Spanish 21 is a very popular form of blackjack at the casinos mainly because it is one of the better ones in comparison to odds and payouts. This game will allow you a better edge over the house than your traditional blackjack with a few noted variances between the two games.
Spanish 21 is played with 6 or 8 Spanish decks of cards. The difference between a Spanish deck of cards is it only contains 48 cards instead of your standard 52 deck. The cards that have been removed from the deck are all four tens. Some of the variables that make this game much more appealing to the blackjack player is you will always win on 21 and a player’s blackjack will hold as the winning hand against a dealer’s blackjack. In most other games of blackjacks both of these hands would have been lost to the dealer.
Players can also double on any hand in Spanish 21 and may surrender that hand after he has doubled. This is known as double down rescue however if you do this you will lose all bets to the dealer. You are also able to hit and double down after splitting aces. The one thing a player should make note of when determining to split is that bonuses are not paid out when the hand has been doubled.
We mentioned that the house edge in this game is lower than most other blackjack games and as such the house supplies you with some added bonuses for certain combinations of 21.
A five card 21 pays 3:2
A six card 21 pays 2:1
A seven or more card 21 pays 3:1
The game also has some extra bonuses for hitting hands like 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 mixed suits. These hands generally pay 3:2, with the same suit 2:1 and if you hit these hands in spades expect to receive 3:2 ratio on your wager.
Extra bonuses include a suited 7-7-7 when the dealer is showing a 7 which pays an additional $1000 with wagers of $5-$24 and $5000 when a wager of $25 or more has been placed. Although the odds of receiving these cards are very slim.
Blackjack Strategy and Rules
Play Spanish Blackjack at these recommended casinos