Match The Dealer Odds
This is a blackjack variation that got its name because it is played with six or eight Spanish decks – a regular 52 card deck from which the four tens cards are taken out. Beside some of the common blackjack rules, such as number of decks, double after split and resplit Aces, Spanish 21 offers some exciting bonuses with good payouts. These bonuses and the 48 card decks make this a unique and popular blackjack variation.
The lowest house edge comes in a six-deck game where the dealer stands on a soft 17. This lowers the casino advantage to just 0.37%. The odds of hitting the super bonus are small. In a six-deck game, the chances are just 1 in 668,382, while it increases to 1 in 549,188 for an eight-deck version.
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On this page, you will find additional information about the game rules of Spanish 21 Blackjack, the house edge of the game and the optimal playing strategy for securing the best possible odds for the player.
Rules and Special Features
The most usual form of the game is played with six or eight decks of 48 cards, while the four 10s are removed. The player is allowed to surrender and double after splitting the cards. Resplitting Aces is allowed and the player can hit or double down after splitting them. In addition, the player can double on any number of cards and surrender after doubling. Some of the rules that favor the player are: player 21 wins and player blackjack beats dealer blackjack.
The rules explained above are rules common for every Spanish 21 game. However, there are some variables that should be mentioned. For example, the dealer in some variations is allowed to hit on soft 17, while in others he stands on soft 17. At certain casinos redoubling is allowed up to three hands and somewhere a split Ace and a face card are counted as a blackjack.
In any case, what make Spanish 21 so unique and thrilling are the many bonuses. This blackjack variation awards five-card 21 with a 3:2 payout, a six-card 21 with a 2:1 payout and a 7+ card 21 with a 3:1 payout. If the player gets a combination of unsuited 6-7-8 or 7-7-7, a 3:2 bonus payout is granted to him. If the same combination is suited the payout is 2:1, while 6-7-8 and 7-7-7 of spades has the best payout of 3:1. Furthermore, suited 7-7-7 across a dealer’s 7 is considered to be a super bonus and pays £1,000 for bets from £5 to £24 and £5,000 for £25+ bets.
House Edge and Soft 17
Certain rule variations affect the house edge of the game. If the game is played with eight decks and the dealer stands on soft 17 the house has an edge of 0.38%. Reducing the number of decks to six will immediately lower the house edge to 0.37%. Hitting on soft 17 increases the house edge to 0.78% when played with six decks and to 0.80% when played with eight decks. Usually, this variation allows the player to surrender. However, if this rule is changed, the house edge grows for 0.006% (dealer hits on soft 17) or 0.018% (dealer stands on soft 17).
Side Bets and Bonuses
In Spanish 21 usually a side bet known as Match the Dealer is offered. The point of this bet is the player’s cards to match the dealer’s face up card. For example, if the dealer’s card is 9 of spades, the player should have 9 of spades, 9 of any kind or a total card amount of 9 in order to win the side bet. Depending on the number of decks, the payout varies and can be 4:1 (6 deck) or 3:1 (8 deck). Furthermore, a perfect match or rank pays 9:1/12:1. Additionally, if the player has 9 of spades and 9 of diamonds, he will get two bonuses.
Game Play Strategy
Because of the many rule variations that significantly change the optimal Spanish 21 strategy, here is discussed the best strategy when the game is played with eight decks and the dealer hits on soft 17. First, in case of receiving a pair of 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and Aces, the played is advised to split. Some exceptions apply whatsoever. In case of suited 7-7 when the dealer holds 7 it is the best to hit, while 8-8 across a dealer’s Ace signals the player to surrender. The player should stand with a pair of nines if the dealer has 2, 7 or Ace. If the dealer shows 9 or Ace and the player have 2-2, 3-3, 6-6 or 7-7 hitting another card is a good move.
Second, in case of hard 4-14 the player should hit no matter the dealer’s card. However, exceptions are situations when the dealer has 4 and 5, while the player has a hard 14 and 6 across player hard 13 or 14. Hard 15+ is a sign to stand, unless the dealer has 7, 8, 9 or Ace and hitting is a good option. Hard hand of 10 or 11 is a good time for doubling, however you should pay attention to the number of cards you have. For example, if you have three cards and a hard 10, it would be the best to hit instead of double. Hard 16 and 17 when the dealer holds Ace should result in player’s surrender.
Finally, soft 12-17 should motivate the player to hit, no matter the dealer’s hand. Same goes if the player has soft 18, while the dealer holds 9 or Ace. To stand is a good move when you have soft 18 and 19. However, it is also important how many cards you hold. In a case of a soft 19 and six card hand you should hit. Soft 17 and 18 across dealer’s 4, 5 or 6 is a sign to double.
Overview
Spanish 21 is a very exciting blackjack variation. There are some rules that make it favorable to the dealer and some that are better for the player. Depending on the rules modifications it can have a low to medium house edge compared to other blackjack games. However, the many bonuses and the Match the Dealer side bet make it very interesting and challenging for the players. Using the optimal playing strategy can increase the player’s chances to win and turn this blackjack variation in a long lasting entertaining experience.
House edge means the percentage of the player's bet the casino wins on average. This is worth figuring out since the size of house edge has everything to do with how likely you're to win. Educated players always find the games with the least house edge possible and therefore win the most - or at least lose the least.
For example, if house edge is 1.89%, the player loses $1.89 on average out of every $100 bet he makes. Obviously the player doesn't lose that amount on every single bet; you might win two hands and then lose six hands in a row but in the long run the loss will be about $1.89 per bet. One of the goals of Gaming the Odds is to teach you all about perfect blackjack strategy and to minimize the house edge. You can find several house edge percentages for blackjack game variations below in order to help you to find the best games.
The Amount of Decks
Firstly, what kind of an effect the amount decks has on casino's advantage? The table below displays the house edge for a standard blackjack game: blackjack pays 3:2, the dealer stands on soft 17, doubling is allowed for any two cards and splitting to four hands is allowed.
| Number of Decks | House Edge |
|---|---|
| Single Deck | -0.03% |
| Two Decks | +0.25% |
| Four Decks | +0.38% |
| Six Decks | +0.42% |
| Eight Decks | +0.44% |
Under those rules it would actually be profitable to play according to basic strategy with a single deck. It's always optimal to play according to basic strategy but in the vast majority of cases you're still going to have negative expectation.
Game and Rule Variations
Blackjack Games
Let's move on to the next table, which features other blackjack game variations and their house edges. In order to make it easier to compare these games, all the house edge percentages are for six-deck gamesunless otherwise stated.
| Game | House Edge |
|---|---|
| Atlantic City Blackjack | +0.42% |
| Blackjack Switch | +0.58% |
| Double Attack Blackjack * | +0.61% |
| Double Exposure Blackjack | +0.67% |
| European Blackjack | +0.62% |
| Multiple Action Blackjack ** | +0.42% |
| Pontoon Blackjack | +0.45% |
| Spanish 21 | +0.37% |
| Super Fun 21 | +1.40% |
| Three Card Blackjack | +2.10% |
| Vegas Downtown Blackjack | +0.62% |
| Vegas Strip Blackjack | +0.53% |
* Played with a specific amount of decks (which isn't six).
** Multiple hands played but probability equal to standard blackjack.
The table above was made to give you some idea of which games are better to play than others. It's also important to remember that some casinos may operate with slightly different rules which either increase or decrease the house advantage of the game.
Blackjack Rule Variations
What about other rule variations, then? I'm going to list some of the more common blackjack rule variations and their house edges. The tables below consists of changes made to standard blackjack rules:
| Dealer Hits Soft 17 | |
|---|---|
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | +0.15% |
| Two Decks | +0.45% |
| Four Decks | +0.59% |
| Six Decks | +0.63% |
| Eight Decks | +0.66% |
| Player Can Only Double 9-11 | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | +0.11% |
| Two Decks | +0.36% |
| Four Decks | +0.48% |
| Six Decks | +0.52% |
| Eight Decks | +0.54% |
| Player Can Only Double 10-11 | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | +0.26% |
| Two Decks | +0.48% |
| Four Decks | +0.58% |
| Six Decks | +0.61% |
| Eight Decks | +0.63% |
| Dealer Doubles on 17 | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | -0.03% |
| Two Decks | +0.25% |
| Four Decks | +0.38% |
| Six Decks | +0.42% |
| Eight Decks | +0.44% |
| Player Can Resplit Aces | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | -0.06% |
| Two Decks | +0.20% |
| Four Decks | +0.32% |
| Six Decks | +0.35% |
| Eight Decks | +0.37% |
| Blackjack Pays 6:5 | |
| # of Decks | House Edge |
| Single Deck | +1.36% |
| Two Decks | +1.62% |
| Four Decks | +1.75% |
| Six Decks | +1.78% |
| Eight Decks | +1.80% |
A couple of conclusions: first of all, the last section ('Blackjack Pays 6:5') shows you how unprofitable it is to play those games. Never play a game where blackjack pays 6:5.
Secondly, games where the player can resplit aces are preferable for the player. Try to find those games. It's also good for the player when the dealer doubles 17.
Blackjack Side Bets
And finally, blackjack side bets and house edges for them.
| Side Bet | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 21+3 Blackjack | +3.20% |
| 21 Madness | +23.00% |
| Bonus Blackjack | +24.00% |
| Match the Dealer | +3.10% |
| Perfect Pairs Blackjack | +4.10% |
| Royal Match Blackjack | +6.50% |
| Super Match Blackjack | +2.60% |
| Super Sevens Blackjack | +11.70% |
| Bust It Blackjack | +7.00% |
No, casinos didn't include the 'side bet' option just to give players a better chance of winning. As you can see, side bets are good for the casino and bad for the player even if they might make the game a bit more exciting.
Favourable Blackjack Rule Variations for the Player
Here's a list of blackjack rule variations favourable for the player:
Match The Dealer Spanish 21 Odds
- The less decks the better. (Games with one deck are the best.)
- Double down on any 2 cards.
- Blackjack pays 3:2.
- Resplitting aces allowed.
- Dealer stands on a 17.
- Early/late surrender.
- Low deck penetration (for card counters).
- Insurance (for card counters).
Favourable Blackjack Rule Variations for the Casino
- Side bets.
- Double down on 10 and 11 only.
- Dealer hits a soft 17.
- The more decks the better.
- Blackjack pays 6:5
- Low deck penetration (against card counters).
- No doubling down after splitting.
- Not allowed to resplit aces.
I suggest trying to memorize these lists and look for games with beneficial blackjack rule variations for the player. Rule variations in favor of the casino should obviously be avoided.
Blackjack House Edge: FAQ
Match The Dealer Blackjack Odds
Do bet sizes impact house edge in blackjack?
Match The Dealer Side Bet
It makes no difference whether you bet $10 or $10,000 - the house advantage stays the same. The amount you lose or win per bet changes, of course, depending on how big of an edge either you or the casino's got.
Which blackjack game has the smallest casino edge?
Suggesting all games are played with six decks - which is a common size for a blackjack shoe - Spanish 21 has the best house edge for the player according to the blackjack house edge table on top of this page. Standard 21 Blackjack is good too since you can actually have the edge by playing perfect basic strategy with a single deck.
How big is the house edge if I count cards?
This depends on many variables, such as which blackjack card counting systems you're going to use. In case you're using a highly complicated system, play perfectly and manage to find a good game to play, you may have a significant edge (even 3% or 4%).
Blackjack Match The Dealer Odds
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