Blackjack has been a player favorite for decades and this variation is no exception. The game has always been popular because of its simplicity and style. Blackjack can be quite profitable and enjoyable if it is played the right way. Every variation has something to offer.
Double Exposure Blackjack offers players the chance to see both dealer cards from the beginning. This gives players quite an advantage, so in order to even things out, some rule changes have occurred. Here, we will explain the differences in the rules, gameplay, and hopefully, help you get better at playing this wonderful variation.
Rules
The differences in rules come in a few places. Of course, the thing players will notice from the very beginning is that the dealer’s cards are exposed. This creates an unbalance in the game so, in order to make up for that, other rules have been slightly adjusted.
For instance, the ties go to the dealer. Only a natural blackjack will win players a tie. However, some Double Exposure Blackjack games allow players to win a tie with a regular blackjack as well. Other times a push may occur in such situations.
Another such rule is that the dealer must hit on soft 17. As was the case with the previous rule, this can also vary based on the game you are playing.
A blackjack in Double Exposure Blackjack pays even money. Unlike the aforementioned rules, this one does not change based on the game you are playing. It is a solid rule that is universal in Double Exposure Blackjack.
How to Play
The basic gameplay of this variation is not much different than the original. You begin by placing a bet. Then, the cards are dealt. You can see the dealer’s cards from the very beginning and decide how you wish to proceed. You can split two cards of the same value. In some cases, you can double a bet if your hand amounts to hard 9-11 points. You can only hit once on a split ace.
However, there are far too many different games with slightly different rules, so we cannot really include an extensive playthrough. We recommend that you try the games you wish to play online for free before going in with real money. You should also check the RTP percentage of the game and its house edge.
Splitting
Most often, in this variation of blackjack, you can only split once and as mentioned above, if you split an ace, you can only hit once. This means you need to be extra careful when splitting in this variation. Sometimes you can also split different cards with the value of 10 and other times you will not be allowed to.
Doubling
When it comes to doubling down in this variation, the rules are really unpredictable. Sometimes you can double down on your first two cards, other times you may not. Some games will allow you to double down after a split, others will not. Other games will only allow players to double on hard 9-11, or only on hard 10-11. It all basically depends on the game you choose. You will be able to easily find out what the rules for doubling a bet are in the game menu, or, if you are playing in a land-based location, on the table.
House Edge
The house edge of this game is usually around 0.60%. If you find a game that is wildly above that number, we suggest you try and find another one. You can even find some Double Exposure Blackjack games that are beneath that number, for instance, the one by NetEnt. In general, the house edge is not quite high in this variation of blackjack. However, you should always check a game’s house edge before playing with real money.
RTP
The return to player percentage of most Double Exposure Blackjack games is well above 96%. You should know by now that you should not play a game if it has an RTP lower than 96%. As we already mentioned, a blackjack in this game pays even money. There is no insurance bet but you can double in some cases depending on the type of game. If played with a good strategy, this game can be quite profitable.