Spanish 21 Guide

Our very own Spanish 21 Guide is here to give you an insight about the hot Spanish blackjack variant.

Within this Spanish 21 guide, we take a look at all you need to know about the online blackjack variant. Spanish 21 is a blackjack variant that uses basic blackjack rules with slight alterations. The most significant is removing all 10 cards from the deck. Read on for more details about this online casino game.

Spanish 21 Guide: An Introduction

Spanish 21 is one of the most well-liked blackjack variations. Both offline casinos and internet gaming companies offer the blackjack variant known as Spanish 21 to fans of the game. Read through this tutorial to learn all the fundamentals of Spanish 21 and how to utilize professional strategy to improve your chances of succeeding. You will find this game at the best online blackjack casinos.

Spanish 21 vs Standard Blackjack

Spanish 21 is a variant of blackjack that differs slightly from the game’s traditional version. The fact that all 10 cards are taken out of the deck is one of its key features. Consequently, a deck contains 48 cards instead of 52, and there are no 10s in it. There are typically six or eight decks of cards used in Spanish 21.

The following are some of the additional Spanish 21 regulations:

If a player has a Blackjack, it will always win, even if the dealer also has Blackjack
The player will win if their hand draws to 21
A player can Double Down on any number of cards
The player can Surrender at any time, even after a Double Down
A player can choose to hit, re-split or even Double Down on split Aces.

The Rules of Spanish 21

The rules of Spanish 21 are comparable to those of regular blackjack, so learning them shouldn’t be too difficult. In order to win, you must build up your hand as near to 21 as you can without going beyond (going bust).

The cards in Spanish 21 Blackjack have the same value as in standard blackjack. The value of the image cards (Jack, Queen, and King) is thus 10. Aces can have a value of either 1 or 11. Thus, by pairing an Ace with a picture card, it is possible to get Blackjack, the strongest hand in the game.

Once the bets are made, a round of Spanish 21 Blackjack begins. The player is dealt two face-up cards after the bets are set, while the dealer is dealt one face-up and one face-down card. If the player has blackjack, they are paid out at a 2:1 ratio right away. If the dealer shows an Ace, the player will also have the option of placing an Insurance Bet. The player’s stake is returned if the dealer gets Blackjack because the Insurance Bet costs half of their stake and pays 2:1.

If the dealer’s face-up card is a picture card, they will also check for blackjack; insurance is not available in this scenario. All players lose their hand if the dealer has blackjack, providing they don’t have blackjack themselves. If not, the round continues as usual.

Player Options

The options the player has are the following:

Hit: This is when the player decides to take another card. There is no limit on how many cards they can take, but they must be cautious not to exceed 21.
Stand: This is when the player decides to stay with their cards and not take on any more cards.
Double Down: This is when the player decides to double their bet and take on one more card. In Spanish 21, unlike other blackjack variants, players can Double Down at any time, even after taking on cards after the first two initial ones.

Surrender: This is when the player decides to surrender their hand and receive back half their initial bet. This is even available after a Double Down.
Split: This is when the player is dealt a pair and decides to split them into two separate hands. In doing so, the player is essentially doubling their bet. Each hand is played independently. A pair can be split up to four times and split aces may be re-split, hit or doubled. It is even possible to surrender after splitting.

The Dealer Rules

In essence, after the player round is over, the dealer plays. The dealer must always hit on all 16s or lower and stand on all 18s or above. The dealer will take a hit on a soft 17 and a stand on a hard 17.

The Payouts

The winning hands in a round of Spanish 21 Blackjack will be paid out. The player loses if their hand is not strong enough to beat the dealer’s. The player is paid even money at a ratio of 1:1 however if they have a better value than the dealer. The bet is returned as a push if the player and dealer both have the same value but under 21. A player who has 21 in their hand may win one of several payouts. The following are the variations in payouts for Spanish 21:

If the player can form 21 from a 6, 7 and 8 or three 7s, they will receive a 3:2 pay-out, if the cards are not suited.
When the player can form 21 from a 6, 7 and 8 or three 7s, all suited (excluding spades), they will receive a pay-out of 2:1.
If the player can form 21 from 6, 7, 8 or three 7s from suited spades, they will receive a pay-out of 3:1.
When the player can form 21 from five cards, they will receive a 3:2 pay-out.
If the player can form 21 from six cards, they will receive a 2:1 pay-out.
When the player can form 21 from seven cards, they will receive a 3:1 pay-out.

Spanish 21 Guide: The Strategy

In essence, the reason Spanish 21 is such a well-liked blackjack version is that it allows for the application of professional strategy while lowering the house advantage.

But because there aren’t any 10s in the deck, Spanish 21 has a slightly different approach than other blackjack variations. You should be aware of the following.

Hard Hands

If you have a hard hand – a hand without an Ace – here is what you should do:

Always Hit if your hand is worth between 4 and 8.
Always Double Down if your hand is worth 9 and the dealer shows 6, otherwise, Hit.
Double Down if your hand is worth 10 and the dealer shows 2 to 8, otherwise, Hit.
Always Double Down on 11.
Always Hit if your hand is 12.
Stand if your hand is 13 and the dealer shows 6, otherwise Hit.
Always Stand on 14 if the dealer shows 4, 5 or 6, otherwise, Hit.
Stand if your hand is 15 and the dealer shows 2 to 6, otherwise, Hit.
Always Stand on 16 if the dealer shows 2 to 6, Surrender if the dealer shows an Ace, otherwise, Hit.
Surrender if your hand is 17 and the dealer has an Ace, otherwise, Hit.
Always Stand if your hand is 18 or more.

Soft Hands

If you have a soft hand – a hand that contains an Ace – here is what you should do:

Always Hit if your hand is 13 or 14.
Double Down if your hand is 15 and the dealer shows a 6, otherwise, Hit.
Always Double Down if your hand is 16 and the dealer shows a 5 or 6, otherwise, Hit.

Double Down if your hand is 17 and the dealer shows a 4 to 6, otherwise, Hit.
Always Stand if your hand is 18 and the dealer shows 2, 3, 7 or 8, Double Down if the dealer shows a 4 to 6, otherwise, Hit.
Stand if your hand is 19 or 20.

Pairs

Whenever you have a pair – two cards of the same value – you will be able to split them. In doing so, you double your bet and play two hands from the cards. Here is what you should do:

Split a pair of 2s or 3s if the dealer is showing a 2 to 8, otherwise, Hit.
Never split a pair of 4s or 5s.
Split a pair of 6s if the dealer is showing a 4 to 6, otherwise, Hit.
Split a pair of 7s if the dealer is showing 2 to 7, otherwise, Hit.
Always Split a pair of 8s, unless the dealer shows an Ace, in which case, Surrender.
Always Stand on a pair of 9s if the dealer is showing 2, 7, 10 or Ace, otherwise, Split.
Stand on pair of Face Cards
Always Split pair of Aces.

Extended Strategy

Last but not least, the strategy you use changes after hitting. This is because you may potentially win when reaching 21 or by six-card Charlie hands. Here is what you should do after hitting on hard hands:

If you have 10, Hit against a dealer 8 with three cards, 7 with four cards, and 2 and 3 with five cards.
When you have 11, Hit with three cards a dealer 10 or ace, four cards against 2, 7, 8, and 9, and five cards against 3 through 6
If you have 13, Hit against a dealer 6 with four or more cards
When you have 14, Hit against a dealer 4 with four cards and on 5 cards against 5 and 6 cards
If you have 15, Hit against a dealer 2 with four cards and against a dealer 13 through 15 with five cards
When you have 16, Hit against a dealer 2 through 4 with six cards
If you have 17, Hit against a dealer 8, 9, or 10 with six cards

Here is what you should do after hitting on soft hands:

If you have soft 15, Hit against a dealer 6 with four cards
When you have soft 16, Hit against a dealer 5 with three cards and 6 with four cards
If you have soft 17, Hit against a dealer 4 with three cards, 5 with four cards, and 6 with five cards
When you have soft 18, Hit on four cards against a dealer 2 through 4 and 8 with five cards against 6 and 7
If you have soft 19 and 20, Always hit with 5 cards