Any Blackjack card counters out there?

[boil3rmak3r]

I don't know all the mathematics, but I do know what you describe gives an advantage to the house. Another thing I've seen popping up is Blackjack using a video screen to show your cards instead of real, physical playing cards. Now THAT would be impossible to beat as I'm guessing a new "deck of cards" is used for every deal.

There was another twist to the blackjack they had on a cruise ship I was on last year. All cards were dealt face up, including the two dealer cards. It made it really easy to decide whether to hit or stand. The kicker? The dealer won all ties. I didn't play it for very long, but I lost during the little time I did play. When I got back home, I did some research and learned that version of Blackjack gave the house a decided advantage and, even if you were a counter, was a losing proposition.

[Golfingdad]

There was another twist to the blackjack they had on a cruise ship I was on last year. All cards were dealt face up, including the two dealer cards. It made it really easy to decide whether to hit or stand. The kicker? The dealer won all ties. I didn't play it for very long, but I lost during the little time I did play. When I got back home, I did some research and learned that version of Blackjack gave the house a decided advantage and, even if you were a counter, was a losing proposition.

That reminds me of a quirky version of Blackjack that they had at (I think) Harrahs that I saw several years ago (way over in the corner of the casino, no idea if they still have it) where you played two hands simultaneously and you had the option to swap cards from one hand to the other.

Needless to say, they had other rules built in to give them a comfy advantage.

[butt3r3dt0ast]

That reminds me of a quirky version of Blackjack that they had at (I think) Harrahs that I saw several years ago (way over in the corner of the casino, no idea if they still have it) where you played two hands simultaneously and you had the option to swap cards from one hand to the other.

Needless to say, they had other rules built in to give them a comfy advantage.

We had this version at a local card club, called Blackjack Switch. You had to buy in for two hands and after they were dealt, you could choose to swap the top cards if you wanted. After choosing, normal rules applied (as far as doubling down and splitting). I only ever played it once and it was kind of fun because it's a little more engaging. However, as you stated, there were a couple extra rules including blackjacks paying even (instead of 3:2) and the dealer pushed on 22. They actually just got rid of that version recently, although I'm not sure why.