How to Play Spanish 21 Blackjack

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: May 29, 2022 References

Are you looking to try out a fun blackjack variation that lets you win big bonuses next time you’re at a casino? In Spanish 21, you’ll try to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 points in your hand as you can without going over, but different card combinations pay out extra money. If you want to give this new twist on a classic a shot, keep reading for everything you need to know to get started!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Betting and Dealing

1
Place a starting bet for your hand before cards are dealt. When you sit down to play Spanish 21 at a casino, check the table to see what the minimum bet amount is to play a round. Make a wager that’s at least the minimum amount for the next hand of cards you’ll be dealt. Start by betting the minimum as you’re getting used to the game or if you want to be conservative with your wager.^{[1]
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2
Try a “Match the Dealer” bet for an additional payout after the deal. As a bonus wager, you can make a blind bet that one of the cards in your starting hand will match the dealer’s first card. The minimum and maximum bet depend on the casino when you’re playing the game. Place your bet in the Match the Dealer section on the table before you’re dealt any cards. The payouts after you’re dealt cards depend on the casino, but the standards are:^{[2]
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- 1 matching card in a different suit: 3-1
- 2 matching cards in different suits: 6-1
- 1 matching card in the same suit: 12-1
- 1 matching card in the same suit and 1 matching card in a different suit: 15-1
- 2 matching cards in the same suit: 24-1.
- If neither of your cards match, you lose your Match the Dealer bet.
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3
Receive 2 cards from the dealer to form your starting hand. After everyone at the table makes their bets, the dealer will deal you 1 card face-up in front of you and to each other player. Then, the dealer will give themselves a face-up card. After that, the dealer will give players a second card face-up.^{[3]
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- Some casinos will deal a second card to the dealer face-down once all the players have their second card.^{[4]
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4
Make an optional insurance bet if the dealer is showing an ace. An insurance bet is when you think the dealer is going to have a blackjack, which is when you have an ace and a face card, when they draw their next card. If the dealer’s first card is an ace, you can place an insurance bet up to half the value of your original bet.^{[5]
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- Example: Your original bet was $10 USD and the dealer has an ace showing in their hand. In addition to the $10 USD bet, you can make an insurance bet up to $5 USD.
- Making an insurance bet lets you win money when the dealer gets a blackjack. If you don’t place an insurance bet and the dealer gets a blackjack, then you’d lose all of the money you bet.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Playing a Hand

1
Learn the values of the cards. Spanish 21 uses a standard 52-card deck except the 10s are removed. The jacks, queens, and kings have a value of 10 and the aces can be counted as 1 or 11. All other cards are worth their face value.^{[6]
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- Casinos usually shuffle 6–8 decks together at the start of the game so it’s more difficult to keep track of which cards have already been played.
2
Ask to hit if you want another card in your hand. If your cards have a low total showing and you want to try getting closer to 21, tell the dealer you want to hit. They’ll draw 1 card from the top of the deck and add it face-up to your hand to add to your total. Every player at the table will have a chance to hit before the dealer asks you again.^{[7]
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- Hit whenever your hand shows 11 or less since you’ll get closer to a total of 21 without any risk of going over.
- If you don’t want to hit, you can “stand” instead, meaning you stop drawing cards for the rest of the round.
3
Double down to multiply your bet and get 1 more card to your hand. If you’re feeling confident that you only need 1 more card to hit 21 or get close, then let the dealer know that you want to double down. The dealer will double your original bet and add one more card to your hand and lay it horizontally to signal you can’t draw any more cards.^{[8]
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- Doubling down works best if you have 10 or 11 showing in your starting hand since there’s no risk of the next card putting you over 21.
- After you double down, you can “rescue” your bet if you don’t think your hand will beat the dealer as long as you didn’t go over 21. When you tell the dealer you want to rescue, you take back the double down wager you made but forfeit your original bet.
4
Split a pair of cards to play and place bets on 2 separate hands. If you’re dealt any pair of cards, you can ask the dealer to split them.^{[9]
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Research source} Place a bet equal to your first wager on the new split hand. When it’s your turn, you can choose what to do with each hand separately.^{[10]
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- If you make another pair on a hand you split, you can split it again. You can usually have a total of 4 hands in front of you during a round of Spanish 21, but it may vary depending on where you play.
5
Tell the dealer to stand if you want to stop drawing cards. If you’re happy with the value of your hand or you’re worried the next card will make you go over 21, tell the dealer that you want to stand. You’ll keep the cards that you already have, but you won’t have any new cards dealt to you.^{[11]
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- You should usually stand if you have a value of 17 or higher.
6
Surrender your hand if you don’t think you’ll beat the dealer. You can only surrender right after you’re dealt your first 2 cards. If you’re not confident in your hand, tell the dealer that you want to surrender so they can collect your cards. They’ll return half of your bet to you, but you’ll lose the other half.^{[12]
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- If the dealer has an ace, king, queen, or jack showing when you surrender, the dealer will wait until the end of the round to return your bet. If they reveal a blackjack in their hand, then they’ll take your full bet instead of only half.
7
Keep playing until you stand or go over 21. As long as your hand is under 21, you get to choose what you want to do every time it’s your turn. If you’re ever dealt a card that puts you over 21, it’s considered a bust, meaning you lose all of your bets and you’re out for the rest of the round.^{[13]
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8
Reveal cards for the dealer’s hand until they stand or bust. Once everyone at the table stands or busts, the dealer will draw the next card to their hand. The dealer will keep hitting until they make 21, bust, or are required to stand.^{[14]
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- Most casinos require dealers to hit their hand if their hand total is under 17 and stand if they’re at 17 or higher.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Paying Out

1
Get a 3-2 payout immediately if you were dealt a blackjack. A blackjack is when your hand totals 21 when you’re dealt an ace and a face card. As soon as your second card is dealt, you’re out for the round and win at 3-2 odds, meaning you win 1.5 times your bet and get your original bet back.^{[15]
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- Example: You bet $10 USD and were dealt a blackjack. You’d immediately get a total payout of $25 USD.
2
Win your insurance bet if the dealer got a blackjack. When the dealer’s hand totals 21 after they deal themselves a second card, you’ll lose the original bet you made. If you placed an insurance bet that the dealer would get a blackjack, you get a payout of 2-1, meaning you win double the bet amount plus the original wager back.^{[16]
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- Example: Your original bet was $20 USD, but you placed an insurance bet for $10 USD. If the dealer was dealt a blackjack, you’d lose your initial bet but the insurance bet payout is $30 USD.
- If the dealer doesn’t have a 21, then you lose your insurance bet. You still have a chance to win on your original bet if you can still beat the dealer.
3
Receive a special payout for hitting 21 with 3 or more cards. If your hand totals 21, you’ll always beat the dealer unless they were dealt a blackjack. The payout depends on how many cards you have or if you’re holding a specific combination of cards. The hands and payouts are:^{[17]
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- 5 cards totaling 21: 3-2
- 6 cards totaling 21: 2 -1
- 7 or more cards totaling 21: 3-1
- 6-7-8 in any suits: 3-2
- 6-7-8 all in the same suit: 2-1
- 6-7-8 of spades: 3-1
- 7-7-7 in any suits: 3-2
- 7-7-7 all in the same suit: 2-1
- 7-7-7 in spades: 3-1
4
Earn an even payout if your hand was higher than the dealer’s. Even if you don’t reach a total of 21 with your hand, you can still win money playing the game. If your hand’s total is higher than the dealer’s at the end of the round, then you get a 1-1 payout, which means you win the amount you bet plus you get your original wager back.^{[18]
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- Example: You bet $10 USD at the start of the round. If the dealer’s hand totaled 17 and your hand added up to 19 at the end of the round, you’d win $20 USD.
- If you and the dealer have the same total, then you’ll still beat the dealer.
5
Win a Super Bonus for three 7s in the same suit when the dealer has a 7. When you hit 21 with 3 matching 7s when the dealer has a 7 in any suit, you win the biggest bonus in the game. If you made a $5.00–24.50 USD bet, you win $1,000 USD for your bet. When your original bet is $25 USD or more, then you win the grand prize of $5,000 USD. Anyone else at the table who made a bet for the round gets $50 USD as an “Envy Bonus.”^{[19]
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- If you split your hand or doubled down during the round, you give up your chance at winning the Super Bonus.
- Super Bonus payouts may vary depending on the casino where you’re playing.