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Red Hawk Casino, located at Placerville in El Dorado, has launched a new variant of Blackjack called Blackjack Switch, which Blackjack buffs seem eager to try out.
The game presents an innovative way of playing 21, allowing players to enhance their chances of winning by switching top cards between hands. First, players are required to wager equally on two positions. The dealer then deals two separate hands. The player can either play the hands as they are or switch the second card of each hand. The switching can be done only after the dealer checks for natural Blackjack. The rest of the game follows regular Blackjack house rules.
The game was created by Geoff Hal, the present managing director of Customized Casino Games, a company based in Las Vegas. In 2000, Hall observed while playing two hands at the same table that he could make better hands if he were allowed to switch cards. He spent the next year working out the math and launched the game in 2001.
Since wagers must be made for two hands whenever the game is played, Blackjack Switch tends to deplete bankrolls in no time. Moreover, the game requires focus, which prevents players from combining Blackjack Switch with drinking.
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