Blackjack Vs Spanish 21
Should you play online Spanish 21 instead of Classic Blackjack?
Under Atlantic City rules blackjack has a house edge of 0.43% and Spanish 21 of.40%. Where is the best casino in Las Vegas to play Spanish 21? Michael from Philadelphia, USA. Spanish 21 vs European Blackjack: The Glaring Differences. One of the most notable differences between the 2 variants is the lack of 10s in Spanish 21. The 10s are eliminated from the deck and this means that your hand consists of a lot of low cards. Getting a chance to indulge in side bets is quite difficult in European Blackjack.
There are well over one hundred different variations of blackjackavailable in today’s live and online casinos. Some are played withtraditional rules, while others deviate from the classic precedents.Some offer bonus payouts just for placing a regular bet, whereas mostoffer optional side bets that pay exceptional rewards if the cardsalign.
Classic Blackjack falls into the first category inboth regards, offering a traditional set of rules with a very basicpay table. Spanish 21, on the other hand, falls intonumerous categories. It requires a special deck of cards, and offersboth bonus payouts and side bets. So which one is better for theonline blackjack player?
Play Online Spanish 21 or Classic Blackjack?
To answer this question, we have to take a close-up look at therules of both games, because they vary in many ways. As all blackjackaficionados know, every rule effects the house edge in some way, forbetter or worse.
In the case of Spanish 21, there’s a very important rule that mustbe addressed right off the bat. The term Spanish defines the type ofdeck in use. Spanish decks do not have any tens in them.Therefore a Spanish 21 deck contains just 48 cards instead of 52; 12different values instead of 13. And, as we all know, it takes a10-value card to make a natural blackjack. Removing the 10sdiminishes the number of 10-value cards in a deck from 16 to 12,thereby reducing the odds of players being dealt a blackjack by 1/4,or 25%.
That’s a harsh rule, and one that has a devastating consequence onthe house edge – or rather, it would, if the game’s creators hadn’tloaded it up with just enough player-friendly rules to counter theeffects.
Classic vs. Spanish Blackjack
| Rule Variations | Spanish 21 | Classic Blackjack |
| Deck / Shoe Size | 8 decks, no 10s | 2-5 standard decks |
| Dealer Soft 17 | Hit | Hit |
| Doubling | Any 2 cards | 9, 10 or 11 |
| Splitting | Up to 4 hands | Up to 1-2 hands |
| Double after Split | Yes | No |
| Resplit Aces | Yes | No |
| Draw to Split Aces | Yes | Yes |
| Early Surrender | Yes | No |
| Late Surrender | Yes | No |
| Double Down Rescue | Yes | No |
| Peek for Blackjack | Yes | No |
| Tie for Blackjack | Player wins | Push |
| Player 21 | Player wins | High hand wins |
| Blackjack pays | 3 to 2 | 3 to 2 |
| House Edge | 0.42% | 0.40% |
By these rules, the games have a lot of differences between them.In the end, however, the house edge is almost exactly the same.There’s that minuscule 0.02% variation that might make you want toside with Classic Blackjack, but don’t forget about those bonuspayouts I mentioned earlier…
Spanish 21 Bonus Payouts
It’s extremely rare to come across a blackjack game that awardsplayers for being dealt special hands, without requiring any side betto be placed. Spanish 21 is among them. Players will receive bonuspays ranging from 3:2 up to 50:1 (as a multiplier of the base bet)for receiving any one of the following hands.
| Player / Dealer Hand Requirements | Payout |
| Player’s first 3 cards are suited 777, Dealer has any 7 showing | 50 : 1 |
| Player’s first 3 cards are 6-7-8 or 7-7-7, all Spades | 3 : 1 |
| 7-card total of 21 exactly | 3 : 1 |
| Player’s first 3 cards are 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 in same suit (not Spades) | 2 : 1 |
| 6-card total of 21 exactly | 2 : 1 |
| Player’s first 3 cards are 6-7-8 or 7-7-7, in mixed suits | 3 : 2 |
| 5-card total of 21 exactly | 3 : 2 |
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Spanish 21 is one of the most popular variations of blackjack in the world and is played widely in casinos. While the differences can make the game a bit more complicated, they also influence the odds of winning.

To a normal person, Spanish 21 and blackjack may seem like the same game with different names. However, there are a number of different advantages and disadvantages each game offers through different sets of rules.
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Spanish 21
Spanish 21 is played on the same traditional table as its counterpart, but it offers the player plenty more options than traditional blackjack; however, these options come at a price.
Giving the player more options to win would typically reduce the house edge, but casinos have found a way to combat that. Rather than playing with the traditional 52 card deck, they remove the four 10 cards, leaving the deck with only 48 cards. Any experienced gambler can tell you that removing 25% of the cards with a face value of 10 will influence your odds negatively.
Spanish 21 Rules:
Although the rules for Spanish 21 can vary at different locations, they are typically as follows:
- Late surrender is allowed- If the dealer does not have a blackjack, the player may surrender and receive half of their bet back. Unfortunately, they also forfeit their ability to keep playing.
- Double after split is allowed- If the player ends up with two cards of the same value, he or she may “split” them to make two hands. Players are allowed to double their bet after splitting
- Re-splitting aces is allowed, as well as splitting in general up to four hands.
- A player 21 always wins- This is one of the most important advantages of Spanish 21. According to traditional blackjack rules, the house can beat a 21 if the number of cards in the dealer’s hand is fewer than in the player’s.
- Player blackjack beats dealer blackjack- In regular blackjack, this would be a push and would result in no winnings. However, in Spanish 21, this win results in a 3:2 payout.
- Player may double on any number of cards.
- Player may usually hit and double down after splitting aces-
- Player may surrender after doubling, known as “double down rescue”- The player forfeits an amount equal to his original bet. Essentially, he takes the double bet while forfeiting his original bet.
Spanish 21 Vs Blackjack Odds
Spanish 21 Blackjack – Dealer’s Rule:
Most casinos offering Spanish 21 require that the dealer hit on a soft 17. Because of this, the house advantage is about 0.8%, which is worse than almost any other variation of blackjack.
In traditional blackjack, where the dealer stands on a soft 17, the house edge is only about 0.4%. This is definitely something to consider when deciding which game to play.
Spanish 21 Game Payouts:
The payouts in Spanish 21 are similar to blackjack, but there are a few more options if the player meets certain requirements.
Blackjack Vs Spanish 21 Games
- A five-card 21 pays 3 to 2, a six-card 21 pays 2 to 1, a seven or more card 21 pays 3 to 1. This bonus is not honored after doubling or splitting.
- A 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays 3 to 2, of the same suit pays 2 to 1, and of spades pays 3 to 1. These bonuses usually do not pay after doubling or splitting, but some casinos allow it.
- Suited 7-7-7 when the dealer has a seven face up pays $1000 for bets of $5-$24 and $5000 for bets of $25 or over. In addition, all other players receive a $50 “envy bonus.” This bonus does not pay after doubling or splitting.
Blackjack Vs Spanish 21 Play
If you’re new to blackjack or are just learning the rules, trying to learn Spanish 21 simultaneously may not be your best bet. Trying to grasp all of the special rules and know how to work them to your advantage can make the game much more complicated. It would be best to learn the best strategies for traditional blackjack before moving on to any of its numerous variations.