flush | 12 | 5,647,896 | 0.013772 | 0.165269 |
| Two pair | 10 | 5,871,528 | 0.014318 | 0.143177 |
| Three of a kind | 8 | 7,502,976 | 0.018296 | 0.146368 |
| All other | -1 | 387,278,420 | 0.944378 | -0.944378 |
| Total | 410,088,494 | 1.000000 | -0.143152 |
With four decks, the house edge of the C4 is 18.02%. With eight decks it is 12.40%.
Other Switch Pages
- Printer friendly basic and switching strategies (PDF).
- Appendix 1: Expected value table for each initial hand, for purposes of making accurate switching decisions.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to Cindy Liu for both her simple and advanced switching strategies, Jing Ding for his switching calculator, and to Gabor for his mathematical contributions.
External Links
- German translation of this article.
- Interview with the inventor of Blackjack Switch Geoff Hall
Written by: Michael Shackleford
So we play a card game at home, I have no idea what it should be called, it is certainly not the game you play in the casino, or does it have any relation to “Vingt-et-un” (21) or similar.
I learnt this game when I was in the 6th form – a long, long time ago. Last century in fact. Anyway – I taught it to the kids in steps, and now I decided I should write it down.
The Premise of the Game
The game consists of 2 or more players using a single (or multiple) pack of cards, jokers removed.
Swish Card Game Blackjack Free
The goal is to get rid of all your cards first.
Order of Play
- The pack is shuffled and each player is dealt 7 cards face down.
- The remaining cards are left face down in a pile – we’ll call this the “pickup” pile – in the middle of the game and the card on the top of the pile turned over to be the “top card” tostart a pile next to the pickup pile, which we’ll call the discard pile. The initial top card at the start of the game has no behaviour and is played on he basis of the number and suit (so an Ace of Clubs means you have to play a Club or an Ace which is then subject to the behaviour). Variation: resuffle to get new “top card”.
- If you run out of cards in the “pickup” pile, the top card of the “discard” becomes the the “top card”, and the rest turned over to become the “pickup” pile.
- To start – if this is a new game, you can either go with youngest player, or use some method to select a first player. Play then proceeds in a clockwise direction (left of first player) – this is importart for later. If there is a winner from a previous round, they go first.
- If you can’t or do not wish to play a card, you have to pick a card up from the discard pile and the next player has their turn. You may not play a card if have just picked up until your next turn.
- Variation: Must play card if you have one that can be played
- Variation: Can play a card on pickup
- As an aide to players – it is recommended to call out the cards as you play them
- You MUST call out “last card” when playing the last but one card even if the last card is part of a sequence (see rules). Failure to do this carries a penalty of picking up 2 cards.
- The last card’s behaviour has no effect since it finishes the game.
The Card Rules
1. The basic rule is that to play a card it must match either the suit or the number of the top most card on the discard pile, so 7 of Clubs can be played on 7 of Hearts, and a 5 of Hearts can be played on top of a 7 of Hearts.
2. Sets – you can play the same number card as a set – so for e.g.:
5 of Spades, 5 of Hearts, 5 of Clubs, 5 of Diamonds.
3. Sequences – where the cards are in sequence, a sequence is a set of cards of the same suit, that run in order either backwards or forwards, so for e.g.:
3,4,5,6 of Hearts or 9,8,7,6 of Spades, or 2, Ace, King, Queen, Jack of Clubs.
4. You can combine the runs and sequences, within a single turn
3,4,5 of Hearts, 5 of Clubs, 5,4,3 of Spades
Individual Card Rules
Certain types of cards have their own behaviour, however once a card is played it is “spent” and doesn’t count again unless it is specifically cumulative. A card’s behaviour – unless cumulative – has no effect if it is not left at the top of the discard pile at the end of the turn. If it is cumulative, it must be at the top of a set of those cards at the top of the discard pile. If the card results in a penalty (“picking up”) the player picking up cannot play a card until their next turn. There are variations as noted, always calrify the rules prior to the game.
1. Ace of any suit – change suit – when played must be followed by thge player saying “change to …” and stating the suit which ends their turn. Can be played on any card. If played as part of a sequence, no effect unless it is the last card on top of the pile.
2. 2 of any suit – next player picks up two cards, unless they also have a 2 (or multiple), in which case they can play the 2 to avoid the penalty. The next play in turn who does not have a two must pick up as twice many cards as there are 2 in the pile. Once a player has picked up cards, the penalty is spent. e.g. for a 4 player game:
player 1 – 2 of spades
player 2 – 2 of Hearts
player 3 – no 2’s so picks up 4
player 4 – 2 of clubs
player 1 – no 2’s, picks up 2
3. 4 of any suit – “go again”, effectively get another turn – you can play another card of the same suit except for the ace. If you can’t play another card, you have to pick up a card. Variation: don’t pickup. Good to connect a set of cards with a higher value card, e.g.
2,3,4 of Hearts, “go again”, Queen, King of Hearts.
4. 8 of any suit – next player in the game misses their turn “miss a go”, in a two player game it is the same effect as playing 4.
9. Black Jack (either Spades or Clubs) – next player must pick up 7 unless they have:
- Another Black Jack – they can play that, and the next player must pick up 14 cards. No other card can be played after it in this scenario.
- A Black 7 – cancels out the Black Jack or Jacks played. No other card can be played after it in this scenario.
- If multiple packs are in play then it multiplies by the number of Black Jacks that are played.
- In all cases, the player picking up cannot play a card so the play passes to the next.
- Variation: Don’t play cumulative – can pick up max of 7
- Variation: Red Jack cancels
- Variation: Must play as many cancel cards as Black Jacks
10. King of any suit – reverse direction of play – not cumulative, for e.g. if you play 3 Kings, only the top one takes effect so a player cannot reverse the play multiple times in a turn. In a two player game has no effect. Variation: Cumulative, so 2 kings maintains play in current order.
Introducing the game
Swish Card Game Blackjack Download
When I started introducing this game – we played versions which included:
- Card Rules 1 and left out Order of Play 7 (Easy for 4 year olds)
- Card Rules 2 and/or 3 and left out Order of Play 7 (building up)
- All Card Rules, All Order of Play and the Individual Rule for 4
- All Card Rules, All Order of Play and the Individual Rule for 4, 8, and King (no Penalties)
- Full & Variations