2 Deck Pitch Blackjack
LIMITED EDITION: Only 360 printed! Will NOT be reprinted. CLUB PITCH V.I.P. Dark and debonair. Bold, yet still traditional. This unique project started as a collaboration between card enthusiast, Duane Cardinez, and Pitch, an LA ad agency. Originally intended as an identity exploration, it manifested into a commemorative passion project. The 2.1 is a nod. Double Deck & 6-8 Deck Blackjack. Standard casino 21 where the dealer draws from either 2 combined decks in a “pitch” fashion, or from a 6-8 deck “shoe.” Single Deck Blackjack. Single Deck Blackjack is played with a traditional deck of 52 playing cards.
Blackjack players are always looking for an advantage. The easiest way is to find a game that pays 3:2 when a player is dealt a natural blackjack. The 6:5 blackjack game has a much higher house edge.
The house edge is even larger when a player doesn’t play with perfectbasic strategy. Casinos allow players to use a basic strategy card at the table. Unfortunately, not many players that could use the help from a blackjack card carry one.
There’s another way to find an edge when playing blackjack that’s often overlooked. It’s actually one of the easiest ways to decrease the house edge in a blackjack game. The fewer decks in play during a blackjack game, the lower the house edge. It’s that simple.
Blackjack House Edge By Number Of Decks
Playing a blackjack game with fewer decks single-handedly lower the house edge. This isn’t the only way to lower the house edge. There are plenty of blackjack rules that can make a game more player-friendly. If all rules are the same, the house edge in a blackjack game will be lower whether the casino pays 3:2, 6:5, or even money when a player is dealt a natural blackjack.
We’ll use the same blackjack game rules to show the difference in house edge depending on the number of decks being played.
- Dealer hits on soft 17
- Player can double after splitting
- Player can double on any two cards dealt
- A player can resplit up to four (4) times
- Player cannot resplit aces
- Player cannot hit split aces
- No surrender
- Blackjack pays 3:2
Here are the different advantages for the casino using the blackjack house edge calculator from Wizard of Odds. Remember, the house edge is based on perfect basic strategy. Every misplayed hand increases the house edge for the casino.
- 1 Deck: 0.16%
- 2 Decks: 0.46%
- 4 Decks: 0.60%
- 6 Decks: 0.64%
- 8 Decks: 0.66%
As you can see the house edge for the casino increases when there are more cards in play. The same holds true for a game that pays 6:5 on a natural blackjack. Here’s the house edge for the same game with the adjusted payout for blackjack:
- 1 Deck: 1.55%
- 2 Decks: 1.83%
- 4 Decks: 1.96%
- 6 Decks: 1.99% (2% rounded up)
- 8 Decks: 2.019%
As you probably expected, the house edge is higher playing a 6:5 blackjack game. This example shows that the house edge is lower when the game has fewer decks in play.
Differences In Gameplay Depending On Deck Size
Single deck and double deck blackjack are often played differently than six and eight deck blackjack. The latter two games are the blackjack games players see most often in a casino. These games are dealt from a shoe or a continuous shuffle machine. Cards are dealt face up and the player uses hand signals to show the eye in the sky what play they want t make.
Single and double deck blackjack are considered “pitch” blackjack games. The dealer holds the cards and flings (or pitches) them face down to the players. That’s not the only difference from traditional blackjack games.
The player swipes the cards towards themselves to hit. If a player is dealt a blackjack, they flip the cards over to show the dealer. A player that wants to double or split they will flip the cards over and place the additional money next to the original wager.
When the player is ready to stay, the cards are placed under the wager. Don’t touch the money. Just slide the cards under the wager. The eye in the sky doesn’t like when you touch the money after placing a wager.
Blackjack players have different preferences. While most players seem to dislike any game with a continuous shuffle machine, others seem to have a preference for a shoe or pitch game.
Personally, I prefer the pitch blackjack games. The lower house edge is an obvious positive but that’s not the only reason. While I can’t really count cards, playing a game with fewer decks makes tracking cards a little easier. Lastly, the game is slower because the dealer has to shuffle or pick up a new deck every few games.
In Double Deck Blackjack (also known as “Pitch” because the cards are pitched face-down to the players, rather than dealt face-up in front of them), the object is to try to draw cards that total 21, or come closer to 21 than those in the dealer’s hand, without exceeding a total of 21.
Double Deck Blackjack is similar to standard Blackjack dealt from a six-deck shoe, with a few variations. The most exciting difference between Pitch and shoe-dealt Blackjack is that the players get to pick up and hold their face-down cards, with one hand.
To begin a round of play the dealer delivers two cards, face down, to each player. The dealer also gets two cards – one face up and the second face down. All face cards (King, Queen or Jack) count as 10 each. All other cards count at face value except the Ace, which counts as 1 or 11 (whichever one gets the player closer to 21 without exceeding 21). An Ace with any 10-value card on the first two cards is a Blackjack, and gets paid one and one-half times the bet, unless the dealer also has a Blackjack, in which case it is a push and neither wins.
In the event a player does not have a Blackjack, he/she gets the chance to “act” on the hand. When it is a player’s turn to act, he/she has several options: hit, stand, double down or split. By scratching on the table lightly with the cards, a player is signaling they would like to hit, or receive another card. Players may draw as many cards as they wish, until they go over 21, in which case the hand is busted and the cards must be turned face up on the table. If a player does not wish to receive additional cards, the cards are tucked under the bet to indicate that the player is standing.
If a player’s total on the first two cards is 9, 10 or 11, he/she can bet additional money, up to the original wager (“double down”), and receive one additional card face down. If the player’s first two cards are the same value, they may be split; that is, the player may wager the same amount as the original bet and separate the cards into two hands. Pairs may be split three times to make four hands with the exception of Aces, which may only be split once and will receive only one additional card each. Additional cards are delivered face down. A player may also double down on any hand after a split, with the exception of Aces.
After all players are satisfied with their hands, the dealer will then turn over his/her down card and draw or stand as necessary. The dealer must hit soft 17 or less. A soft 17 is any combination containing an Ace that can be counted as 7 or 17. The dealer must stand on a hard 17 or any total above 17.
2 Deck Pitch Blackjack Strategy
If, after receiving the first two cards, the dealer’s up card is an Ace, the player may purchase insurance. Insurance is a side bet, up to half the player’s total wager, that the dealer’s hand is a Blackjack. If the dealer has a Blackjack, the player’s original bet loses and the insurance is paid 2 to 1. If the dealer does not have a Blackjack, the insurance bet is taken and the game continues.
2 Deck Pitch Blackjack Strategy
Winning wagers are paid even money, except for Blackjacks, which are paid 3 to 2.