BJ Switch On or Near the Strip
May 12th, 2011 at 6:31:21 AM
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My friends and I head out to Vegas every few months, mostly to play blackjack, craps, and poker on the Strip. Now we've come across BJ switch as a fun aside to traditional BJ and taken an interest in it. We've learned the key basic strategy variations from the Wizard of Odds site and now we're absorbing switching strategies.
My main question is this: do any of you have suggestions about where to play on or around the Strip? Playing 2 hands at $15 minimum with the typical house edge of 0.6% (which assumes perfect switching and strategy) can get expensive fast compared to regular BJ, even with fewer rounds per hour (Am I correct in assuming that the house edge figure applies to the total bet, for an expected loss of 2 x $15 x 0.6% per deal?).
We do enjoy the break from normal BJ and the challenge of a variation of the game, though. So far we've played at Bally's, Paris, and Bellagio, and we've seen games at the Cosmopolitan, Aria, and elsewhere. All of them are usually $15/hand min but sometimes $10 in the mornings. As far as we can tell, none of these offer the "switched blackjack automatically wins" variation or stay on S17 that takes the house edge down. I used to rely on the CBJN for this type of information, but I've found that (as of a few months ago) it doesn't properly record the rule variations for BJ switch. Many people are still confused about whether the switched blackjack is BJ or "21".
So, any general advice on the game or favorite places to play out there? Thanks
My main question is this: do any of you have suggestions about where to play on or around the Strip? Playing 2 hands at $15 minimum with the typical house edge of 0.6% (which assumes perfect switching and strategy) can get expensive fast compared to regular BJ, even with fewer rounds per hour (Am I correct in assuming that the house edge figure applies to the total bet, for an expected loss of 2 x $15 x 0.6% per deal?).
We do enjoy the break from normal BJ and the challenge of a variation of the game, though. So far we've played at Bally's, Paris, and Bellagio, and we've seen games at the Cosmopolitan, Aria, and elsewhere. All of them are usually $15/hand min but sometimes $10 in the mornings. As far as we can tell, none of these offer the "switched blackjack automatically wins" variation or stay on S17 that takes the house edge down. I used to rely on the CBJN for this type of information, but I've found that (as of a few months ago) it doesn't properly record the rule variations for BJ switch. Many people are still confused about whether the switched blackjack is BJ or "21".
So, any general advice on the game or favorite places to play out there? Thanks
May 12th, 2011 at 7:04:47 AM
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I don't play it, but I noticed it at Luxor and/or Excalibur last September.
I invented a few casino games. Info:
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Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
May 12th, 2011 at 10:04:53 AM
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Casino Royale had Switch for $5/hand when i was there last June. I think they changed their rules such that a 'switched 21' is not a natural anymore.
For fun I asked them if I could double down on a 'soft 11' and they had to call upstairs but the answer was no.
For fun I asked them if I could double down on a 'soft 11' and they had to call upstairs but the answer was no.
