Spanish 21 Strategy & Odds - How To Play Spanish 21

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Spanish 21 Odds & Strategy

Spanish 21 is a popular variant of regular blackjack. The game uses eight decks of 48 cards each which are dealt out of a shoe. In Spanish 21, all the 10 suit cards have been removed which mean the only cards with a value of ten are the face cards.

How To Play Spanish 21

Player should always remember that when cards are removed from the deck, the odds shift more in the favor of the house. With this rule, a dealer will check their hole card for blackjack only if they have an ace or a face card. Most of the basic blackjack rules apply for this game.

All number cards retain their same value and aces are soft and worth either 1 or 11. The object of the game is to get as close to 21 without going over and to have a higher hand than the dealer.

Spanish 21 Rules

The rules for Spanish 21 are a little different and offer some favorable bonuses for the player. A player may hit or stand as normal but may double on any number of cards. If a player gets two initial cards which are the same, then they have the option of splitting into a possible four hands.

In some casinos they allow a player to hit and double after splitting aces. Aces, which are normally split only once, may be resplit. If a player hits blackjack, it always beats a dealer’s blackjack and has a payout ratio of 3:2.

A 21-count hand always wins, too. Surrender is allowed and a player may even surrender after doubling, which is referred to as “double down rescue”. With a double down rescue, if a player is not satisfied with their doubled hand then they are allowed to ‘rescue’ the doubled portion of their wager.

If the player chooses to surrender their doubled down bet, they forfeit an amount equal to their initial bet. Some casinos also allow for a late surrender rule. If a player does not like their first two initial cards, then they may surrender and forfeit half of their original bet. But if a dealer has a blackjack then surrendering is not allowed.

If a dealer gets a soft 17, they may either hit or stand. If a dealer shows an ace or face card, they are allowed to peek at their hole card to see if they have blackjack. If they have a blackjack, the dealer wins automatically unless the player has blackjack.

Bonus 21

In Spanish 21, if a players hand equals 21 points, then they are eligible for the Bonus 21. The payout for the Bonus 21 varies depending on the player’s cards. A 21 made up of five cards pays 3:2, a six-card hand pays 2:1, and a hand made up of seven or more cards pay 3:1. A mixed suit of 6 – 7 – 8 or 7 – 7 – 7 has a payout of 3:2. But if the cards are the same suit the payout is 2:1. Spades pays 3:1. Unfortunately, if the player doubled then they are not eligible for the bonus.

Super Bonus

Spanish 21 has another bonus called the Super Bonus. A player can receive the Super Bonus when they have a suited 7 – 7 – 7 hand and the dealer draws a 7 of any suit. When this happens, bets from $5 to $24 pay a bonus of $1,000 while bets over $25 pay a Super Bonus of $5,000. If a player gets a Super Bonus, then all other players who have not busted for that round receive a $50 “Envy Bonus”.

If a player has split or doubled, then they are not eligible for the Super Bonus. The rules for the Super Bonus vary from casino to casino so it’s a good idea to always check it out before you play.

Insurance has a payout of 2:1, just like in normal blackjack. The dealer has less of a chance of getting a blackjack because the ten cards have been removed from the decks. Since only the face cards are worth ten, the odds of a dealer getting a blackjack while showing an ace is only 25%.

Spanish 21 Odds and Strategy

Players who are familiar with blackjack and looking for a variation of that game can try out Spanish 21. Since the ten cards have been removed, it gives the house a slight advantage but this is compensated by the lucrative bonuses and the fact that a player’s blackjack always beats the dealers. If a specific casino allows for redoubling and the dealer stands on a soft 17, then the odds are even better for the player. Don’t confuse this game with the Spanish 21version in Australia and Malaysia, which is called “Pontoon”. The rules for that game are completely different from this variation. Spanish 21 can be found in just about any casino online that offers blackjack.

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