Spanish Blackjack

1. Spanish Blackjack Strategy Charts
2. Spanish 21 Rules
3. Spanish 21
4. Spanish Blackjack
5. How To Play Spanish Blackjack

Play Blackjack as if you were at the casino! Play blackjack against the dealer and see who can get 21 without going bust! √ Large high quality cards and chips √ Leaderboard to boast your score √ The table maximum limit is 20,000 √ The player's blackjack always wins √ A total of 21 always wins for the player unless the dealer has a blackjack √ Blackjack pays 3 to 2 √ Insurance. Spanish 21 is a version of blackjack that offers more fun options and can pay a little better. It is most noted for its 48-card deck that leaves out 10s. But the possibilities it provides may play in your favor if you play it right. Play Blackjack as if you were at the casino! Play blackjack against the dealer and see who can get 21 without going bust! √ Large high quality cards and chips √ Leaderboard to boast your score √ The table maximum limit is 20,000 √ The player's blackjack always wins √ A total of 21 always wins for the player unless the dealer has a blackjack √ Blackjack pays 3 to 2 √ Insurance. Spanish Blackjack is an exciting online casino blackjack game with a bit of a twist. Played with 8 decks of cards of 48 cards each, Spanish Blackjack does not include the uses of 10’s. The game also offers players the chance to double their bets and a late surrender option after every hand. 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.

Spanish 21, or as our friends down under like to call it – Pontoon; is a version of Blackjack that is not only fun to play, but one of the best bets in a casino. If you are lucky enough to find the game that is. Spanish Blackjack isn’t spread as often as other Blackjack games due to the low house edge. As a rule of thumb, if you have the option to play Spanish 21, play it!

Spanish 21 is kind of like taking the best parts of every Blackjack version and creating a new Blackjack version around them. Most Blackjack games will have some good and bad. All the bad things like not being able to re-split Aces, are designed to give the house a higher edge. However, you can find just about all of the “Good” that is found in other versions.

Content

Free Games
Rules
Bonus Payouts
Online Games House Edge Comparison
Spanish Blackjack Tips

Free Spanish 21 Blackjack

Where to Play for Real Cash

Spanish 21 Rules

The main difference with this version is absence of all the 10’s. There are still Jacks, Kings and Queens; but the literal 10 cards are removed from the deck. A standard shoe consists of 6 to 8 decks with 48 cards in each deck.

Double Down

As per standard Blackjack games, players can double down on their first 2 cards. However, Spanish 21 lets you double down on many occasions. You can double after a split. You can also double down after each hit if you prefer. Finally, there’s the option to double after splitting Aces. After doubling down you will receive only one additional card. Then you can either stand or surrender – double down rescue.

Splitting

You can split any two hands with similar value. You can also split and re-split Aces. The possible number of splits vary between the games, but usually it’s up to 3 hands.

Late Surrender

Spanish 21 also allows players to use the late surrender when a dealer shows a 10 or Ace.

21 and Blackjack

Spanish 21 has a unique way of rewarding 21’s and Blackjacks. The most lucrative is the fact that the dealer cannot tie when the player has 21 or Blackjack. All player 21’s and Blackjacks beat the dealers 21 and Blackjacks.

Not only do you always win with 21, it also pays off if you make 21 a certain way.

• 5 card 21 pays 3-2
• 6 cards pays 2-1
• 7 or more pays 3-1

Dealt Blackjacks pay the traditional 3-2. While all other 21’s are paid even money.

Bonuses

Spanish blackjack has a few other tricks up its sleeve. These tricks, or treats if you will, come in the form of bonus payouts for getting certain card combinations.

• 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of different suits pays 3-2
• 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of the same suit pays 2-1
• 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of all spades pays 3-1
• 7-7-7 of the same suit when the dealer shows a 7 pay 50:1.

Most of these bonuses do not pay if you have split or doubled.

Online Games Rules & House Edge Comparison

You will find deviations of Spanish Blackjacks that will alter the house edge, but most casinos will use the same rules. The edge using the standard rules is 0.40%

Microgaming:

8 decks

You can split 3 times.

You can re-double once and receive additional card.

No US players

Odds: 99.58%

Where to play: Jackpot City Casino

Games OS:

8 decks.

Standard rules

No US players

Odds: 99.24%

Where to play: Guts Casino

BetSoft:

6 decks.

No Surrender available

Suited 7s with dealer’s 7 pay $1000 for $5 – $24 bets. $5000 for higher bets.

Additional Match the Dealer side bet.

USA friendly

Odds: 99.30%

Where to play: Ignition Casino

RTG:

The number of decks is not disclosed.

Standard Rules

Suited 7s with dealers 7 pay 40:1.

USA friendly

Odds: 99.22%

Where to play: Vegas Casino Online

Spanish Blackjack Tips

The main strategy is to utilize the choice to double down at any time. Use this always when you have a total of 11, regardless of what the dealer shows. You also want to take advantage of the option to split Aces.

Avoid trying to hit the bonus payouts, such as going for a 5 card 21 and so on. Doing so will deviate from an optimal strategy; and the payoff when you do win the bonus will not compensate for the loss of statistical advantages.

Spanish Blackjack Strategy Charts

Overall, Spanish 21 is a fun game to play and has a low house edge. So, if you’re looking for a new way to play blackjack, Spanish 21 could be your answer.

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

Spanish 21 Rules

• 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

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.

Spanish 21

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:

How to Count Cards
Blackjack For Real Money

Spanish Blackjack

How To Play Spanish Blackjack

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