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Rules

Spanish 21 refers to a blackjack variation that can be found in casinos online and all over the world. Maque Publishing owns this game. Pontoon, a Spanish 21 variation can also be found in Malaysia and Australia, but this has different rules compared to regular Spanish 21 and blackjack. Read on to find out more about Spanish 21.

The Deck

Probably, the largest difference between regular blackjack and Spanish 21lies in decks of cards they are played with. Although the majority of blackjack games still put 52-card decks to use, Spanish 21 puts 48-card decks to use (no tens exist). Although the absence of tens gives the house an advantage, various other rules also exist that can benefit players. As a matter of fact, if played properly, Spanish 21 could provide some great odds, casino-wise.

When it comes to Spanish 21, the cards hold the exact same values as in regular blackjack. Aces can count as a 1 or an 11. Cards from 2 to 9 get their own face values. Face cards count as 10 points. Probably the only huge difference from traditional blackjack would be that no tens exist when it comes to Spanish 21.

The Rules

Players of Spanish 21 can double on any amount of cards. Within the majority of casinos, players can also double and hit after splitting their Aces. After doubling, players can also surrender and give up their original bets. This would be called a "double rescue."

Although players of Spanish 21 can double on any amount of cards, doubling is done less often because there are no tens. This might also make players hit where they would usually stand in regular blackjack.

If dealers stand on soft 17s, the house advantage in Spanish 21 would only be 0.4%. If dealers hit on soft 17s and redoubling is permitted, the house advantage would be 0.42%. If dealers hit on soft 17s and redoubling isn't permitted, the house advantage goes up to 0.76%. Such house advantages assume ideal strategic play.

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