Calculate optimal strategy for Double Exposure (Face-Up 21) blackjack where both dealer cards are visible but ties lose.
Adjust standard strategy for ties-lose ruleOptimal Play
Hit (or Split if desperate)
Your Hand
20
T-T
Dealer Shows
20
T-T
You have 20 but dealer matches/beats it. Ties lose!
You have the same total as the dealer. In Double Exposure, you LOSE ties! You must try to improve your hand even though it seems counter-intuitive.
| Rule | Impact |
|---|---|
| Both Dealer Cards Face Up | Huge player advantage - perfect information |
| Dealer Wins Ties | Major house edge - changes basic strategy dramatically |
| Blackjack Pays Even Money | Reduces value of naturals significantly |
| Split Any Pair | Small player advantage |
| Double After Split | Small player advantage |
| Dealer Hits Soft 17 | Small house advantage |
Double Exposure (also called Face-Up 21 or Dealer Disclosure) is a blackjack variant where both dealer cards are dealt face up. To compensate, the dealer wins all ties except on natural blackjacks, and blackjack pays even money instead of 3:2.
With optimal strategy, Double Exposure has a house edge of about 0.69%. While seeing both dealer cards is a huge advantage, the ties-lose rule and even-money blackjacks take back most of that edge.
The ties-lose rule dramatically changes strategy. You must hit many hands you'd normally stand on - even standing on 20 against dealer 20 loses! This creates situations where you're hitting stiff hands (like 17) that would normally be stands.
Regular blackjack with good rules (0.4-0.5% house edge) is better than Double Exposure (0.69%). However, Double Exposure is still one of the better casino games and can be interesting for the different strategy it requires.
Quick-start with common scenarios
Optimal Play
Hit (or Split if desperate)
Your Hand
20
T-T
Dealer Shows
20
T-T