2 Deck Pitch Blackjack

2 Deck Pitch Blackjack 4,7/5 8756 votes

by Henry Tamburin

2 Deck Pitch Blackjack Strategy
2 Deck Pitch Blackjack Strategy
2 Deck Pitch Blackjack

The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer by getting a count as close to 21 as possible, without going over 21. Little River Casino Resort offers Perfect Pairs Blackjack and Two Deck Pitch Blackjack. How to Play Blackjack. The object of blackjack is to have cards totaling less than or equal to 21 and higher than the dealer’s total.

2 Deck Pitch Blackjack Strategy

Learn how to read a blackjack strategy chart and find examples of a 2 deck black jack strategy charts to use while playing online blackjack games. 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. Since there are virtually two full decks remaining we divide the count by 2, yielding a true of +2. In multiple-deck games we’ll have to keep an eye on the discard tray to accurately estimate how many decks are remaining. So with two decks gone we’d have four left (in a 6D game); dividing the above +4 by four decks gives us a true of +1. Be sure you know the correct Blackjack etiquette for holding your cards and signaling your playing decision to the dealer when playing in a double-deck pitch game. Some double-deck games in land-based casinos pay only 6 to 5, instead of 3 to 2, for a winning blackjack.

One of the more frustrating hands in blackjack is being dealt a 12 when the dealer shows a 2 upcard. You hate to hit your 12because you are afraid the dealer is going to give you a picture card and you’ll bust. There’s a lot of misconception on what’s the correct way to play this hand and I aim to sort it all out soit will no longer be a “dilemma” for you.

First off, let’s look at some facts about this hand.

Many players don’t hit 12 because they believe the dealer has a ten in the hole and, therefore, they won’t risk busting when the dealer has a weak upcard. However, when you hold a 12, onlyfour cards will bust you ... any 10, Jack, Queen, and King, meaning you have a 65% chance of surviving a hit. Five cards ... any 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 ... will give you a 17 through 21 hand.
With a 2 upcard, the dealer has a 35% chance of busting and a 65% chance of making a 17 though 21.
If you stand, you’ll win 35% of the time and lose 65% of the time.
If you hit, you’ll win 37% of the time and lose 63% of the time.

So what does all of the above mean?

First, when the dealer has a 2 upcard, she’s not as venerable to busting as she would with, say, a 4, 5, or 6 upcard. Secondly, your chance of busting isn’t as great as you think. Therefore, itappears that hitting the 12 would be the better play than standing and this is corroborated by facts # 3 and #4. Let’s look at this in a little more detail.

Fact # 3 says you will win 35% of the time standing on 12 against a dealer 2 and lose 65% of the time. This means if you bet a dollar a hand, you would be down $30 after 100 hands on average.That certainly isn’t a good outcome but that’s a fact. Standing on 12 when the dealer shows a 2 is not a profitable play and you will lose more money than you win in the long run. However,let’s look at the second option, namely hitting 12.

Fact #4 says you will win 2% more times compared to standing. In dollars and cents, this means you will lose $26 after 100 hands on average. That’s also a loser but here’s the question you mustask yourself: is it better to lose $26 or $30? I hope that I’ve convinced you that even though hitting 12 against a 2 is a loser, you will lose less money in the long run compared tostanding. In other words, this is a classic hand where the best playing option allows you to minimize your losses.

What if your 12 consists of a pair of 6s? Now you’ve got another option and that’s to split the 6s and play two hands against the dealer’s 2 upcard. It turns out that when you split and play a6 against a dealer 2, you will win roughly 43% of the time. In other words, you’ve increased your chances of winning when you split the 6’s against a dealer 2 compared to hitting.

To say it differently, starting with a 6 is a whole lot better than starting with a 12 when you are facing a dealer’s 2 upcard. Therefore, the correct strategy is to always split a pair of 6sagainst a dealer 2 upcard (with one exception: if you’re playing a four-, six-, or eight-deck game where you can’t double down after pair splitting, you should hit 6’s against a 2).

You could also be dealt a soft 12, which happens to be Ace-Ace. This hand should be a no brainer. You should always split a pair of aces regardless of what the dealer’s upcard is.

Is there ever a situation when you wouldn’t hit a non-pair 12 hand against a dealer’s 2? Actually two cases come to mind. The first is when the remaining cards contain an abundance ofhigh-value vs. small-value cards (thus increasing your chance of busting if you hit 12). In fact, card counters will sometimes stand on 12 whenever their count gets moderately positive(indicating more high cards than small cards remain in the unplayed deck of cards).

So, the next time you see a fellow player standing on 12 against a dealer 2, think twice about calling him a nerd because he might just be a skilled card counter making the correct play.

The second situation which justifies deviating from hitting 12 against a dealer 2 comes about in tournament play. If the tournament rules specify that the double-down card is dealt face down,instead of hitting your 12 you could double down for just one chip (i.e., doubling for less). This move, although it involves some risk of busting, allows you to disguise the outcome of yourhand from your opponents who must play their hands after you. This is a powerful strategy especially when it’s used on the last few hands of a closely contested tournament.

So now you know how to play a 12 against a dealer’s 2 under all types of situations; therefore, this hand should no longer be a dilemma for you, right?

Henry Tamburin has been a respected casino gambling writer for the past 50 years. He is the author of the Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide and was editor of the BlackjackInsider newsletter. You can read his latest articles on blackjack, video poker, and his personal playing experiences at https://www.888casino.com/blog/writers/henry-tamburin/

There are still many 3-2 double deck blackjack games available in Las Vegas, even on the Strip. The games on the Las Vegas Strip start at $10. The locals’ market offers double deck blackjack for as little as $1 at Poker Palace.

If you are looking for double deck blackjack options, you can also try playing online blackjack.

Vegas Double Deck Blackjack

What You Need to Know

Best Las Vegas Strip Double Deck Blackjack

The best double deck blackjack on the Las Vegas Strip is found at several MGM properties and Treasure Island. The game offers double down before and after splitting, as well as the dealer standing on all 17s.

Unlike online blackjack for real money, low-limit tables are tough to find on the strip. The cheapest is at MGM Grand, where players may be able to get in the game for a $25 bet during slow periods and often $50 at most other hours. Players may be able to find the game for $50 at Aria upon request during off-peak hours. This game is available for $25 with the dealer hitting soft 17 at all MGM properties in Las Vegas except MGM Grand and Aria.

Other Vegas Strip Casinos

Treasure Island is an independent casino on the Las Vegas Strip. It offers this double deck game that stands on all 17s for $25 in the high limit salon. The $10 game hits soft 17.

Caesars properties often spread double deck blackjack. While the game pays 3-2, it does not permit double down after splitting, except in high limit. This game will have a $15 or $25 minimum, depending on the property and the time of day. Sam’s Town, Fremont, California and Main Street Station also has these rules but the minimum is usually only $5 or $10.

Best Off-Strip Double Deck Blackjack

The best double deck blackjack spread away from the Las Vegas Strip is also the best overall game in the market. M Resort offers a double deck game with double down before and after splitting and re-split aces. The dealer stands on all 17s. The game usually has a $50 minimum bet posted, but you may be able to get in the game for $25.

There are several $5 double deck blackjack games that have double down on any two cards and after splitting, as well as re-split aces. The dealer hits soft 17 in these games. These tables are found at Arizona Charlie’s, Silverton, Club Fortune, Aliante Casino, and Rampart.

2 Deck Pitch Blackjack Strategy

The $5 and $10 double deck blackjack games at Station Casinos have these rules without re-split aces. These rules are also found at The Orleans, Gold Coast, South Point, M Resort, Cannery, Eastside Cannery, Jokers Wild, Golden Nugget (high limit only), Plaza, Downtown Grand, El Cortez, Golden Gate, The D, and Railroad Pass.

Previous Double Deck Blackjack Games Survey

Every year, Las Vegas Casinos update their rule and change tables. That is why every year we go in and make sure you have the latest information so you know where to find the best games. Below you will find the data in previous years on double deck blackjack.

Double Deck Blackjack in Las Vegas

2 Deck Pitch Blackjack

Casino	# of Decks	Min Bet	Max Bet	H/S 17	DA	DAS	RSA	Surrender	# of Tables	6/5 BJ	Video	Exotic	House Hold %
4 Queens	2	10	500	H	Yes	No	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.60225%
Aliante Casino	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	12	No	No	No	0.40374%
Aria	2	500	10000	S	Yes	Yes	No	No	5	No	No	No	0.25532%
Aria	2	500	10000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	BJ Switch	0.45688%
Arizona Charlie’s – Boulder	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	3	No	No	No	0.40374%
Bally’s	2	25	2000	H	Yes	No	No	No	3	No	No	No	0.60225%
Boulder Station	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	7	No	No	No	0.45688%
Boulder Station	2	25	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Super Fun 21	1.30000%
California	2	5	1000	H	Yes	No	No	No	14	No	No	No	0.60225%
Cannery	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	8	No	No	No	0.40374%
Cannery	2	3	500	H	–	–	–	–	1	–	No	Super Fun 21	1.30000%
Club Fortune	2	5	100	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Club Fortune	2	5	100	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	Buster Blackjack	0.45688%
Club Fortune	2	5	100	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	Pair Square	0.45688%
Cromwell	2	25	3000	H	Yes	No	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.60225%
Cromwell	2	50	3000	H	Yes	No	No	No	5	No	No	No	0.60225%
Downtown Grand	2	15	100	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Eastside Cannery	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	4	No	No	No	0.45688%
El Cortez	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	6	No	No	No	0.45688%
Encore	2	50	5000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Excalibur	2	25	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	Yes	No	No	1.83038%
Fiesta Henderson	2	4	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	5	No	No	No	0.45688%
Fiesta Rancho	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	5	No	No	No	0.45688%
Fiesta Rancho	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Lucky Lucky	0.45688%
Fiesta Rancho	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Pair Square	0.45688%
Fiesta Rancho	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Bet the Set 21	0.45688%
Fiesta Rancho	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Bust It Blackjack	0.45688%
Flamingo	2	100	5000	S	Yes	No	Yes	No	1	No	No	No	0.3445%
Flamingo	2	200	5000	S	Yes	No	Yes	No	1	No	No	No	0.3445%
Fremont	2	5	500	H	Yes	No	No	No	6	No	No	No	0.60225%
Gold Coast	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	15	No	No	No	0.45688%
Golden Gate	2	15	5000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Golden Nugget	2	25	5000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	3	No	No	No	0.45688%
Golden Nugget	2	10	2500	H	Yes	No	No	No	4	No	No	No	0.60225%
Green Valley Ranch	2	10	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	5	No	No	No	0.45688%
Green Valley Ranch	2	50	5000	H	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	3	No	No	No	0.40374%
Hard Rock	2	25	1000	H	Yes	No	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.60225%
Harrah’s	2	50	2000	H	Yes	No	No	No	1	Yes	No	No	1.97575%
OYO	2	10	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	Yes	No	No	1.83038%
Jokers Wild	2	5	300	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	3	No	No	No	0.45688%
Joker’s Wild	2	5	300	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	3	No	No	No	0.45688%
Linq	2	50	5000	H	Yes	No	No	Yes	1	No	No	No	0.55206%
Linq	2	100	5000	H	Yes	No	No	Yes	1	No	No	No	0.55206%
M Resort	2	15	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	5	No	No	No	0.45688%
M Resort	2	50	3000	S	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	2	No	No	No	0.20181%
Main Street Station	2	5	1000	H	Yes	No	No	No	9	No	No	No	0.60225%
MGM	2	25	5000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	3	No	No	No	0.45688%
Orleans	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	23	No	No	No	0.45688%
Orleans	2	5	1000	H	–	–	–	–	1	–	No	Super Fun 21	1.30000%
Palace Station	2	5	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	10	No	No	No	0.45688%
Palazzo	2	100	15000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	8	No	No	No	0.45688%
Palazzo	2	300	15000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Palms	2	15	1000	H	Yes	No	No	No	1	Yes	No	No	1.97575%
Palms	2	25	2000	H	Yes	No	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.60225%
Palms	2	100	10000	S	Yes	No	No	No	1	No	No	Pair Square	0.398%
Palms	2	1000	20000	S	Yes	No	No	No	1	No	No	Lucky Lucky	0.398%
Paris	2	25	3000	H	Yes	No	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.60225%
Park MGM – NOMad Casino	2	100	10000	S	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.25532%
Planet Hollywood	2	25	3000	H	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	1	No	No	No	0.48575%
Plaza	2	25	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Poker Palace	2	1	50	H	Yes	No	No	No	1	Even	No	No	2.79000%
Railroad Pass	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Rampart	2	5	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	11	No	No	No	0.45688%
Red Rock	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	4	Yes	No	No	1.83038%
Red Rock	2	10	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	12	No	No	No	0.45688%
Red Rock	2	25	3000	H	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	1	No	No	No	0.40374%
Red Rock	2	50	5000	H	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	4	No	No	No	0.40374%
Red Rock	2	10	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Lucky Lucky	0.45688%
Red Rock	2	10	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Pair Square	0.45688%
Red Rock	2	10	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Free Bet BJ	0.45688%
Rio	2	25	3000	H	Yes	No	No	No	2	No	Yes	No	0.60225%
Rio	2	100	5000	S	Yes	No	No	Yes	1	No	Yes	No	0.34685%
Sam’s Town	2	10	1000	H	Yes	No	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.60225%
Sam’s Town	2	25	2000	H	Yes	No	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.60225%
Sam’s Town	2	5	500	H	–	–	–	Yes	13	–	No	Super Fun 21	1.30000%
Santa Fe Station	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	21	No	No	No	0.45688%
Santa Fe Station	2	25	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Santa Fe Station	2	25	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Santa Fe Station	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Lucky Lucky	0.45688%
Santa Fe Station	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Copy Cat	0.45688%
Santa Fe Station	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Pair Square	0.45688%
Silver 7’s	2	10	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Silverton	2	10	1000	H	No	Yes	Yes	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Silverton	2	10	500	H	No	Yes	Yes	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Silverton	2	25	500	H	No	Yes	Yes	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Silverton	2	25	1000	H	No	Yes	Yes	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
South Point	2	10	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	7	No	No	No	0.45688%
South Point	2	15	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	5	No	No	No	0.45688%
South Point	2	25	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	9	No	No	No	0.45688%
South Point	2	50	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
South Point	2	10	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	Pair Square	0.45688%
Stratosphere	2	25	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Suncoast	2	5	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	11	No	No	No	0.45688%
Suncoast	2	25	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Suncoast	2	5	1000	H	–	–	–	–	1	–	No	Super Fun	1.30000%
Texas Station	2	5	500	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	8	No	No	No	0.45688%
The D	2	15	5000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Treasure Island	2	10	1000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	11	No	No	No	0.45688%
Tropicana	2	25	5000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	Yes	No	No	1.83038%
The D	2	10	1000	H	–	–	–	No	2	No	No	Free Bet	0.98000%
The D	2	10	1000	H	–	–	–	No	2	–	No	Super Fun 21	1.30000%
Tropicana	2	15	5000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	3	Yes	No	No	1.83038%
Tuscany	2	5	300	H	–	–	–	–	1	–	No	Super Fun 21	1.30000%
Treasure Island	2	25	5000	S	Yes	Yes	No	No	3	No	No	No	0.25532%
Venetian	2	100	15000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	2	No	No	No	0.45688%
Westgate	2	25	2000	H	Yes	Yes	No	No	1	No	No	No	0.45688%
Wynn	2	100	10000	H	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	5	No	No	No	0.42444%
Wynn	2	50	10000	H	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	1	No	No	No	0.42444%