Spanish 21: Blackjack with 10s Removed

Looking to add a twist to your blackjack games? How about removing one of the most important cards?

Spanish 21 is one of the newer ways to play blackjack, using a slightly smaller card base with the 10 cards removed. That may sound worse for the player, but in this guide we’ll show you:

Why Spanish Blackjack is a great option for skilled players
How does it play compared to regular blackjack
A complete strategy chart to make the most of this game.

Let’s get into it.

What is Spanish 21 Blackjack?

You might know this blackjack variation by different names. Spanish 21 is a specific game licensed by Masque Publishing Inc., while Betsoft called their own Spanish 21 game Pirate 21. Others just call it Spanish blackjack or, in other parts of the world, Malaysian Pontoon.

But what is it? It’s blackjack, so the core gameplay hasn’t changed, but Spanish 21 is supposed to be played with six to eight 48-card Spanish decks in a shoe or shuffling machine. However, a lot of casinos decide to use the same French-suited decks that they use for other games, and remove the four 10 cards. This makes each deck 48 cards. Jacks, Queens, and Kings still count as 10s.

Removing the 10s locks the player out of some easy, strong hands. To make up for that, there are extra rules that favor the player. Here are some of the most common ones, though you should always check your game to see what ruleset they’re working with.

Players’ blackjack beats the dealer’s blackjack
Player 21 automatically wins, no pushes
Players can split any pair, including non-face cards
Players can double after split and re-split aces, depending on house rules
Some casinos allow surrender after doubling

These benefits make Spanish 21 ideal for players who enjoy the strategic side of blackjack, where knowing when to split and double can sweeten the pot. Those who prefer a simpler blackjack experience may want to stick to the standard version, where the house edge is more favorable.

How to Play Spanish 21 Blackjack

Like most other casino games, Spanish 21 starts with you putting chips down. There’s a designated spot for chips on Spanish 21 tables, or if you’re playing online, you’ll select chip symbols near the bottom of your screen. Once the game begins, it proceeds as usual. The dealer deals two face-down cards to each player and two to themselves, leaving one card facing up.

Only an ace or ten-value card (such as the jack, queen or king) will trigger a peek for blackjack. If they have it, they’ll reveal it; players lose, and the round starts again.

In standard blackjack, the players can’t win with a blackjack at this point. Spanish 21 is different, allowing players to win a 3:2 prize with blackjack even if the dealer also has a blackjack. Players can also take insurance if the dealer’s upcard is an ace, receiving a 2:1 prize if the dealer has blackjack.

From here, you’ll hit, stand, double down, and split to get as close to 21 as possible. Due to Spanish 21’s unique rules, you can double down on three or more cards or split twice, so you’re managing four hands at once. If you hit 21 exactly, then you’ll automatically win even if the dealer has 21.

Winning hands reward 1:1, but you can get additional 2:1, 3:1, and 3:2 prizes depending on how many cards are in your hand.

Spanish 21 Blackjack Gameplay Examples

Let’s go through two examples of Spanish 21 blackjack – one simple, and one that makes full use of Spanish 21’s liberal rules around splitting and doubling. For these, we assume the dealer will hit on soft 17.

Starting with 25 chips down on the table:

You get dealt a 7 and an ace – a soft 18.
The dealer’s upcard shows 9.

In ordinary blackjack, this would be an easy stand. In Spanish 21, with 10s removed, you can be more aggressive with soft hands, especially when the dealer’s 9 could easily become a threatening hand when he hits.

You choose to hit and a 2 lands, making a soft 20. You stand.
The dealer reveals a 6, making his total 15. He’s obligated to hit, gets a 4, and stands on 19.

You win a 1:1 prize, having benefited from the aggressive playing style that a soft hand encourages in Spanish 21.

For a more technical example, let’s work with the same 25 chips, but this time, you get a pair of aces (hearts and spades). The dealer’s upcard shows 6. In this situation, splitting is the logical choice. The dealer deals a 4 to your hearts hand, making a soft 15. You draw a 2, improving your hand to soft 17.

Thanks to Spanish 21’s flexible doubling rules, you can double down on a three-card hand. You do that, adding another 25 chips. The dealer deals again and another 4 lands – a 21 hand that automatically wins. Since you doubled, you’d get a 1:1 prize instead of 3:2.

Then you play the spades hand. The dealer puts a 5 down, making a soft 16. You double down, and a 7 is drawn, changing your soft 16 to a hard 13. The dealer reveals a 6 and a jack – a hard 16 – and so he’s obligated to hit. He does so and draws a 9 that pushes his hand value over 21. The dealer busts, and you win your doubled hand at 1:1 again.

This play wouldn’t have been possible in regular blackjack, where doubling on split aces or dealt cards is forbidden.

Spanish 21 Blackjack Strategy Cards

Blackjack strategy cards are a great way to learn optimal player strategy. Here are two cards showing when to hit, double, or stand.

Legend
H	Hit
S	Stand
S4-6	Stand, or hit if you have four to six (or more) cards
D	Double
D3-5	Double, or hit if you have three to five (or more) cards
Rh	Surrender, or hit if not possible
+	Hit if you can make a 6-7-8 hand
*	Hit if you can make a suited or spaded 6-7-8 hand
¬	Hit if you can make a spaded 6-7-8 hand

This one assumes the dealer stands on soft 17:

Dealer’s Upcard
Player’s Hand	HARD	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
	4-8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	9	H	H	H	H	D	H	H	H	H	H
	10	D5	D5	D	D	D	D4	D3	H	H	H
	11	D4	D5	D5	D5	D5	D4	D4	D4	D3	D3
	12	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	13	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	14	H	H	S4+	S5+	S4+	H	H	H	H	H
	15	S4+	S5+	S5¬	S6	S6¬	H	H	H	H	H
	16	S5	S6	S6	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
	17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S6	S6	S6	Rh
	18+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

	SOFT	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
	12-15	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	16	H	H	H	H	D4	H	H	H	H	H
	17	H	H	D3	D4	D5	H	H	H	H	H
	18	S4	S4	D4	D5	D5	S6	S4	H	H	H
	19-21	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S6	S

While this one assumes the dealer hits on soft 17:

Dealer’s Upcard
Player’s Hand	HARD	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
	4-8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	9	H	H	H	H	D	H	H	H	H	H
	10	D5	D5	D	D	D	D4	D3	H	H	H
	11	D4	D5	D5	D5	D5	D4	D4	D4	D3	D3
	12	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	13	H	H	H	H	S4+	H	H	H	H	H
	14	H	H	S4+	S5*	S6¬	H	H	H	H	H
	15	S4+	S5*	S6	S6	S	H	H	H	H	H
	16	S6	S6	S6	S	S	H	H	H	H	Rh
	17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S6	S6	S6	Rh
	18+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

	SOFT	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
	12-14	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
	15	H	H	H	H	D4	H	H	H	H	H
	16	H	H	H	D3	D4	H	H	H	H	H
	17	H	H	D3	D4	D6	H	H	H	H	H
	18	S4	S4	D4	D5	D6	S6	S4	H	H	H
	19	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S6	S6

Wrap Up

And that’s all you need to know about Spanish 21. While that chart will keep you busy for a while, this version of blackjack is totally worth your time.

Maybe you want to double down on your knowledge of blackjack variations first, with our other social casino blogs – we’ve got you covered with guides such as:

Soak up all the knowledge you can, and hit the floor running at McLuck.com.

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