The Advantages and Disadvantages of 'Double Exposure Blackjack'
In a traditional game of Blackjack a dealer will only reveal one of their two cards. While this does help a good player to realistically estimate what their chances of beating the dealer might be, it is in fact only an educated guess. There are so many possibilities that most players involved in a standard game of Blackjack tend to focus their playing strategy on their own hand.
Also in a standard game of Blackjack the dealer must look at their “hole card” (the one remaining face down) if their top card is at a ten value. This prevents players from betting against a dealer that all ready has “blackjack” and losing more money. If a dealer has hit “blackjack” all bets are lost, and a new hand will begin.
There are also many rules variations in Blackjack that make for different dealer requirements, such as “S17” and “H17” games which oblige a dealer to hit or not hit if they deal themselves a seventeen. Currently, there are over one hundred different methods for playing Blackjack under different rules and methods. One of them is known as “Double Exposure”.
What happens in a game of “Double Exposure Blackjack” is that both of the dealer’s cards are revealed. This is a great deal of information for all of the players at a table, but it comes with a few variations to the standard rules of a traditional Blackjack game. It also may make some players change their usual strategies.
For example, the payout amounts are dramatically changed; instead of the usual three to two payout for a “blackjack” (meaning a five dollar wager pays a seven dollar and fifty cent win) for “Double Exposure Blackjack” the payout is always “even money” which is a one to one payout. This means the player wins only the amount they bet.
Another rule variation that applies to “Double Exposure Blackjack” is around “pushing”. When a dealer and a player tie for scores this is referred to as a “push” or “pushing”. What it usually means is that the player’s bid remains on the table and they neither win nor lose. In a game of “Double Exposure Blackjack” however a “push” actually means the player loses their bet. The only exception is if the player alone has a “blackjack” – which is a two card twenty-one.
Final variants to standard rules apply to gaming strategies such as the popular “double down” and “splitting”. Many casinos eliminate these options for the players involved in a game of “Double Exposure Blackjack”.
These modifications to the rules make the game less gainful to a player and tend to re-even the odds of winning or losing. For example, a player must get a “hard” twenty to beat the dealer’s twenty. This means that the player is obliged to get the high score from their own original two cards, without “hitting” again. While the dealer can still beat their twenty with as many cards as they need to reach the figure.