Spanish 21 Strategy Guide and Advice
99.58% RTP tips and winning strategy for Spanish 21 Blackjack.

Spanish 21 is a blackjack variant in which all tens are removed from the deck. That doesn’t sound like a very friendly game, now does it? Fortunately, many of the other rules were altered to favor the players, giving it an overall house edge of 0.42%.
The following strategy for Spanish 21 is a basic one, but if followed precisely, will deliver the 99.58% RTP promised above.
Spanish 21 Basic Strategy Guide
For ease of understanding, I’ve split this section into three situational parts; Hard Total Hands, Soft Total Hands, and Conditions for Splitting.
How to Decide Hard Total Hands
A hard total is any hand value that does not involve and Ace, or involves an Ace that is counted as 1 (not 11). The following chart details how to handle any situation based on the hard value of your hand.
Hand Value | Correct Action by Situation |
8 & Under | Hit |
18 & Up | Stand |
9 | Double if Dealer shows 6; otherwise Hit. |
10 | Double if Dealer shows 2-7; otherwise Hit. |
11 | Double if Dealer shows 2-8; otherwise Hit. |
12 | Hit |
13 | Stand if Dealer shows 5 or 6. Hit if Dealer shows 2-4 or 7-Ace, or on any 5 cards. |
14 | Hit if Dealer shows 2, 3 or 7-Ace; Hit on four cards if Dealer shows 4; Hit on 5 cards if Dealer shows 5 or 6; otherwise Stand. |
15 | Hit if Dealer shows 7+; Hit on four cards if Dealer shows 2; Hit on five cards if Dealer shows 3 or 4; Hit on 6 cards if Dealer shows 5 or 6; otherwise Stand. |
16 | Surrender to Dealer’s Ace; Hit if Dealer shows 7-K; Hit on 5 cards if Dealer shows 2; Hit on 6 cards if Dealer shows 3 or 4; otherwise Stand. |
17 | Surrender to Dealer’s Ace; Hit on 6 cards against Dealer’s 8, 9 or 10; otherwise Stand. |
How to Decide Soft Total Hands
A soft total is any hand that contains an Ace that is being counted as 11. The exceptional feature here is that hitting any soft total cannot result in a bust, therefore the strategy is more intricate, especially when it comes to doubling or hitting for a 5-, 6- or 7-card Charlie.
Hand Value | Correct Action by Situation |
15 & Under | Hit |
19 & Up | Stand |
16 | Double if Dealer shows 6; otherwise Hit. Exceptions: Hiton 4 cards if Dealer shows 6. |
17 | Double on 2 cards against Dealer’s 4, on 2-3 cards against Dealer’s 5, or on 2-4 cards against Dealer’s 6; otherwise Hit. |
18 | Hit if Dealer shows 9-Ace; Stand if Dealer shows 2, 3, 7 or 8; Double if Dealer shows 4, 5 or 6. Exceptions: Hit on 4+ cards against Dealer’s 2, 3, 4 or 8; Hit on 5 cards against Dealer’s 5 or 6; Hit on 6 cards against Dealer’s 7. |
Conditions for Splitting Pairs
Spanish 21 rules allow for the splitting of any matching pairs (2-2, 7-7, Q-Q, etc.) That doesn’t mean you should always split when dealt a pair. Perfect strategy calls for the following actions when faced with the option to split a hand.
Pair | Correct Action by Situation |
A-A | Split |
2-2 | Split only if Dealer shows 3 thru 7 |
3-3 | Split only if Dealer shows 3 thru 7 |
4-4 | Do not Split; (see Hard/Soft Hands above) |
5-5 | Do not Split; (see Hard/Soft Hands above) |
6-6 | Split only if Dealer shows 4 thru 6 |
7-7 | Split only if Dealer shows 2 thru 7 |
8-8 | Surrender if Dealer shows Ace; otherwise Split. |
9-9 | Split only if Dealer shows 3 thru 6, 8 or 9 |
J-J | Do not Split; (see Hard/Soft Hands above) |
Q-Q | Do not Split; (see Hard/Soft Hands above) |
K-K | Do not Split; (see Hard/Soft Hands above) |
Want to learn more about Spanish 21? Continue your education with the links below.
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