Spanish 21 is based on blackjack, but the rules are so different that it’s often considered a separate game. Unlike many older casino games, Spanish 21 is a trademarked game from a specific company—Masque Publishing Inc. Casinos which offer Spanish 21 pay royalties to Masque Publishing Inc. in exchange for being allowed to offer the game.

• Spanish 21 Online Game
• Poker In Spanish

Spanish 21 also features favorable odds for players who are willing to learn the differences between it and standard blackjack games. This post examines the differences between “regular old” blackjack and Spanish 21. Once you’ve read this post, you’ll be able to make an educated decision about whether you’d prefer to stick with standard blackjack (which you’re probably more familiar with) or learn to play Spanish 21 (which usually offers better odds for the players.)

Spanish Translation of “blackjack” The official Collins English-Spanish Dictionary online. Over 100,000 Spanish translations of English words and phrases. 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.

The Spanish Deck

The first and possibly most important difference between standard blackjack and Spanish 21 is the use of a “Spanish” deck of cards. This is just a standard 52 card deck with the 10s removed—not the face cards, which are also worth 10, but only the cards with the number 10 on them.

If you’ve read some of my previous posts about card counting, you probably know that a deck rich in aces and 10s is more likely to produce a blackjack. If you were counting cards using the Hi Lo System, which counts aces and 10s as -1, you’d be starting with a count of -4. As the Dude (from The Big Lebowski) would say, “That’s a bummer, man.”

The reason the 10s and aces are so important is because they make it more likely to be dealt a blackjack (or a “natural”). A blackjack is a 2-card hand with a total of 21. The only way to get a 2-card hand totaling 21 is to get an ace and a 10. Fewer 10s in the deck result in a lower probability of getting a natural.

That one’s easy—a natural (or blackjack) pays off at 3 to 2 instead of at even money. Most bets in blackjack pay off at even money if you win. For example, if you bet $100 and win, your winnings are in the amount of $100.

A 3 to 2 payoff on a $100 bet, though, is $150.

If the only difference between Spanish 21 and regular blackjack was the use of a Spanish deck, Spanish 21 would be a clearly inferior game.

Luckily, that’s not the only difference.

Favorable Player Rules

If you’ve read any of my other blackjack posts, you probably already realize that specific rules and game conditions in blackjack games result in better or worse odds for the player. For the most part, any game condition or house rule that allows the player more flexibility results in a lower house edge. (That’s a fancy word for the mathematical advantage the casino has over the player.)

In some blackjack games, you can split aces once, but if you get another ace afterward, you can’t re-split. In other games, you can re-split aces every time you get them. It doesn’t take a logic professor to realize that the 2nd option is better for the player.

In Spanish 21, a whole plethora of new rules compensates (and then some) for the Spanish deck. Of course, house rules vary from one casino to another.

In Spanish 21, the player has the option to surrender. (Many blackjack games allow surrender, but not all of them.) To surrender, you simply forfeit half your bet. It’s like folding in poker, because you give up any chance to continue in the hand. It’s impossible to win if you don’t play, but in some situations, the expected mathematical value of giving up half your bet is better than risking your entire bet.

In some rare blackjack games, “early surrender” is an option. This is not the case in Spanish 21. “Late surrender” is the order of the day. This means that you can decide to surrender only after the dealer has checked to see if she has a blackjack. If she does, you can’t surrender, because you automatically lose. (Yes, if you push—or tie—the dealer, you don’t automatically lose. But you’d never surrender if you had a total of 21 anyway, so the point is moot.)

Also, in Spanish 21, you’re allowed to double down after splitting. It’s easy to see why this rule is so favorable to the player. For example, if you’re dealt 2 aces, you’d want to split. Now you have 2 opportunities to get a blackjack and the corresponding 3 to 2 payoff. Naturally, you’d want the opportunity to double your bet and take one (and exactly one) card. And that’s the opportunity that being able to double down after splitting offers you.

You’re also allowed to re-split aces in Spanish 21. In most blackjack games, you can split aces, but you don’t get to re-split if you get another ace. It’s hard to overstate how important those aces are, by the way. That’s one of the 2 ranks you need to get that 3 to 2 payoff. And even though a Spanish deck only has 12 cards worth 10 points in it (instead of 16), there are still more cards worth 10 points than any other value.

Earlier, I mentioned tying the dealer if you have a total of 21. That’s actually only how it works in regular blackjack games, because in Spanish 21, ANY player total of 21 wins automatically—regardless of the dealer’s hand. This is a huge difference in favor of the player.

Also, in a standard blackjack game, a player natural versus a dealer natural results in a push (or a tie). But that’s not the case in Spanish 21. A player blackjack always beats a dealer blackjack in Spanish 21.

In most blackjack games, you’re only allowed to double down on your first 2 cards. In Spanish 21, you can double down on any number of cards.

It’s easy to see why this would be favorable to a player. Suppose you’re dealt a 3 and 4 for a total of 7 on your first 2 cards. You take a hit and get another 4—now you have a total of 11. Naturally, you’d want to double down on a total of 11, even if it was made up of 3 cards.

These situations where the favorable rules come into play, by the way, don’t have to be common situations. There are enough of these situations to make a major mathematical difference in the game’s odds.

Spanish 21 even offers a spectacularly rare option called “double down rescue.” Basically, this is the option of being able to surrender AFTER doubling down. Instead of forfeiting half your original bet, you forfeit your original bet only. (When you double down, you put up another bet equal to your first bet.)

Spanish 21 also offers a variety of bonus payouts for various hands.

A 5-card hand totaling 21 pays off at 3 to 2, just like a natural would. A 6-card hand totaling 21 pays off at 2 to 1. A 7-card hand totaling 21 is clearly rare, but it pays off at a whopping 3 to 1. (And yes, it’s possible to have a total of 21 with more than 7 cards in your hand. Such hands also pay off at 3 to 1.)

Those aren’t the only hands with bonus payouts, though. If you have a hand with a 6, 7, and 8, or a hand with 7, 7, 7, you get a 3 to 2 payoff. (Both those hands total 21, by the way.) If those hands are made suited, you get a 2 to 1 payoff instead. AND, if you get one of those hands in the suit of spades, you get a 3 to 1 payoff instead.

You even get a shot at some payoffs that are large enough to qualify as “jackpots” in my book. The trigger for this is a suited 7, 7, 7, but the big payoff only happens when the dealer also has a 7 showing face-up. But when it pays off, it pays off big. If you bet less than $25, the payoff is $1000 in this situation. If you bet more than $25, you get a whopping $5000 payoff.

Other rules variations, like the number of decks in use, or whether the dealer hits a soft 17, vary from casino to casino. These variations don’t always favor the player. For example, a casino using 8 decks instead of 6 isn’t offering as good a game. If the dealer hits a soft 17, that’s bad for the player, too.

Still, with such a massive number of rules changes that benefit the player, Spanish 21 more than makes up for the Spanish deck in use. I’ll get into the specific math of that next.

The House Edge in Spanish 21 versus the House Edge in Blackjack

I mentioned earlier that the house edge is a mathematical expression of the advantage the house has over the player. It’s an estimate based on probability, and it ensures that the casino will win in the long run. That’s how probability works, by the way—in the short term, anything can happen. But in the long run, the actual results tend to mirror the mathematically expected results.

The house edge is the average amount you can expect to lose on every bet, expressed as a percentage. If a casino game has a house edge of 5.26% (as American roulette does), the casino expects to win an average of $5.26 every time you bet $100.

Obviously, in the short run, it’s impossible for actual results to mirror this mathematical expectation. It’s easy to see why if you think about the ultimate short-term result—the result of a single bet. If you bet $100 on a spin of the roulette wheel, you’ll either lose $100 or win $100 (or more). There’s no way to lose 5.26% of a single bet.

That average only comes into play over thousands of bets. Over 10 bets or even 100 bets, anything can happen. That’s how players get lucky and walk away winners. Almost all casino gamblers are looking at short-term results. But the casino is always engaged in long-term results. They have hundreds of games going on at any given time, which results in the long-term expectation happening much more quickly for them than for the player.

You’ll often see the house edge for blackjack being touted as somewhere between 0.5% and 1.5%, depending on the rules in play. This is a little misleading, because it makes a big assumption.

The house edge in blackjack is based on the assumption that you’re using perfect basic strategy. When players refer to basic strategy in blackjack, they’re referring to making the mathematically correct decision in every situation that arises. It’s safe to say that no one masters basic strategy intuitively or based on common sense. Intuition and common sense might be good starting points, but to get those low house edge figures, you must do the work of learning basic strategy and then making the correct decisions on every hand.

Most players don’t know basic strategy, by the way. The house edge for them, given all the mathematical mistakes they’re making, is probably closer to 4% or 5%. If you don’t learn basic strategy, you might as well be playing a game with a higher house edge—like roulette, for example.

The house edge for Spanish 21 is generally better than the house edge in blackjack. If you ignore the effect of those jackpot hands, which come up as rarely as you might expect, the house edge for Spanish 21 is about 0.4%.

This assumes, of course, that you’re playing with perfect basic strategy.

I cover some of the intricacies and strategy differences in the next section.

Basic Strategy Differences

Some of the basic strategy for Spanish 21 is the same (or at least similar) to the basic strategy for any blackjack game. For example, you’ll still hit any hard total of 8 or less in Spanish 21.

But the strategy for doubling down is trickier in Spanish 21 because you need to account for the number of cards you have. That’s because of the bonus payoffs for getting a total of 21 with 5 cards or more.

If you have a hard total of 9, you’ll hit unless the dealer has a 6 as her up-card. In that case, you’ll double down.

That’s not complicated, but when you start looking at what to do with a hard total of 10, things get trickier.

You’ll hit a total of 10 if the dealer has a 9, 10, or ace showing. But if the dealer has an 8 or lower showing, the number of cards you have affects your choice of doubling down. You’ll always double down in this situation if the dealer has a 4, 5, or 6 showing.

But if the dealer has a 2 or 3 showing and you have 5 cards or more, you’ll just hit.

If the dealer has a 7 showing, you’ll hit instead of doubling down if you have 4 cards or more.

And if the dealer has an 8 showing, you’ll hit instead of doubling if you have 3 cards or more.

With a total of 11, you will double down unless you have the following numbers of cards versus the following dealer up cards.

• If the dealer has a 2, 7, 8, or 9, you’ll hit with 4 cards or more
• If the dealer has a 3, 4, 5, or 6, you’ll hit with 5 cards or more
• If the dealer has a 10 or an ace, you’ll hit with 3 cards or more

And that’s just the strategy for doubling with hard totals. You also need to know when to double on a soft hand. (A soft hand is a hand with an ace in it where the ace can be counted as either 11 or 1.)

You’ll double with a soft total of 15 versus a 6 unless you have 4 cards or more, in which case you’ll hit.

You’ll double with a soft total of 16 versus a 5 or 6 unless you have 3 cards versus a 5, or 4 cards versus a 6. In those cases, you’ll hit.

You’ll double with a soft total of 17 versus a 4, 5, or 6, unless you have 3 cards, 4 cards, or 5 cards, respectively. In those cases, you’ll again just hit.

You’ll even double down on a soft 18 against a dealer 4, 5, or 6, unless you have 4 cards, 5 cards, or 6 cards. Again, in those cases, you’ll just hit.

Those are the strategies for doubling, but those strategies only cover 27 possible situations. And the game presents more possible situations than that.

In some situations, you’ll have a decision to stand unless you have a certain number of cards.

If you have a hard total of 17, you’ll stand unless the dealer has an 8, 9, or 10, AND you have 6 cards already. Your goal is to get that 7-card 21 so that you can experience the big payout.

You’ll always stand on a hard total of 18 or more, so that’s easy to remember.

If I were to list every possible situation and every possible decision you’d need to make, this post would never end, in fact. And that’s not even considering that the strategy for the game changes based on how many decks are in play and whether the dealer hits a soft total of 17 or not.

When discussing basic strategy for regular blackjack, I usually recommend learning the strategy via a list or via a series of paragraphs explaining the various situations.

This isn’t practical for Spanish 21. If you want to get the correct basic strategy for Spanish 21, my suggestion is to find a site with a printable basic strategy specific to the rules variations you’re facing. Print the card and use it while you play.

In fact, that’s one aspect of Spanish 21 that doesn’t differ from blackjack. The dealer doesn’t mind if you use a basic strategy chart to card—as long as it doesn’t slow down the game.

And if you’re slowing down the game, prepare to face the wrath of both the dealer and the other players at the table.

Don’t be that guy. Nobody likes that guy.

Unlicensed Versions of Spanish 21

Here’s an interesting side note: you can trademark the name and presentation of a game, but you cannot copyright the actual rules of a game. (You can copyright the expression of those rules, but not the rules themselves.)

In the case of Spanish 21, this means that some casinos offer variations of Spanish 21 that are slightly different but are essentially the same game with a different name. This enables the casino to offer something uncannily similar to Spanish 21 without having to pay licensing fees or royalties to Masque Publishing Inc.

This is especially common with online casinos, which operate mostly offshore. (I’m writing for an audience in the United States.)

Conclusion

The answer is yes if you’re looking for an entertaining breath of fresh air AND if you’re willing to learn the new rules and strategy for the game.

But the difference in house edge isn’t significant enough for some players to make the switch. Basic strategy for a standard blackjack game results in a house edge of 0.5%. That extra 0.1% probably isn’t worth the extra effort for the typical player.

On the other hand, if you’re counting cards, every tenth of a percentage point counts. And if you’re a card counter, memorizing a new basic strategy won’t be hard for you.

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.

Spanish 21 Online Game

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.

Poker In Spanish

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.

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

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.