The difference between Spanish 21 and blackjack. The fact all 10s are removed (the picture cards remain) means you are less likely to hit blackjack. However, other changes are in the player’s interest. Firstly, you can surrender in Spanish 21; effectively, you give up your hand, like folding in poker. So, to sum up, why is Spanish 21 better than blackjack? Perhaps one of the biggest advantages it has over its siblings is the option to re-split and re-double whenever. Therefore, the rules are more customizable to your needs. Also, the flexibility attracts many former blackjack players. Spanish 21 actually has a slightly better edge for the player than many forms of Blackjack. Spanish 21 Rules. Late Surrender is allowed, not just after your first 2.

Spanish 21 is a blackjack variant owned by Masque Publishing Inc., a gaming publishing company based in Colorado. Unlicensed, but equivalent, versions may be called Spanish blackjack. In Australia and Malaysia, an unlicensed version of the game, with no dealer hole card and significant rule differences, is played in casinos under the name 'Pontoon'. It was first introduced about 1995.^[1]

Rules[edit]

Spanish 21 is played on a blackjack table with a custom layout and uses the following rules:

• The game is played with six or eight decks dealt from a shoe, or from a continuous shuffling machine (CSM). Spanish 21 is played with 48-card Spanish decks, although standard French suited 52-card decks are used with the 4 ten-spot cards removed. All cards have the same values as in blackjack.
• The dealer gets a hole card.
• Like traditional blackjack, the dealer hits on 16 and stands on 17. In some venues, the dealer hits on a soft 17 (abbreviated as H17), though most venues have the dealer stand on soft 17 (S17). Hitting soft 17 (H17) negatively impacts the player; that rule increased the house edge by 0.40%.
• Blackjack (a natural total of 21 on the first two cards) always wins, and is always paid 3:2 regardless of whether or not the dealer has a blackjack.
• Insurance is paid 2:1, just like in blackjack, despite the fact that there are four fewer ten-valued cards per deck. As 3 cards in 12 are worth ten, the chance of the dealer getting a blackjack when showing an Ace is only 25%. Therefore, for insurance to be an even bet, it would have to pay 3:1, not 2:1. The house edge on the insurance is 24.7%, one of the worst of any wager in a casino.
• Hitting, standing, and splitting all follow similar rules to blackjack. Doubling after splitting (DAS) is always permitted, and, in most venues, players are allowed to draw as many cards as they wish after splitting aces, or may double down after receiving second or subsequent cards.
• Players can split to a maximum of four hands, even on aces.
• In most venues, if the dealer does not have blackjack, players may surrender, and get half their bet back in exchange for relinquishing the right to play on. This type of surrender is known as a 'late surrender' (LS).
• Players can surrender after doubling (sometimes called forfeit, double-down rescue, or concede). The dealer takes the original bet, and the player retains the double portion of the bet. This is because the player is allowed to double down for less than the original bet.
• Once the initial two-card hands are dealt, if the dealer is showing an Ace or face card, he peeks underneath the hole card to check for a blackjack, before playing actually commences. If he has blackjack, all players automatically lose, unless they also have a blackjack (which, as mentioned above, automatically win 3:2).
• The player may double down on any total and on any number of cards.
• In some casinos, players may double double down, or redouble up to two times after doubling down. For example: The player bets one unit and is dealt 2-3, giving a hand total of 5; the dealer is showing a 6. The player doubles the first time and draws a 3. The hand total is now 8 and the total amount wagered is two units. The player doubles a second time and draws a 3. The hand total is now 11 and the total amount wagered is four units. When the player doubles a third time on 11, the total amount wagered will be eight units. Redoubling is a profoundly player-advantageous rule, when optimally executed.
• A total of 21 always wins for the player. It never pushes against the dealer's 21.
• A five-card 21 pays 3:2, a six-card 21 pays 2:1, and a 21 with seven or more cards pays 3:1. A 21 composed of 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays 3:2, of the same suit pays 2:1, and of spades pays 3:1. These bonus payouts apply even if the hand was the result of a split. However, doubling down negates these bonuses.
• A 'super bonus' of $1000 for bets under $25, and $5000 for bets of $25 and over, is paid on a suited 7-7-7 against any dealer 7. All other players at the table receive a $50 'envy bonus'. Splitting or doubling down negates the 'super bonus'.

The removal of the four tens in each deck gives roughly a 2% advantage to the dealer. The liberal rules of Spanish 21, though, do compensate for this. With optimal play, the house edge of a Spanish 21 table is lower than that of a blackjack table with the same rules on hitting or standing on soft 17.

The game also offers an optional 'Match the Dealer' side bet, which compares a player's cards with the dealer's upcard. Matching the rank of the dealer's card pays 4:1 on a six-deck game, and 3:1 on an eight-deck game, while a 'perfect match' of rank and suit pays 9:1 on six decks and 12:1 on eight decks. A player may win on both cards; (e.g. if a player has 8s 8c and the dealer has 8c as an upcard, the player will receive 3:1 on the rank match and 12:1 on the perfect match, paying out a total of 15:1.) While this side bet has a house edge of approximately 3%, significantly higher than the edge of the main game, it is one of the lowest house edges of any blackjack side bet.

House edge[edit]

The following tables list the Spanish 21 house edges for all rule sets found in North America.^[2] (The figures were obtained from 10-billion hand simulations and have a standard error of 0.001%. The super bonus is averaged out to a 100:1 payout.) These charts assume that the player is using basic strategy. 'H17' means that the dealer hits soft seventeen, 'S17' means that the dealer stands on soft seventeen.

Match the Dealer[edit]

Match the Dealer is a side bet offered on most Spanish 21 games. The player wins the side bet if the rank of either or both of their initial two cards matches the rank of the dealer's up card. If the cards match in both rank and suit, the player wins a bigger payout. Some casinos offer a second Match the Dealer bet which wins when either or both of the player's initial two cards match the dealer's hole card. The payouts and the house edge vary depending on the number of decks in play as shown below.

References[edit]

1. ^Dalton, Michael. 'S ... is for Shuffle - Blackjack Review Network'. Blackjack Review Network.
2. ^Reproduced from The Pro's Guide to Spanish 21 and Australian Pontoon (Lulu Publishing, 2008), with permission from the author, Katarina Walker

External links[edit]

Spanish 21 is a variation of the standard game Blackjack with a few differences. This article concentrates on those differences and assumes you know the basic rules of Blackjack. This can be found in this separate article if you need a refresher.

Spanish 21 vs Blackjack

The main difference between Spanish 21 and most other forms of Blackjack is that it is played with a Spanish deck of cards that has 48 cards instead of the usual 52 – the deck is the same with all 10’s removed.

As a 10 is an important card in all forms of Blackjack, you would have thought that this gives a huge advantage to the House. You would be correct if that was the only change, however, a number of other features have been added in an attempt to offset this. Spanish 21 actually has a slightly better edge for the player than many forms of Blackjack.

Spanish 21 Rules

• Late Surrender is allowed, not just after your first 2 cards have been dealt

• You are able to Double after a Split

• You can re Split Aces

• A hand with 21 always wins even if the Dealer also gets 21

• Blackjack always wins even if the Dealer also gets Blackjack

• You can Double at any time after as many cards as you wish

• You can normally Hit and Double after Splitting Aces – this can vary so is worth checking

• You can Surrender after Doubling, known as Double Down rescue. You lose your initial stake which is effectively getting back half your total outlay for the initial stake and the Double

Variation of Rules

Spanish 21 does have some variables which differ depending on where you play so be sure you check these before you start playing.

• Either 6 decks or 8 decks of cards are used

• The dealer can sometimes Hit or Stand on soft 17 – a hand that includes an Ace meaning the Dealer has 7 or 17

• Some casinos will allow you to Double a hand up to 3 times

• Some casinos will not pay the bonus amounts after you Split a hand

Above is an example of the layout for a Spanish 21 table. This particular version sees the Dealer stand on all 17’s, other than this you will see it is very similar to a standard Blackjack table.

Spanish 21 Odds & Payouts

Payouts and odds can be slightly different from regular Blackjack.

• A 5-card 21 pays 3 to 2, a 6-card 21 pays 2 to 1 and 7-card or higher 21 pays 3 to 1. This bonus doesn’t count if you have previously Doubled

• A hand consisting of 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays 3 to 2, if suited it pays 2 to 1. Either of these hands with all Spades pays 3 to 1. Again, this doesn’t count if you have previously Doubled

• A suited 7-7-7 when the Dealer has a 7 face up pay $1,000 if your bet is between $5 and $24 and a whopping $5,000 Super Bonus if your bet was $25 or more. If you are playing live with other players, they will each receive a $50 ‘Envy Bonus’ if this comes in.

Spanish 21 Strategy

There are several variable rules for Spanish 21, which affect some of the decisions for an optimal strategy. The below Spanish 21 basic strategy is based on casinos that use 6 decks and the Dealer stands on a soft 17, which is the most common variation of the game.

Hard Hands – No Ace

Is Spanish 21 Better Than Blackjack Real Money

H = Hit D = Double D2 = Double except Hit with x or more cards
SR = Surrender S = Stand S2 = Stand except Hit with x or more cards

Due to the bonus if you get 21 with 4 or more cards, in some instances it is best to Hit and go for these, in the above chart the number next to an action denotes the minimum number of cards you need in order to Hit as opposed to Stand or Double

Soft Hands – With an Ace

H = Hit D = Double D2 = Double except Hit with x or more cards
S = Stand S2 = Stand except Hit with x or more cards

Due to the bonus if you get 21 with 4 or more cards, in some instances it is best to Hit and go for these, in the above chart the number next to an action denotes the minimum number of cards you need in order to Hit as opposed to Stand or Double.

Pairs

H = Hit D = Double
S = Stand SP = Split SP* = Split except for Suited 7’s in which case Hit

Double Down Surrender when you have 12-16 Vs 8-A, 17 Vs A

Never Split 4’s, 5’s or 10’s

Spanish 21 Tips

There are many extra things to remember in Spanish 21 compared to standard Blackjack, remember the extra bonus payouts for getting 21 with 4 or more cards and getting 7-7-7 or 7-8-9. These don’t count if you were to Double though, so in situations where you feel you have a chance to hit these, ensure you follow the table above for the optimal chance of winning.

Don’t be afraid to Surrender – It is better to admit defeat and get some of your bet back in certain circumstances than continuing and losing it all when the odds are against you. Spanish 21 gives you the chance to Surrender at any time, ensure you make the most of it to stay ahead of the game.

Play for fun first if you want to learn the game properly – This is especially important when playing Spanish 21 as there are different features and rules than in standard Blackjack. We, therefore, recommend you play with free chips until you get the hang of this version when you have a better chance of finishing up.

Always play only with money you can afford to lose – this is the same for all casino games which should be fun – if you don’t enjoy it or are gambling with money you cannot afford to lose your mindset will not help the situation giving you a bigger chance of losing.

Blackjack References:

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How to Count Cards
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Is Spanish 21 Better Than Blackjack

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