How To Play Pitch Blackjack?

What is Pitch Blackjack?

Pitch Blackjack is a variation of the popular casino table game Blackjack. Its name is derived from the way it differs from standard blackjack.

Typically croupiers deal the cards face up in front of the player from a shoe. However, in Pitch Blackjack, dealers are trained to produce cards in a particular manner and “pitch” them. This involves putting the cards face down in front of the player.

There are specific rules on how to engage with your cards while playing this style; these are mostly in place to protect the house from card counters. Another key difference in this variation facilitates card counting.

It only uses a maximum of two decks which is why Pitch Blackjack online is sometimes known as Double Deck Blackjack.

How to Play Pitch Blackjack?

The standard rules of Blackjack apply during this method, as do the regular payouts. The aim is to achieve Blackjack by having a higher value hand than the dealer without breaching 21. Blackjack pays out at 3:2, and insurance pays at 2:1. Find out all of the changes for this method in our Pitch Blackjack how-to-play guide.

In normal blackjack, you are forbidden from touching their cards, but this is not required as they are visible face-up on the table. In Pitch Blackjack rules, you need to pick up the cards to see your deal, but you can only do this with one hand.

The cards are also used to indicate your intention while playing Pitch Blackjack. To signal for a hit, scratch the table towards yourself with the cards and to stand, touch your bet or slide your cards beneath the chips. Bust hands need to be exposed to the table, as do those containing Blackjack.

You can split up to three times on two dealt cards in Pitch Blackjack however, both hands must be shown to the table and doubling down is not allowed afterwards.

Playing with two hands is permitted, but you must complete your round with one hand before you can even touch the other – unless the dealer has an ace.

There are some Pitch Blackjack rules for dealers too. In this variant, dealers typically must hit on 16 and stand on 17s. You are unlikely to encounter a casino that recommends their dealers to hit on soft 17s.

There is no specific Pitch Blackjack strategy, but there is a set of decisions to make based on a certain hand. There are charts known as double deck basic strategy players charts that use mathematics to decide the next best move based on your hand and the dealer’s upturned card. It mostly concerns making the statistically best decision at every turn, but there are some hard and fast rules such as not taking insurance and always standing with two 10s.

Using two decks can reduce the house edge massively, and these Pitch Blackjack tips claim to reduce the house edge by 75%.

Is it Possible to Play Pitch Blackjack in Online Casinos?

Yes, Pitch Blackjack is available to play online. As the name Pitch Blackjack tends to refer to the style of dealing, this type of blackjack is generally known online as Double Deck Blackjack.

Even live dealer versions of Double Deck Blackjack will not follow the true Pitch Blackjack delivery style because players can’t interact with the cards. They have to be dealt upwards so you can see your hand, but to be faithful to the style, you will not be able to see other players’ cards too.

Though there are not many iterations of Pitch Blackjack or Double Deck Blackjack, dozens of versions of Blackjack are widely available at online casinos across the internet.

Final Thoughts

Double Deck or Pitch Blackjack is a type of blackjack that uses fewer decks and involves dealing the cards face up. Once you understand how to interact with the cards, this can be a great way for new players to get into blackjack.

The fact that it uses far fewer decks reduces the house edge and can allow newcomers to ease themselves into the rules and get familiar with the basics of playing blackjack. It can also be a platform for you to try out a new strategy that you want to apply to more complicated blackjack games.