by Edward Johnson
The popular variation of blackjack known as Spanish Blackjack or Spanish 21 is known to be one of the games with the most favorable rules for players.
This entertaining variation of blackjack offers the opportunity to get massive payouts on hands that total 21, do things like Hitting or Doubling after splitting Aces plus a very unique option called “Double-Down Rescue”.
The Rules of Spanish 21
The most remarkable characteristic of Spanish 21 is that it’s played using a Spanish deck, which is a standard deck of 52 cards where all 10-value cards have been removed (10′s, Jacks, Queens and Kings). So effectively youre playing with decks of 48 cards, not 52.
The effect of removing all 10 value cards from the deck is that there is no way to get a natural 21, which definitely favors the dealer’s odds.
So, how is Spanish Blackjack attractive for players then? Well, to make up for this, casinos have also introduced a series of rule variations that will balance the odds. One good example of this is that players are much more likely to create a hand of 21 using 5,6 or 7 cards which features a payout as high as 50:1.
So the upside of not having 10 value cards is that the frequency of “Bust” hands is much lower and the likelihood of creating 21 hands using multiple cards is much higher.
Spanish 21 is usually played using either 6 or 8 decks of cards but this can vary depending on the casino. Whats important to highlight is that as the number of decks lowers, the players edge increases.
Splitting hands is allowed, re-Splitting is also possible even when re-splitting Aces. You’re also allowed to Hit or Double Down after splitting hands, even if it’s a pair of Aces and Doubling Down is possible on any number of cards.
In Spanish Blackjack you can also Surrender after Doubling Down. This Late Surrender option is known as “Double-Down Rescue” and it entitles players to keep the amount of their original bet.
Its important to note, however, that in this game the dealer is forced to Hit on a soft 17. The implication of this is important for players because this effectively increases the houses edge by 0.22%.
Up to 50:1 Payouts
All 21 ties are won by the player but as we mentioned before, a 21 hand will payout differently depending on the number of cards used to build this hand.
For instance, if you build a 21-point hand with five cards, your bet will return at 3:2 – like natural blackjacks. The same hand using six cards will payout at 2:1 and any 21 hands created using seven or more cards will payout at 3:1.
There are specific card combinations that offer similar payouts. For example when you create a hand thats 21 in value using six,seven and eight or using 3 sevens of mixed suits, this will payout at 3:2. When you create this hand with cards of the same suit, the payout is 2:1 and if its formed using Spades, theres a 3:1 payout on your bet.
And last but not least, building a 21-hand using three sevens of the same suit when the dealer is showing a 7 will pay out at an incredible 50:1.
To sum up, Spanish 21 is not only a blackjack game that offers great entertainment and attractive winning odds but its also one of few blackjack games where players can enjoy higher than usual payouts without having to wager more money on side bets. The next time you fancy playing blackjack online, try this game and see why so many players prefer playing Spanish 21.