Dealer Exposes Both Cards

Appendices 1: Total dependent expected return table for an infinite deck 2a: Probabilities of dealer blackjack after peek 2b: Probabilities of dealer blackjack before peek 3a: Exceptions to single-deck S17 basic strategy 3b: Exceptions to double-deck S17 basic strategy 3c: Exceptions to single-deck H17 basic strategy 4: Blackjack standard deviation...

April 16, 2026 • 7:29 AM

Appendices

1: Total dependent expected return table for an infinite deck

2a: Probabilities of dealer blackjack after peek

2b: Probabilities of dealer blackjack before peek

3a: Exceptions to single-deck S17 basic strategy

3b: Exceptions to double-deck S17 basic strategy

3c: Exceptions to single-deck H17 basic strategy

4: Blackjack standard deviation details

5: Infinite deck expected return by player hand and dealer upcard

6: Fine points of when to surrender

7: Effect of card removal

8: Analysis of blackjack side bets

9: Composition-dependent expected returns for 1 to 8 decks

10: Continuous shuffling machine vs. cut card

11: Value and strategy for 678 and 777 bonuses

12: Risk of ruin statistics

13: Probabilities in the first four cards

14: Value of each initial player card

15: House edge using total-dependent vs. composition-dependent basic strategy

16: Basic strategy when dealer exposes both cards

17: The Ace-Five card counting method

18: Basic strategy exceptions for three to six cards

19: Blackjack splitting strategy when a back-player is betting

20: Blackjack doubling strategy when doubling after splitting aces is allowed

21: Details on the Wizard\’s Simple Strategy

Miscellaneous

My comments on the movie "21"

Australian Blackjack

Introduction to Card Counting

Rule Variations

Blackjack "Charlie" Rule

Rummy (Blackjack variant popular in Costa Rica)

External Links

Macau Blackjack rules

Simple Blackjack Explanation

Dealer Exposes Both Cards

Introduction

Sometimes either accidentally or as part of a promotion the dealer will expose both cards. This is not to be confused with double exposure, in which ties lose. The following is the basic strategy, based on an infinite number of decks, when both dealer cards are exposed and the dealer stands on soft 17.

 

The player advantage of this game is about 10.1%, give or take a little depending on the specific rules.

I get asked a lot why this strategy calls for hitting 11 against a total of 10, when in regular blackjack the player should double. In blackjack, we can assume the dealer does not have an ace as his hole card. That increases the expected value of doubling. In double exposure, there is no such guarantee the dealer does not have an ace as his third card, giving him a 21, making doubling more risky.

Internal Links

Blackjack Side Bets

Introduction to Card Counting

The Hi-Lo Count

The Wizard's Ace-Five Count

When to Surrender in Blackjack

Value of a Free Ace

Dealer Exposes Both Cards

Splitting Strategy for the Back Players

Double after Splitting Aces Allowed

Continuous Shuffling Machines

Cut Card Effect

Variance in Blackjack

678 and 777 Bonuses in Blackjack

Risk of Ruin in blackjack

Total Dependent vs. Composition Dependent Basic

Expected Returns with Infinite Decks

Dealer Odds in Blackjack under U.S. Rules

Dealer Odds in Blackjack under European Rules

Effect of Card Removal in Blackjack

Blackjack Expected Values

Estimating Number of Decks in Online Blackjack

Composition-Dependent Strategy for Single Deck and Dealer Stands on Soft 17

Composition-Dependent Strategy for Single Deck and Dealer Hits on Soft 17

Composition-Dependent Strategy for Double Deck and Dealer Stands on Soft 17