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An Expert Strategy for Spanish 21 Blackjack

Spanish 21 is steadily becoming one of the most popular of blackjack variants. It can be played both online and at land casinos, and with its favourable rules and low house edge, it offers the chance of significant winnings. In this guide we will take you through all you need to know so that you can master this exciting game.

How Spanish 21 Differs to Blackjack

There are a number of key differences between Spanish 21 and regular blackjack. One of the most important of these is that all 10 cards are removed from the deck. Thus, instead of playing with 52 cards, a deck is made up of 48 cards, with no 10s. Spanish 21 tends to use either six or eight decks of cards.

The other rules in Spanish 21 include the following:

  • 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
  • A 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.

Spanish 21 Rules

The rules of Spanish 21 are similar to standard blackjack, so any experienced players will be able to grasp them in no time at all. The aim of the game is to build a hand as close to 21 as possible, without exceeding it (going bust).

Spanish 21 uses the same value for cards as regular blackjack. Thus, the picture cards (Jack, Queen, King) are all worth 10, Aces are worth either 1 or 11, and number cards are worth their face values. This means that Blackjack – the strongest hand – is formed with an Ace and a picture card.

A round in Spanish 21 Blackjack starts once the bets have been placed. After the stakes are finalized, the player receives two face-up cards, and the dealer receives one face-up and a face-down card. If the player has Blackjack, they are immediately paid out at 2:1. In addition, if the dealer is showing an Ace then the player will have the chance to place an Insurance Bet. If the dealer has Blackjack, the player receives their stake back, as the Insurance Bet costs half their stake and pays 2:1.

The dealer will also check for blackjack if their face-up card is a picture card, however, insurance is not offered here. If the dealer has blackjack, all players will lose their hand, provided the player does not have blackjack. If not, the round continues as usual.

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 a player can take, but they must not 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 available even 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 needs to place a second bet equal to their first. 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.

Dealer Rules

The dealer plays once the player round is finished. The dealer will always be required to stand on all 18s or higher and hit on all 16s or lower. As for 17s, the dealer will hit on soft 17s and stand on hard 17s.

Payouts

When a round of Spanish 21 Blackjack is finished, the winning hands will be paid out. If the player’s hand does not beat the dealer, the player loses. However, if the player has a higher value than the dealer, they are paid even money at 1:1. If the player and dealer have the same value but not 21, the bet is returned as a push. If a player has 21, they may receive various payouts for that hand. The differences in payouts for Spanish 21 are the following:

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

Spanish 21 Strategy

One of the reasons for Spanish 21’s popularity is that it is possible to use a mathematically-based strategy to reduce the house advantage. However, the strategy used in Spanish 21 is slightly different to other types of blackjack, given the lack of 10s in the deck. Here is what you need to know.

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.
  • Always 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.
  • Always 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.
  • Always 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.
  • Always 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.
  • Always 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.
  • Always 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.
  • Always Stand on pair of Face Cards
  • Always Split pair of Aces.

After Hitting 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.
  • If 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
  • If 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
  • If 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
  • If 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
  • If 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

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