The final reason why Spanish 21 is more attractive than standard blackjack is that you can win bonus money if you get dealt 7-7-7 and the dealer's up card is a seven. This bonus hand will win you anything from $1,000 to $5,000 in many live and online casinos. Simpa Sibiu What Has Better Odds Spanish 21 Or Blackjack For the card counter, this is an easy walk in the park. Mobile Slots You may enjoy the best mobile slot games here at Ace Lucky Casino as we have a hand-picked selection of the very best mobile slots games for you to play and enjoy. But the strategy differences between Spanish 21 and traditional blackjack still give the casino a bigger edge most of the time. Some of these options include allowing late surrender, allowing double downs after splitting, and allowing you to split and re-split aces. Also, a player ALWAYS wins with a total of 21, regardless of the dealer’s hand.

Introduction

Spanish 21 is a variation of blackjack, that in some cases is the best bet in the casino. In locations where the dealer stands on a soft 17, or redoubling is allowed, Spanish 21 may be a better bet than blackjack, depending on the specific blackjack rules. If you are looking for a change of pace from traditional blackjack but insist on a game with a low house edge, then you may find new excitement in Spanish 21.

In Australia and Malaysia, Spanish 21 is called Pontoon. There are some rule changes in Australia, which merit a separate page. For all the details please visit my page on Australian Pontoon. To make matters more confusing, there is another similar game, but different enough to warrant a separate page, called Player's Edge 21.

Following is a list of known aliases of the game:

• Betsoft, a major provider of software for Internet casinos, offers Spanish 21 under the name Pirate 21.
• The Casino Bregenz in Austria changes the name to Blackjack Exchange.

The Rules

Spanish 21 uses six or eight Spanish decks, each deck consisting of 48 cards — the regular 52 cards less the four tens. Any card counter can tell you that removing any 10-point card from the cards moves the odds in favor of the dealer. To make up for this, Spanish 21 gives the player a host of bonuses and favorable rules. There are lots of Spanish 21 games all over the country, so rules will vary somewhat from place to place, but the usual rules in the player's favor are:

1. Late surrender allowed.
2. Double after split allowed.
3. Re-splitting aces allowed.
4. A player 21 always wins.
5. Player blackjack beats dealer blackjack.
6. Player may double on any number of cards.
7. Player may usually hit and double down after splitting aces.
8. Player may surrender after doubling, known as 'double down rescue.' The player forfeits an amount equal to his original bet.
9. A five-card 21 pays 3 to 2, a six-card 21 pays 2 to 1, a seven or more card 21 pays 3 to 1. Bonus not honored after doubling.
10. A 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays 3 to 2, of the same suit pays 2 to 1, and of spades pays 3 to 1. These bonuses do not pay after doubling.
11. Suited 7-7-7 when the dealer has a seven face up pays $1000 for bets of $5-$24 and $5000 'Super Bonus' for bets of $25 or over. In addition, all other players receive a $50 'envy bonus.' This bonus does not pay after doubling or splitting.

Variable Rules

1. Dealer may hit or stand on a soft 17.
2. 6 or 8 Spanish decks can be used.
3. Some casinos allow redoubling, up to three times.
4. I have heard of some casinos not allowing surrender or drawing to split aces, but it isn't the norm.
5. A face card and ace after splitting has been known to count as a blackjack, at at least one casino.
6. There has been a lot of debate through the years whether the bonuses are payable after a split. First, there is almost no argument that they do not pay after doubling. However, the way the game was designed, all bonuses except the Super Bonus are supposed to be payable after splitting. However, most casinos do not pay the bonuses after a split. The effect of not allowing the bonuses after splitting is very small, around 0.01%.

Strategy

Following is my Spanish 21 basic strategy when the dealer hits a soft 17.

Next is the Spanish 21 basic strategy when the dealer stands on a soft 17.

Note: If drawing to split aces is not allowed, and the dealer stands on soft 17 (as is the case at the Mohegan Sun), then hit A,A vs A.

The next table if for when the dealer hits a soft 17, redoubling is allowed, and the player has not already doubled.

The next table if for when the dealer hits a soft 17, redoubling is allowed, and the player has already doubled, which limits his options to stand, surrender, and double again.

Many readers have expressed doubt about my advice to hit 17 against an ace with 3 or more cards. However, I stand by what I said. The player will save about 2.8% of the initial wager by hitting as opposed to standing. The dealers will advise against this play and the other players may curse the day you were born, but trust me, the odds favor hitting.

Following is the house edge under various common rules, before considering the Super Bonus.

• Dealer stands on soft 17: 0.40%
• Dealer hits on soft 17, redoubling allowed: 0.42%
• Dealer hits on soft 17, redoubling not allowed: 0.76%

Super Bonus

The probability of hitting the Super Bonus is 1 in 668,382, with six decks, and 1 in 549,188 with eight decks. The reduction in the house edge depends on the bet amount, and to a lesser extent, the number of players. With no other players, and bets of exactly $5 or $25, the Super Bonus lowers the house edge by 0.030% in a six-deck game, and 0.036% in an eight-deck game. At a bet of exactly $5, the Envy Bonus lowers the house edge by an additional 0.0015% in a six-deck game, and 0.0018% in an eight-deck game, per additional player.

For bet amounts other than those indicated above, the benefit of the Super Bonus will go down as the bet amount goes up.

No Draw to Split Aces: At the Mohegan Sun drawing to split aces is NOT allowed. The effect of this rule is to increase the house edge by 0.29%.

Ace and 10 after splitting aces pays 3 to 2: I have an unconfirmed report that at at one time the Meskaki casino in central Iowa paid 3 to 2 on an ace and 10 after splitting aces. I have another unconfirmed report that as of Aug. 2010 they removed the Spanish 21 table completely. According to my calculations this lowers the house edge by 0.16%. Otherwise they hit a soft 17 and no redoubling, for an overall house edge of 0.60%.

Doubling only allowed on first two cards: I had a false report that a casino in Malaysia didn't allow doubling on any number of cards. If such a rule did exist, it would increase the house edge by 0.16%.

Match the Dealer

Match the Dealer is a side bet found in both blackjack and Spanish 21. The player wins for each of his initial two cards that match the dealer's up card. Matches in rank only pay less than a match in rank and suit. The following tables show the various pay tables that I am aware of for Spanish 21.

Match the Dealer — Six Decks

Event	Combinations	Probability	Pays	Return
Two suited matches	10	0.000244	18	0.004386
One hard and one each match	90	0.002193	13	0.028508
Two non-suited matches	153	0.003728	8	0.029824
One suited match	1320	0.032163	9	0.289467
One non-suited match	4752	0.115787	4	0.463147
No matches	34716	0.845886	-1	-0.845886
Total	41041	1	0	-0.030555

Match the Dealer — Eight Decks

Event	Combinations	Probability	Pays	Return
Two suited matches	21	0.000287	24	0.00689
One hard and one each match	168	0.002297	15	0.034448
Two non-suited matches	276	0.003773	6	0.022637
One suited match	2464	0.033683	12	0.404194
One non-suited match	8448	0.115484	3	0.346452
No matches	61776	0.844477	-1	-0.844477
Total	73153	1	0	-0.029855

C4

The Casino Bregenz in Austria offers Spanish 21 but calls it Blackjack Exchange. They tack on a side bet called the C4, which is analyzed below. The table is based on six decks and assumes that if the player qualifies for more than one win, he only gets the higher win. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 14.48%.

C4 — Six Decks

Event	Combinations	Probability	Pays	Return
Four of a kind	500	138,138	0.000337	0.168467
Straight	20	3,649,536	0.008902	0.178032
Flush	12	5,647,896	0.013776	0.165310
Two pair	10	5,941,728	0.014492	0.144925
Three of a kind	8	7,330,752	0.017880	0.143044
All other	-1	387,278,420	0.944613	-0.944613
Total	409,986,470	1.000000	-0.144836

Following is the house edge of the C4 for other numbers of decks.

• Four decks: 18.49%
• Eight decks: 12.41%

Methodology

The Spanish 21 strategy found here is based on a combinatorial program which considered both card composition and the six deck nature of the game. In addition an infinite deck model was created in Excel, of which the basic strategy nearly agreed with that of the combinatorial model. The basic strategy found here does not agree with that of the late Lenny Frome in some borderline situations. Frome's strategy can be found in such books as 'Secrets of the New Casino Games' (Marten Jensen) and 'Armada Strategies for Spanish 21' (Frank Scoblete). Although I have a great deal of respect for Frome and his body of work, I strongly feel that his basic strategy is incorrect. I speculate he did notincorporate the double down surrender feature correctly into his analysis. My strategies also agree with those of Katarina Walker, who has done an amazing job analyzing Spanish 21 and its cousin, Australian Pontoon, as well as an independent analysis by Mike Hopson.

Acknowledgments

I would like to give a huge thanks to Katarina Walker for correcting some minor strategy errors in this page. She is the author of The Pro's Guide to Spanish 21 and Australian Pontoon.

Links

German translation of this page.

Written by:Michael Shackleford

Spanish 21, a popular variant of blackjack, is played at casinos around the world.

While it’s new compared to the historic table game it’s based on, it has some intriguing rule changes that affect the house odds of the game.

1 – What Are the Rules of Spanish 21?

Spanish 21 is still played on the same casino tables as the game it’s based on, but it uses a custom layout and a different ruleset.

The recreation is played with six or eight decks, which are drawn from a shoe. The dealer will receive a hole card in Spanish 21. A hole card is a card that’s dealt face down, meaning neither the dealer nor player can see the card’s value.

If a player gets a blackjack, consisting of one ace and one card with a value of 10, then they automatically win the game and receive a 3:2 payout, regardless of whether the dealer has blackjack.

Insurance and late surrenders are available in Spanish 21.

Even though there are four fewer 10-value cards in Spanish 21 than in blackjack, insurance is still paid out at 2:1. House edge on insurance in Spanish 21 is 24.7%, making the house edge one of the worst of casino wagers.

Late surrender is when the player surrenders after seeing the dealer’s hand but still has the chance to get half of their stake back after waiving the right to play on.

The dealer is able to peek under the hole card after his original two cards are dealt if the face-up card is an ace. If the dealer peeks and finds out that he has blackjack, all players automatically lose unless one of them has blackjack.

Anytime the player ends up with blackjack, they automatically win, regardless of whether or not the dealer has blackjack. Players will get paid out differently depending on how many cards they draw before hitting 21. A five-card 21 pays out 3:2, a six-card 21 pays out 2:1, and a 21 with seven or more cards pays out 3:1.

2 – How’s It Different From Blackjack?

Spanish 21 wasn’t introduced until 1995, so the blackjack variant has far less history than the game it’s based on. Blackjack’s predecessor is 21. A short story by Miguel de Cervantes indicates 21 has been played since the 17^th century or earlier in Spain.

The history of blackjack began in Spain but spread to other European countries by the 18^th century. In Britain, there’s evidence of the game dating back to the 1770s. After making its round through Europe, 21 finally came to America sometime in the 19^th century. 21 was given its American name of blackjack by gold prospectors.

Prospectors called one of the minerals that indicated a gold or silver deposit “blackjack.” Top bonuses in casinos playing the game at the time were then named after the mineral. Eventually, the game itself was named blackjack.

A big rule change that gives a big boost to the player’s chances has to do with blackjacks. If you’ve ever been frustrated by the dealer drawing a blackjack on the same turn you do, then this rule will put your mind at ease.

In Spanish 21, the player’s blackjack always beats the dealer’s blackjack. Anytime you draw a blackjack in the game, you’ll receive a 3:2 payout, regardless of the dealer’s hand.

Late surrender is another key difference between Spanish 21 and other blackjack variants.

If the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack, you can surrender the game and get half your stake back. If you feel like the deck’s not in your favor, late surrender gives you a chance to minimize risk.

Doubling down also works differently in Spanish 21 than it does in blackjack. Blackjack only allows you to double down on the original two cards dealt, meaning you can only double your wager based on the first two cards you’re dealt.

Spanish 21 lets you double down on any cards you’re dealt in the game. Anytime you double down, you’ll receive another card. You can repeat this process twice, multiplying your bet by a maximum factor of eight, giving you the chance to receive a huge payout.

The lax double down rules of Spanish 21 work in conjunction with its laid-back late surrender rules. Even though doubling down increases the risk of your wager significantly, you can always late surrender and get half your stake back.

3 – Does Spanish 21 Have a House Edge?

The house edge for Spanish 21 will vary based on the dealer’s instructions for hitting or standing when their hand is a soft or hard 17.

Better Odds Blackjack Or Spanish 21 Game

Soft 17 is when the dealer’s hand has a sum of 17 and includes an ace.

For example, if the dealer’s hand had a six and an ace, it would be a soft 17. Soft 17 means the dealer could draw a 10 and the hand wouldn’t bust. The ace’s value would change to one and the dealer would have 18 in their hand.

Hard 17 is when the dealer’s hand doesn’t have an ace but has a value of 17.

For example, the dealer may have a six, another six, and a five. Hard 17 has the same rules at casinos but dealers may hit or stand on soft 17, depending on the casino’s rules.

Better Odds Blackjack Or Spanish 21 Rules

The house edge will also change depending on whether or not you choose to double throughout the game.

Better Odds Blackjack Or Spanish 21 Games

With redoubling, the house edge will change to .42% for six decks and .45% for eight decks. The “Match the Dealer” side bet will have different house edges depending on how many decks are in play. The more decks that are in play, the lower the house edge will be for the side bet.

With two decks in play, the house edge is at 3.63% and suited matches have odds of 19:1. However, with eight decks in play, the house edge is at 2.99% and suited matches have odds of 12:1.

4 – What Side Bets Does Spanish 21 Offer?

A popular side bet on Spanish 21 is the super bonus. If a player has a 7-7-7 hand against a dealer seven, they’ll get the super bonus. The super bonus is $1000 on bets under $25 and $5000 on bets over $25. Splitting or doubling down will negate the super bonus.

All players at the table will receive a $50 envy bonus if another player at the table wins a super bonus. Another common side bet offered on this table game is Match the Dealer.

If the rank of one or both of your original two cards matches the rank of the dealer’s face-up card, you can win this side bet. This is a pretty simple side bet to understand, but it can increase the fun of your hand and lets you try to predict which face-up card the dealer will give himself.

You can also make a second Match the Dealer side bet at some casinos. The second bet works the same as the first one, except you’re trying to match the dealer’s hole card this time.

5 – Where Can I Play Spanish 21?

Many casinos throughout the country offer this exciting blackjack variant. Rivers Casino Des Plaines, located in Des Plaines, IL, has Spanish 21 available to play in addition to other table games like baccarat, craps, and roulette.

The casino offers insurance at their Spanish 21 table letting players bet up to half the original bet on any hand. While you can double down on your hand at the casino, bonuses will not be paid out after you’ve doubled down on a hand.

Pair splitting is also available here. Players can split cards of equal value to create up to four hands. The casino also allows hitting and doubling of split hands.

Unlike doubled hands, bonuses can be paid on split hands, however, you will be ineligible for a super bonus after splitting your hand there.

Hawks Prairie Casino, located in Lacey, WA, also offers Spanish 21. House rules at this casino forbid the players from touching their cards at any time while playing and the casino also disallows side bets, so you won’t be able to make Match the Dealer bets there.

Conclusion

Do you have any strategies for Spanish 21? Let us know in the comments section below.