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Lesson 3.3 Game types
Academy Lesson: How Spanish 21 Differs from Regular Blackjack
After this lesson you will know what makes Spanish 21 different from regular blackjack: the deck without 10s, the player-friendly rules and the special 21s that pay extra. You will also know why its strategy chart doubles fewer hands and surrenders more of them. Then you can practice in the trainer below.
The deck and the rules
Spanish 21 removes the four 10s from every deck. The jacks, queens and kings stay in.
These are the only ten-value cards left. Fewer ten-value cards is bad for you, so the game gives back several rules that help you.
| Rule | Regular blackjack | Spanish 21 |
|---|---|---|
| 10s in the deck | Yes | No |
| Your 21 against dealer 21 | Usually a push (a tie) | Your 21 always wins |
| Doubling | On your first two cards | On any number of cards |
| Late surrender | Often not offered | Offered |
| Extra-pay hands | None | Extra pay for some 21s |
Late surrender means you give up your hand after the dealer checks for blackjack and get half your bet back. See surrender for the details.
Special 21s that pay extra
Some 21s pay more than 1:1. A 21 made with five or more cards is one of them.
A 21 made of 6, 7 and 8, or of three 7s, also pays extra.
- Five-card 21: usually pays 3:2.
- Six-card 21: usually pays 2:1.
- Seven or more cards: pays more than a six-card 21.
- 6-7-8 or 7-7-7: usually 3:2 in mixed suits, 2:1 in one suit, and more in spades.
Most games pay this extra only if you have not doubled. Check the rules screen of your game or the Spanish 21 guide.
Why the chart doubles less
This row is from the standard chart for regular blackjack. Look at how many cells say double.
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | H | H |
When you double, you take exactly one more card. With no 10s in the deck, that card is a ten-value card less often.
So your doubled hand ends weaker more often. The Spanish 21 chart therefore doubles on fewer dealer up cards than this row.
Do not use the regular chart at a Spanish 21 table. Open the Spanish 21 chart and keep it next to the game.
Why the chart surrenders more
This row is hard 16 on the standard chart. The standard rules have no surrender, so it only stands or hits.
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
In Spanish 21 the dealer also draws fewer ten-value cards, so the dealer busts less often. Your weak totals lose more often, so the Spanish 21 chart surrenders more of them.
- Fewer ten-value cards – your doubles end weaker, so you double less.
- Fewer dealer busts – your weak totals lose more, so you surrender more.
- Extra pay for special 21s and doubling on any number of cards – hitting is worth more, so you often hit where you would double.
Play the trainer below with the Spanish 21 chart open. Count how often you surrender compared with regular blackjack.
For more lessons, go back to the academy.
The lesson on one card
- Spanish 21 removes the four 10s from each deck; jacks, queens and kings stay.
- Your 21 always wins, even against a dealer 21.
- You can double on any number of cards, and late surrender is offered.
- Five-card 21s, 6-7-8 and 7-7-7 get extra pay, usually only if you have not doubled.
- Fewer ten-value cards means the chart doubles less and surrenders more.
- Use the Spanish 21 chart, not the regular chart.
Check yourself
1. Which cards are removed from each deck in Spanish 21?
The four 10s
Right. Correct. Each deck loses its four 10s. Jacks, queens and kings stay in.
All ten-value cards
Not quite. Wrong. Only the 10s are removed. Jacks, queens and kings are still in the deck and count as 10.
The four aces
Not quite. Wrong. Aces stay in the deck. Only the 10s are taken out.
2. Why does the Spanish 21 chart double fewer hands than the regular chart?
Because the rules allow only one double per shoe
Not quite. Wrong. Spanish 21 is more generous with doubling: you can double on any number of cards.
Because the one card you get after doubling is a ten-value card less often
Right. Correct. With the 10s removed, a doubled hand ends weaker more often. So the chart doubles on fewer dealer up cards.
Because a doubled hand never pays more than 1:1 in regular blackjack
Not quite. Wrong. A doubled hand pays 1:1 on the doubled bet in both games. The change comes from the missing 10s.
3. In Spanish 21 you start with a 4 and a 3, then hit and draw 2, 5 and 7. You have 21 with five cards and did not double. The dealer also gets 21. What happens?
It is a push and you get your bet back
Not quite. Wrong. In Spanish 21 your 21 always wins, so a dealer 21 does not tie it.
You win, and a five-card 21 usually pays 3:2
Right. Correct. Your 21 always wins, and a 21 made with five cards gets extra pay, usually 3:2, when you have not doubled.
You lose because the dealer reached 21 first
Not quite. Wrong. You play your hand before the dealer, and in Spanish 21 your 21 always beats the dealer's 21.