Australian Blackjack Rules
Posted : admin On 4/3/2022- Appendices
- Miscellaneous
- External Links
Introduction
- Australian Blackjack Rules, casino chip chocolate coins, craps or roulette, nearest train station to star city casino Bingo Keno Baccarat Roulette Caribbean Stud Specialty Games Craps #5 5.
- Blackjack Clay Firing, jelly belly roulette flavours, legal gambling age in nyc, casino in georgia savannah. 18+, T&C Apply, New Customers Only. January 7, 2018.
Blackjack Strategy Chart. Online Blackjack Australia. Blackjack is a sophisticated game that is easy to pick up but it takes years to master. We recommend casinos that offer blackjack with authentic odds. This way it guarantees you a fair chance at winning. With a low house edge and few rules to learn, craps is one of the best games for new casino players to try. In fact, players can join craps games with online casinos using Australian Blackjack Rules only two bets and a basic knowledge of craps rules!
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.
The game goes by the name Blackjack Exchange at the Bregenz Casino in Austria.
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
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
Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in Australia. The Australian blackjack is played almost under the same rules as it’s played all over the world. The rules slightly differ in the land-based casinos, but online blackjack rules are the same. Today you can play a wide variety of this game at online casinos. Most sites even allow players to play free versions before making a real money bet. Now, let us remind you of classic rules and find out how to play blackjack and win. The main goal is to have a hand with the total point value more than the dealer’s, but it mustn’t go over 21.
| Rank | Casino | Deposit Methods | Bonus | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play now | ||||
2 | 100% Up To 500AUD | Play now | ||
| Play now |
How to Play Blackjack Like a PRO
In blackjack, you play against the casino in the person of the dealer. When playing online you will not see a dealer, but just the inscription on the table and hear the voice. However, when you are playing live blackjack, you will see a pretty dealer, watch her shuffling and dealing cards, hearing her voice as it happens in the land-based casino.
The dealer is responsible for the whole game from shuffling and dealing cards to handling bets. The game is played with different number of decks ranging from 1 to 8 which are shuffled after each hand in online version. Once the bet has been placed, the two first cards are dealt to the player and the dealer. You can see your cards and one of the dealer’s cards as well. Then you have to decide whether you will hit (take more cards) or stand (refuse taking cards). Once you’ve stood, the dealer turns over his hole card.
There are different rules in regard to what the dealer has to do when his hand is worth 17. Under the classic rules of blackjack, the dealer must stand on all 17 hands (soft or hard) and hit when the hand value is 16. However, there are some blackjack variations allowing the dealer to hit on a soft 17, which increases the house edge.
If the first two cards are worth 21 (an ace and a 10-valued card), it’s Blackjack, the highest possible hand. If you get 21 you win unless the dealer has blackjack too, in this case the outcome of that hand is a 'push' or a tie.
You can see all possible bets on the table layout. The player wins 1:1 means he wins the same amount as he’s bet. The blackjack usually pays 3:2.
The suits of the cards do not matter in the game. You can calculate the hand value by summing up the point value of each card in your hand.
Blackjack rules for dummies: Card value
| All pip cards (from 2 to 9) have their pip value. |
| 10 and face cards count as 10 |
| An Ace is worth 1 or 11 depends on the player’s hand. |
Blackjack hands
The main hand in the game is BLACKJACK also called Natural. It is the hand that is made up of an Ace and any card that has a point value of 10.
And now I’d like to add some words about hands with an Ace. I’ve already mentioned the Ace can count 1 or 11. For example, you get an Ace and 5 meaning you have a hand with the total value of 16. It is a soft hand because you can count an Ace as 11, then your hand is worth 16, but if you want to take a chance and hit you can count the Ace as 1, then your hand is worth 6, and you still have a chance to increase the total value of your hand.
Let’s imagine you are dealt an Ace, Jack and 5, then you’re holding the 16 hard hand. You can’t count the Ace as 11 here without busting!
Player Options
Australian Poker Rules
HIT |
STAND |
DOUBLE DOWN |
SPLIT |
Extra Blackjack Options
There are some additional blackjack options: Insurance, Even Money and Surrender.
Insurance - when the dealer shows an Ace, the player can make the insurance bet. If the dealer gets a blackjack, the player will be paid 2:1, but not the original bet. If the dealer does not get a Blackjack, the player will lose his Insurance bet.
Blackjack Rules Printable
Even Money - when the player has a Blackjack and the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace, the player can make an Even Money bet (worth half of the original bet). This bet protects the player from a push as it turns out the dealer gets Blackjack as well. In this case, the player will take his original bet back and gets the Even Money bet, 2:1.
Australian Blackjack Rules
Surrender allows the player to take half of his original bet back if he believes he will lose his hand. You can make this bet before hitting or standing. Surrender allows the player to save half of the original bet. There is an EARLY surrender and LATE surrender. When it comes to the Early Surrender the player can surrender half of his bet before the dealer checks for Blackjack, while the Late Surrender let the player surrender only after the dealer has checked his face down card for Blackjack. Not all casinos allow Surrender.