How To Play Spanish Blackjack

How To Play Spanish Blackjack
The Spanish game of Blackjack, known as Spanish 21 or simply Spanish Blackjack, is a popular variation of the game with rules that favor the player and offer a chance to get up to 50:1 payouts without placing additional side bets.
This entertaining variation of blackjack offers the opportunity to get massive payouts on hands that total 21, do things like Hitting or Doubling after splitting Aces plus a very unique option called "Double-Down Rescue".
The Rules of Spanish Blackjack
The most evident characteristic of Spanish Blackjack is that it's played using a Spanish deck, which is a standard deck of 52 cards where all 10-value cards have been removed (10's, Jacks, Queens and Kings). So effectively you're playing with decks of 48 cards, not 52.
By removing these cards from the deck (10's and face cards), online casinos swing the odds back in their favor by eliminating the possibility of drawing a natural blackjack.
To make the game still attractive for players, Spanish 21 features some very unique rules that favor the players, for instance, when players build a 21-point hand using between 5 and 7 cards, their bet will payout at as much as 50:1.
Considering that no 10-value cards are being used, it's much easier to form a 21-hand using multiple cards and Busts happen less often.
Spanish 21 is commonly played using either 6 or 8 decks of cards but this can vary depending on the casino. What's important to highlight is that as the number of decks decreases, the player's edge increases.
In Spanish 21, players are allowed to Split and re-Split hands, even after splitting Aces. It is also possible to Hit/Double-Down after splitting including after splitting Aces and Doubling Down is not restricted to any specific hand values.
There's is also the option for Late Surrender even after Doubling-Down. If the player chooses to Surrender after Doubling Down, the amount of the original stake is reimbursed.
It's important to highlight, however, that in this game the dealer is forced to Hit on a soft 17. The implication of this is important for players because this effectively increases the house's advantage by 0.22%.
Higher Payouts
All 21 ties are won by the players but as we mentioned before, a 21 hand will payout differently depending on the number of cards used to build this hand.
For instance, if you build a 21-point hand with 5 cards, your bet will return at 3:2 - like natural blackjacks. The same hand using six cards will payout at 2:1 and any 21 hands created using seven or more cards will payout at 3:1.
There are specific card combinations that offer similar payouts. For example when you build a hand that's 21 in value using six,seven and eight or using 3 sevens of mixed suits, this will payout at 3:2. When you create this hand with cards of the same suit, the payout is 2:1 and if it's built using Spades, there's a 3:1 payout on your bet.
Lastly, a suited hand of triple 7's when the dealer's up card is also a 7 will return your bet at a massive 50:1.
In conclusion, Spanish 21 is a unique and fun version of blackjack that features exceptional rules and payouts. Something that makes this game stand out from the rest is that unlike other versions that require players to place an additional side bet to qualify for high payouts based, in Spanish Blackjack these payouts are available as part of your standard blackjack stake.