A Look at Spanish 21

Until recently I had only a casual interest in the casino table game known as Spanish 21 or Spanish Blackjack, a variation of traditional blackjack. This columnist believes Spanish 21 is for the most part a gimmick. Give me traditional blackjack any day!

First of all,a brief outline on how Spanish 21 is played: The object is still to beat the dealer. The biggest difference is that in a 6-deck shoe, all the 10-spot cards in the deck have been removed, so instead of 312 cards as in traditional blackjack there are only 288 cards in play in Spanish 21. The 10-value face cards, of course, remain in play.

Taking the 24 10-spot cards out of play is a hefty price to pay for playing Spanish 21. Afterall, cards with a value of 10 are essential for making blackjacks, the real object of the game.

To compensate players, Spanish 21 offers special payout bonuses for certain hands, including five-card 21, six-card 21, seven or more card 21, three-card hand of 6-7-8 in mixed suits, three-card hand of 6-7-8 in same suit, three-card 6-7-8 in spades, a 7-7-7 hand in mixed suits, a 7-7-7 hand of same suit, and a 7-7-7 hand in spades. Also, if both the player and the dealer have a blackjack, the player is paid off at 3-2.

If you go into a Spanish 21 game enticed by the bonus perks but unaware of the basic strategy differences between it and traditional blackjack, you're going to give the casino a fat edge in the 2 to 3 percent range, making it one of the worst betting propositions in the house!

If, on the other hand, you take the time to learn the basic strategy, you'll reduce that edge to a more comfortable 0.82 advantage, making it one of the best games in the house, although still not as good as traditional blackjack.