Double Exposure is a unique online blackjack game in which both of the dealer's cards are dealt face up. The "double exposure" gives you twice as much information with which to make your blackjack strategy decisions. By seeing both of the blackjack cards in the dealer's hand, you will be able to make a more informed decision as to whether to stand, hit, double down, split, or surrender.

Double Exposure Blackjack is played with eight decks of cards. The dealer must hit on soft 17. You may double down only on a hand of 9, 10, or 11. You may split up to three times, you may split unlike 10-value cards, and you can double down after splitting. Split aces may receive only one more card.

The most significant change to the standard rules of blackjack is that both of the dealer's cards are exposed. This gives you, the player, a tremendous advantage when you play blackjack.

There are also some blackjack rule changes that are advantageous to the dealer. This is only right, if you think about it. If the online casino creates a rule that benefits the player, it is only fair that it should also make a rule that benefits the dealer, in order that the blackjack game should be fair and balanced without too much advantage to either side.

One such rule is that the dealer wins on all ties, except that the player wins on tied blackjack. The other one is that a player's blackjack pays even money, instead of the standard 3-to-2 payout. These are clearly disadvantageous from the player's point of view, but they are the rules that the Double Exposure Blackjack player must live with in order to gain the advantage of seeing the dealer's two cards.

Your goal in Double Exposure is the same as in all blackjack games: to beat the dealer by getting closer to 21 without going over. But the means to reaching that goal — the blackjack strategy — is very different.

In many cases, the exposure of the dealer's second card will tell you exactly what you need to do to win. Suppose, for example, that you have a hand of 18. Standard blackjack strategy tells you to always stand on 18. But if you are playing Double Exposure, and you see that the dealer has 19, the best blackjack strategy is to hit. After all, you have nothing to lose, and you could get lucky and draw a 2 or 3 to win at blackjack.

Here is another good example of Double Exposure Blackjack Strategy. Suppose you have 12, and the dealer's first card is a 9. Standard blackjack strategy would tell you to hit. But if you see that the dealer's second card is a 4, giving him a hand of 13, you know that he must hit and has a good chance of busting, so you decide to stand on your 12. That is exactly how the online blackjack player won the blackjack game pictured above.

Standard blackjack basic strategy tables are worthless in Double Exposure, since they show only the dealer's up card across the top of the table. But there are blackjack basic strategy charts specially customized for Double Exposure available on the Internet. If you intend to play Double Exposure Blackjack, it is worth your while to find one and print it out. It could make you a Double Exposure Blackjack winner.

Double Exposure is an interesting and unique online blackjack game. Some blackjack players like it so much they make it their everyday blackjack game. Others play it occasionally for a change of pace from their standard game of blackjack. Why not give it a try, and see what you think? Double Exposure Blackjack could double your online blackjack fun.