Got a Spanish 21 Strategy? Try It Here!

Spanish 21, a variation of blackjack, can be somewhat conspicuous. The name ‘Spanish 21’ is owned by a Colorado-based company called Masque Publishing, and thus, in certain regions of the world unlicensed versions are played under different names. Here in the UK, Spanish 21 is a popular choice for online players due to its low house edge and favourable rule changes.

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  • Played With 8 Decks Without 10s
  • Redoubling Opens More Opportunities
The Strategy Table:

You can try Spanish 21 right here, for free. Once you’ve got a grasp of the rules and gameplay, why not try playing for real at the best Spanish 21 online casino. If you’d like to learn more about the game, including a detailed description of the rules and hints for a successful Spanish 21 basic strategy, then read on.

How to Play Spanish 21 Blackjack

Blackjack can be played with six or eight Spanish decks. A deck of Spanish playing cards, or ‘Baraja Española’ in its native language, consists of only 48 cards. Unlike traditional French playing cards, Spanish decks have no 10s. This impacts the game of blackjack significantly. It’s worth remembering, whilst traditional Spanish decks are the source of the game’s formation, most modern online casinos use French suited decks these days – simply removing the four 10s. Removing four cards with a value of ten tips the odds in favour of the house. To counter this, Spanish 21 tweaks several other rules to even out the playing field.

Game Rules: Special Features: Dealers and Betting:
Multi-Hand: Yes, up to 5 Re-Split: No Blackjack Pays: 3 to 2
Insurance: Yes Hit Split Aces: Yes Side Bets: No
Surrender: Yes Double: Yes Dealer Peek: Yes
Split: Yes Double After Split: Yes Dealer Hits Soft 17: Yes

As you can see in the table above, the actions available to Spanish 21 players are wide-ranging. Almost anything goes in this variant. Doubling down is allowed any time, even after splitting, as is re-splitting aces. Players may also surrender late or after doubling-down, known as Double Down Rescue, meaning it’s never too late to salvage a hand. The biggest difference though, is that players gain the edge in premium ties. A player 21 always wins, even in the event of both player and dealer landing blackjack. In Spanish 21 online, the dealer must also hit on soft 17. For more information on other blackjack variants, have a look at my blackjack games hub. There are also odds of 3:2 on five-card 21s as well as up to 50:1 for suited hands or 21s made up of 7-7-7. It’s worth noting that bonus payments do not apply if you have blackjack.

Tips and Spanish 21 Basic Strategy Guide

Of all the variants of blackjack, Spanish 21 requires one of the biggest shifts in strategy. Depending on if the game is played with six or eight decks, the house edge in Spanish 21 is as low as 0.78% – 0.80%. I’ve found that when the dealer is hitting on soft 17, the following strategy is an excellent framework to use to maximise profit.

Spanish 21 Strategy Table

Player Cards

Dealer’s Cards

8- 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18+ A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8+ 2.2 3.3 6.6 7.7 8.8 9.9 A.A
2 H H D5 D4 H H H St4 St6 St St H H H H H St4 St Sp Sp H Sp Sp St Sp
3 H H D5 D5 H H H St5 St6 St St H H H H H St5 St Sp Sp H Sp Sp Sp Sp
4 H H D D5 H H St4 St6 St6 St St H H H H D3 D4 St Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp
5 H H D D5 H H St5 St6 St St St H H H D3 D4 D5 St Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp
6 D D D D5 H St4 St6 St St St St H H D4 D4 D5 D6 St Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp
7 H H D4 D4 H H H H H St St H H H H H St6 St Sp Sp H Sp Sp St Sp
8 H H D3 D4 H H H H H St6 St H H H H H St4 St Sp Sp H H Sp Sp Sp
9 H H H D4 H H H H H St6 St H H H H H H St H H H H Sp Sp Sp
10 H H H D3 H H H H H St6 St H H H H H H St H H H H Sp St Sp
А H H H D3 H H H H SH SH St H H H H H H St H H H H S St Sp

The table above is an in-depth guide to every decision a player is presented with on a Spanish 21 blackjack table, regardless of bet sizes. Blackjack strategy is an essential part of this online casino card game. Top blackjack players not only learn this basic strategy by heart, but they employ more complex systems such as blackjack card counting to further boost the odds in their favour. Remember, Spanish 21 varies slightly depending on where you play it. The strategy described here is for the most common version available in the UK today, but check rules regarding soft 17 before you play.

Spanish 21 Online: An Excellent Change of Pace

Spanish 21 is one of the most interesting blackjack games in today. A tiny house edge and a wealth of bonus payouts makes this a rewarding and exciting take on the 21 format. If you’re a classic blackjack fan looking to spice things up a little, you can play Spanish 21 right here for free. Once you’ve learned how to play Spanish 21, check out my recommended online casino below for the best place to play Spanish 21 for real money with real cash prizes.

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Last Updated on 2 Feb 2022 by Mark Podd