Double Exposure blackjack is a variant not commonly found in online or brick and mortar casinos because it slightly favors the player, meaning many houses don’t like to run the risk. We’ll go through what marks it out from standard blackjack and see whether it deserves its reputation.

A New Hope (for Players)

Double Exposure gets its name because the dealer receives both of his cards face-up, creating an immediate advantage to the player, although as we will see, this advantage is somewhat negated by the house through other rules. The aim of Double Exposure is still to reach a total of 21 without going over and beating the total of the dealer, a cause naturally helped by knowing the dealer’s total before acting. Double Exposure is dealt and played in the same way as regular blackjack, with a few notable exceptions:

• A player can hit any total of less than 21
• A player can stand on any total of 21 or less
• A player can double down a total of 9-11, although rules vary by casino (some casinos allow the player to double down any total)
• A player can split any pair on one occasion only

It should also be noted that players do not have the option of insurance in Double Exposure because both of the dealer’s cards are known, and the ‘surrender’ option is not offered in the game either.

The House Strikes Back

Double Exposure has some very important rules that help the house to offset the improved odds of the dealer’s two cards being shown:

• The dealer is required to hit a “soft” 17 which is a total of 17 that contains two cards, one of which is an ace. The dealer cannot bust at a soft 17, he can only improve his hand or remain at 17, essentially giving him a free card.
• A player is paid off at even money odds instead of the 3-2 odds found in standard blackjack.
• All ties go to the dealer, meaning that a wager will be lost each time you tie or “push” with the dealer.

It should be noted that these rules do not push the balance in the house’s favor, they merely act as more of an equalizer against the dealer’s two cards being revealed. Overall this variant is the most player-friendly in terms of house odds, despite these rule changes.

Try for Free Today at BitStarz

We hope that has given you a helpful introduction into what makes Double Exposure blackjack different from the traditional variant. Each version of the game has slight variations in the rules, so we strongly advise researching your particular chosen version before you start. BitStarz offers the BGaming version of Double Exposure, so why don’t you head over there now and brush up on their rules before trying it for free? There’s nothing to lose, and you might just find your new favorite game!