Spanish 21

Complete Advantage Play Strategy Guide

Blackjack Variants

Quick Stats

Expected Edge

0.40% house edge (0.76% with redouble)

Bankroll Required

Medium ($1,500-3,000)

Time to Learn

3-4 weeks

Additional Metrics

house Edge

0.40% (optimal)

house Edge With Redouble

0.76%

countable

Yes, but less effective

Overview

A blackjack variation where all 10s are removed, but player-friendly rules compensate. With optimal strategy and redouble rules, this can be very favorable.

Strategy

Use Spanish 21 specific basic strategy - it differs significantly from standard blackjack. Key adjustments: Hit more often on stiff hands, double more liberally, take advantage of late surrender. The redouble rule is extremely powerful when available.

What to Look For

Redouble rule allowed (reduces house edge by 0.36%)
Dealer stands on soft 17
Liberal double down and surrender rules
Bonus payouts for 678 and 777 combinations
Match-the-dealer side bet when favorable

Risks & Considerations

Learning curve for proper strategy adjustments
Missing the 10s makes counting less effective
Bonus payouts can distract from optimal play
Still a house edge game without perfect strategy

Pro Tip

Always start with proper bankroll management. Even with an edge, variance can be brutal. Never risk more than 1-2% of your total bankroll on a single session, and ensure you have at least 20-30 buy-ins for your chosen stakes.

Basic Strategy Chart

4-6 Decks, S17, DAS, Late Surrender

Legend

HHit

SStand

DDouble (Hit if not allowed)

DSDouble (Stand if not allowed)

PSplit

RhSurrender (Hit if not allowed)

RsSurrender (Stand if not allowed)

Hard Total	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	Rh	Rh
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	Rh	Rh	Rh
5-8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
17+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Pro Tips

• Always split Aces and 8s
• Never split 5s or 10s
• Double down on 11 against everything except Ace
• Stand on 17 or higher (except soft 17)
• Never take insurance (unless counting cards at TC +3)

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Blackjack Switch

Hard Total	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	Rh	Rh
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	Rh	Rh	Rh
5-8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
17+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Hard Total	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	Rh	Rh
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	Rh	Rh	Rh
5-8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
17+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Hard Total	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	Rh	Rh
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	Rh	Rh	Rh
5-8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
17+	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S