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Thread: Another Blackjack Variant

  1. #1


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    Another Blackjack Variant

    There is a "double-up" game in my local joints. I'm sure the house edge is probably worse than that of regular blackjack, but I am curious as to how much.

    Here are the rules:

    1. 6D, H17, DAS, DOA, RSA, 5/6 decks dealt, 3/2 blackjack
    2. If the dealer gets 16, whether initially or hitting to it, the whole table pushes unless the player has any type of 21. This includes soft 16.
    3. You can "double-up" on your first two cards. Meaning that you can double your bet WITHOUT receiving another card, even after splits. Therefore, 20s and 19s are obviously valuable for this.
    4. If you push with the dealer, you lose your double-up bet if you made one (unless the push is a 16 in which case the previous rule applies. You just push). Your regular bet just pushes like normal blackjack.

    So how bad is this game? The 16 rule must be killer.

  2. #2


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    Obviously the 16 being a push is bad. Plus, tremendous miscalculations can be made by doubling up because even with 19 or 20, there is a huge likelihood of a push and you losing the double up bet as a result of the push (in effect making a push a win for the casino) plus over betting occurs when you double up.

  3. #3


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    This would certainly change strategy a fair bit too.

    I didn't run the numbers but from the top of my head the push 16 is clearly going to be worse than the push 22 (-6.91%) to the player. My guess would be in the realm of about 8-9%. The double up sounds amazing, because clearly in any kind of an advantageous hand/situation you should double up but this may not factor how often you double up with a hand like 20 and then end up pushing. The hand would be a net 0 before, but now you LOSE on ties essentially with this new double up bet.

    I assume you can only do one double up, so if you double up your pair, then split, you can't double up the hand individually again?

  4. #4


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    You can't double up the pair, nor can you "double up" a double-down. You can only double up as the last move of a hand. So for example, AFTER you split, if one or both of your new hands are favorable (like a 19 or 20), you can double up this new hand(s). So it's possible to split four times like you normally would, and if you receive good cards on these four new hands, you could double up all of them. This essentially means that a $25 dollar hand could become a $200 hand. But since you can not double down and double up at the same time, this is all that you can put out there.
    People split 10s all the time at this table, because if they get a 20 on both hands, they double up.

    Another thing that makes this rule a drag is when the dealer has a 6 showing. Suddenly, the dealer showing a 6 is not necessarily a good thing. If he turns over a 10, it's an automatic push.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by counter19 View Post
    People split 10s all the time at this table, because if they get a 20 on both hands, they double up.
    Why wouldn't they just double up rather than split?

  6. #6
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    This link describes a similar UK game of the same name that has a HE of .62%.

    http://www.ukcasinotablegames.info/b...kdoubleup.html

  7. #7


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    Quote Originally Posted by Tthree View Post
    Why wouldn't they just double up rather than split?
    For the same old reason ploppies split 10s. They want to try and make twice as much.

    Many do just double up the 20. But more people at this table split 10s than at the regular blackjack game.

  8. #8


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    Quote Originally Posted by Tthree View Post
    This link describes a similar UK game of the same name that has a HE of .62%.

    http://www.ukcasinotablegames.info/b...kdoubleup.html
    Thank you!

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