WIZARD OF ODDS

Spanish Surprise
When compared to Atlantic City’s blackjack, your better bet is Spanish 21 • by Michael Shackleford

For years, I’ve been playing blackjack in Atlantic City, believing that it offered the lowest house edge of all games of skill. It was not until I analyzed Spanish 21 under Atlantic City rules that I realized I’d been playing the wrong game.

Assuming that the dealer stands on a soft 17 (as is the case throughout Atlantic City), Spanish 21 is actually a better bet than the city’s blackjack and video poker. In fact, the only bet in Atlantic City that beats it is at a craps table offering 5 times odds–and that’s only if the maximum odds are taken every time they are available.

With this in mind, it’s time to learn the ins and outs of this lucrative game.

The Rules

Spanish 21 uses six or eight Spanish packs, each pack consisting of 48 cards–the regular 52 cards, minus the four 10s (the face cards are still in the deck). The rules are based on standard blackjack, but a host of additional bonuses and options have been added to make up for the loss of the 10s:

• Player may double on any number of cards.

• Late surrender is allowed on the first two cards. In other words, the player may pull out of a hand by forfeiting half his bet, but only after the dealer checks for blackjack.

• A player blackjack beats a dealer blackjack.

• A player 21 always wins.

• Double down rescue allows player to take back the doubled portion of a bet and forfeit the original wager.

• Player may double after splits.

• Player may resplit up to three times, for a total of four hands, including Aces.

• Player may draw and double down to split Aces.

• A five-card 21 pays 3:2.

• A six-card 21 pays 2:1.

• A seven or more card 21 pays 3:1.

• A 21 consisting of a 6, 7, and 8 of mixed suits pays 3:2.

• A 21 consisting of a 6, 7, and 8 in a matching suit pays 2:1.

• A 21 consisting of a 6, 7, and 8 of spades pays 3:1.

• A 21 consisting of three 7s of mixed suits pays 3:2.

• A 21 consisting of three 7s in a matching suit pays 2:1.

• A 21 consisting of three 7s of spades pays 3:1.

• Three suited 7s when the dealer has any 7 face up pays $1,000 for bets between $5 and $24, and $5,000 for bets of $25 or more. In addition, all other players get an "envy bonus" of $50 each.

• Multiple-card 21s, 6-7-8, and 7-7-7 bonuses do not apply after splitting.

Strategy

The bonuses for a 21 composed of five or more cards, as well as the 6-7-8 and 7-7-7 bonuses, make for a complicated three dimensional strategy. Table 1 is the basic strategy chart when the dealer hits a soft 17. Table 2 is the basic strategy when the dealer stands on a soft 17.The player’s hand is along the left column—first hard totals, then soft totals, and finally splits. The dealer’s up card is along the top row.

• Double down rescue: The player should elect this option with either 16 or less against an 8, 9, 10, or Ace; or 17 against an Ace.

Definite Do’s and Don’ts

• Always hit hard 8 or less.

• Always stand on hard 18 or more.

• Always stand on soft 19 or more.

• Never split 4s, 5s, or 10s.

The above strategies clearly show that the player is going to hit more than in conventional blackjack. This is largely the result of the greater weighting of small cards in the deck and the desire to draw to five-plus card totals of 21.

Also note that, as more cards are added to the player’s hand, the incentive to attain a five-card (or greater) 21 increases, sometimes necessitating a change in strategy. For example, a 14 against a 4 normally calls for standing. However, if the 14 is comprised of four or more cards, the player should hit.

Remember that the bonuses do not apply after splitting, so always treat any hand attained after splitting as having only two cards, regardless of how many times the hand has been hit. Finally, never take insurance! With the 10s removed from the deck, the insurance bet has a house edge of 24.7%.

The House Edge

Assuming proper basic strategy is followed, the house edge when the dealer stands on a soft 17 is 0.34%. When the dealer hits a soft 17, the house edge increases to 0.69%. The dealer must stand on a soft 17 in all Atlantic City casinos; all Indiana casinos; the Venetian in Las Vegas; Casino Niagara in Niagara Falls; the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut; and the Motor City Casino in Detroit.

To compare Spanish 21 with other good casino games, the house edge in blackjack (assuming Atlantic City rules) is 0.43%; full-pay Jacks or Better video poker is 0.46%; and the best bet in baccarat (on the banker) is 1.06%.

Match the Dealer

In some locations, there is a side bet available. You are paid if either or both of your first two cards match the dealer’s up card. In an eight-deck game, a non-suited match pays 3:1, and a suited match pays 12:1. In a six-deck game, a non-suited match pays 4:1 and a suited match pays 9:1. The house edge in the six- and eight- deck games are 3.06% and 2.99% respectively.

Compared to other side bets, this is one of the best. However, in my opinion, it’s still too high to merit playing.

Using Blackjack Strategy in Spanish 21

In preparation for this article, I played quite a bit of Spanish 21 in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. I never saw anyone playing anything close to proper Spanish 21 strategy.

Often, I heard one player trying to teach another the rules. Mention would never be made of the missing 10s from the deck. If I brought it up, the reaction was always a blank stare. The other players obviously didn’t know how to process this bit of information.

The story, unfortunately, gets even worse.

Spanish 21 players appear to be divided into two types: the totally clueless, and those who know and play the rudiments of conventional blackjack strategy. These blackjack strategy players often believe in the myth that bad players can disturb the karma of the game and cause everyone to lose. As the above strategy points out, the player should often hit hard totals of 12, 13, and 14 when the dealer has a small card showing. Doing so will not make you any friends at the table, however. As I continued to hit these hands hour after hour, I overheard many hushed complaints about me and my strategy. Some comments were not hushed at all, but very direct. One player told me that if she got hold of my card (referring to my personal cheat sheet), she would burn it. Many dealers will even pause in disbelief as you request to hit a 14 against a 2 or 3.

The fact of the matter is that conventional blackjack strategy is not appropriate for the small-card-rich Spanish 21 game. Using perfect blackjack strategy, including proper use of the double down rescue, will increase the house edge to 1.24% when the dealer hits a soft 17. When the dealer stands on a soft 17, the blackjack basic strategy player will be playing against a 0.93% house edge. Despite the ridicule you will face, I encourage you to be a martyr at the Spanish 21 table and play the correct strategy. Just because the masses believe something to be true does not make them right.

Some Final Remarks

The next time you find yourself in a place where the blackjack dealer always stands on a soft 17, you may not find a better bet than at the Spanish 21 table. Even when the dealer hits a soft 17, the house edge is still among the lowest of all casino games. Plus, there’s usually not much demand for Spanish 21. In a crowded casino, it may be much easier to find a seat at Spanish 21 than at conventional blackjack.

Two books I have read on Spanish 21 contain a slightly different basic strategy developed by the late Lenny Frome. I must respectfully disagree with Frome on some borderline plays, especially with a two-card 11 against an 8 to Ace. A combinatorial program was used to develop the strategy in this article, and a spreadsheet model backs it up. An independent analysis by Michael Hopson corroborates my work, and I’d like to thank Hopson for sharing his efforts with me.

I hope this article sheds new light–and new respect–on Spanish 21. ´