People unfamiliar with Spanish 21 will notice the games similarity with Blackjack. Spanish 21 is similar to Blackjack but gives players more ways to win, like: five, six, seven card Charlie, match the dealer, splitting, double down and surrendering. Here are some tips on how to play this intriguing game of 21.
1. A Spanish 21 gaming table usually fits five to six people. Ideally you should play with four to five people who are quite familiar with the game. Playing with your friends who you have played with allows you to beat the dealer. That means all of you should take a hit or none of you takes a hit.
2. Always play Match the Dealer in Spanish 21. Match the dealer is a wager that can be place before the hand is dealt. The wager can be made in any amount with a maximum bet of $1,000. Depending on the amount of money being played with, a player should play a minimum of $10 per hand.
3. Whenever the dealer is given a card with a value of 6 or lower, the player should not hit. The dealer is required to hit on a 16 and below but has to stay on a 17. By not hitting you lessen the probability of taking the dealers break card. For example if the dealer is showing 5 or any card lower than six, a player can assume that the other card is a 10. When the player takes the break card, the player runs the risk of having the dealer beat him. This raises the probability of the whole table winning.
4. Always split the pair of aces in Spanish 21. Although getting two aces is quite rare, a player should always split the aces. By splitting the aces, a player doubles his wager on very strong hands. When the dealer’s show card is 6 or lower then take a hit regardless of the first rule that all the players do the same action. It is one of the rare instances that a player should ignore the team.
5. In Spanish 21, double down on an eleven always if the dealer is showing seven or lower. By doubling down, a player doubles his bet but can only take one more card. The player at this point is hoping for a ten to bring his total to 21 or if not hoping that the dealer busts. If the one card does not bring the player to at least seventeen, the player should surrender the cards and lose only half his money.
6. Casinos frown on counting card but you should. Casinos usually play with three to four decks of cards. Try to have some small talk with your dealer to determine the number of decks your Spanish 21 table is using and start counting face cards.
7. Once in a while up your bet. If you constantly bet the same amount of money you will probably not win big. Check every ten hands if you have won more than lost, then ante up your bet. The amount is your choice but you must ante up. If in ten hands you have lost more, decrease your bet.
This article was written by Alexis.