Guide to Playing Spanish 21 Online

Disclaimer: ‘Spanish 21’ is a game trademarked by Masque Publishing. Titles like ‘Pirate 21,’ ‘Pontoon,’ ‘Spanish Blackjack’ and ‘Pirate Blackjack’ offer very similar gameplay with variations in rules and payouts.

Where to Play Spanish 21 Online?

Choosing where to play Spanish 21 online isn’t a one-size-fits-all decision. That’s why we’ve organized the best casinos for this card game, highlighting what each site excels at so you can easily find the perfect match for your preferences.

• BetUS  – Best Spanish 21 Variety
• Bovada  – Best for Loyalty Rewards
• Wild Casino  – Play Pirate 21 Online With a 10% Weekly Rebate
• Thunderpick  – Pontoon and Pirate 21 for Crypto Players

What We Look for in a Spanish 21 Online Casino

Our team at GamblingSites.com uses an in-house developed casino rating system to help you find the best places to play Spanish 21 online. 

We put a big emphasis on safety and security when searching for the best Spanish 21 casinos, while also diving deep into other key features that include:

• Spanish 21 Availability: We look for online casinos that offer a variety of Spanish 21 games, including Pontoon and Pirate 21 versions. The more software providers casinos  partner with, the better, as that means a more diverse selection of games and features.
• Mobile Compatibility: It’s important to us that Spanish 21 games run smoothly on devices like smartphones and tablets. We test these games on both iOS and Android — under different internet speeds — to see how well they hold up.
• Deposit and Withdrawal Methods: We prioritize finding gambling sites that accept a wide range of payment methods — including credit and debit cards, prepaid options, wire transfers, and cryptocurrencies. Our team also makes sure everything is safe and that details like minimum and maximum thresholds, withdrawal limits, processing speeds, and transaction fees actually match up with what’s promised in the fine print.
• Min and Max Bets for Spanish 21: This part of our evaluation focuses on the betting range available in Spanish 21 games. Whether you’re a casual player who likes to keep the stakes low, or a high roller chasing the thrill of big bets, we make sure you’ll find a spot where you can play your way.

While Spanish 21 is also called Pontoon and Pirate Blackjack, the gameplay is essentially the same between all three variants.

The Jackpot Meter

How we rate online casinos and sportsbooks starts with the Jackpot Meter – a completely objective system that aggregates experts and player reviews to give you a straightforward score. The higher the grade, the better the site.

The Jackpot Meter weighs positive and negative reviews to allow you to gauge the true quality and reliability of a site before you deposit your money there. Each rating is made up of two scores – one from experts and one from actual players just like you. From there, the system assigns each site an overall rating, designating a site Jackpot Certified or a Bust.

How to Play Spanish 21 Online

Spanish 21 shares the basic objective of traditional blackjack, with a few unique twists such as removing 10s from the deck, late-game surrenders, and more double-down opportunities. But at the end of the day, you’re still aiming to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as possible without busting. 

Each player at the table receives two cards, and they can decide to hit (draw another card), stand (keep their hand as is), or explore other strategic moves depending on the hand’s strength compared to the dealer’s visible card.

Spanish 21 Rules

The main goals of standard blackjack remain intact, as both the player and the dealer try to get as close to 21 as they can without going over. 

The biggest difference in Spanish 21 is that all tens are removed from the deck. This alteration fundamentally changes the dynamics of the game, as achieving exactly 21 becomes more challenging since the removal of 10s significantly affects the overall probability of hitting 21 or busting.

Spanish 21 is considered more player-friendly than traditional blackjack, mainly because its unique rules tend to favor the player. Some examples of this include:

• Player’s 21 Always Wins: If you hit 21, you automatically win regardless of the dealer’s hand.
• Bonus Payouts: Spanish 21 rewards players with special payouts for specific combinations, like a 5-card 21 or a 6-7-8 sequence. We’ll have more on this shortly.
• Late Surrender Allowed: After the dealer checks for blackjack, you can surrender half your bet instead of playing the hand out.
• Double Down Anytime: You can double your bet while any number of cards are on the table, giving you more opportunities to maximize winnings when you have a strong hand.
• Double Down After Splitting: If you split a pair, you’re still allowed to double down.
• Re-splitting Aces: Unlike many blackjack games, Spanish 21 lets you re-split aces.

How Spanish 21 Differs from Traditional Blackjack

Want to quickly see how Spanish 21 differs from blackjack? Check out the table below:

*Specific rules can vary by game version.

Spanish 21 Payouts

The payouts when you play Spanish 21 online are a lot more varied, and can be much larger than in traditional blackjack. Winning still gets you even money, but how you hit 21 can significantly bump up your returns. 

The largest payout happens when you land a 7-7-7 of the same suit and the dealer also shows a 7 card face-up. In the BetUS Spanish 21 variant, this scores you $1,000 for wagers between $5 and $24, and a whopping $5,000 for bets of $25 or more.

Spanish 21 payouts are as follows:

Key Terms  in Spanish 21

• Buy: Another word for ‘double down’ in Pontoon
• Five-Card Trick: Any five-card hand in Pontoon that isn’t a bust
• Hard Total: A hand that contains no aces, or in which included aces are only counted to a value of one
• Match the Dealer: A Pirate 21 side bet based on the player’s initial two cards matching the dealer’s up card
• Pirate 21: Spanish 21 variant in which players have many opportunities to double down 
• Pontoon: Spanish 21 blackjack variation based on  ‘pontoon’ meaning another word for 21, or ‘blackjack’ 
• Soft Total: The total of a hand in which an Ace is counted as 11 
• Sweet 16: A side bet in Pontoon that pays out if the player’s initial two cards include a sum of 16–21, one or two aces, or any pair of 3—7
• Stick: Another word for ‘stand’ in Pontoon
• Twist: Another word ‘hit’ in Pontoon

Spanish 21 vs. Pontoon and Pirate 21

Both Pontoon and Pirate 21 are variations of traditional blackjack and share many similarities with Spanish 21. Spanish 21 is a variant trademarked by Masque Publishing, while Pontoon is often the name used for Spanish 21 in Australia. Pirate 21 is the name of the Spanish 21 variant published by the software provider Betsoft.

The rules and gameplay are largely the same; the objective is to get as close to 21 as possible without busting. These variants all remove the 10 cards from the deck and offer comparable payouts. 

However, they differ in certain details such as card ranking, dealing procedures, and the optional side bets that are available.

Pontoon Rules

One of the key areas where Pontoon differs from Spanish 21 is in the terminology. Here, ‘stick’ means to stand, ‘twist’ is hit, you say ‘buy’ when you want to double down, and a blackjack is called a ‘Pontoon.’

The game starts with both of the dealer’s cards facing down, which immediately introduces a higher level of uncertainty compared to Spanish 21. You must twist if your hand totals 14 or less, and buying is allowed on any hand of two to four cards, not just the initial two.

Some payouts are also enhanced in Pontoon. A pontoon itself pays 2 to 1, as does a Five Card Trick—any five-card hand that doesn’t bust.

Pirate 21 Rules

Pirate 21 is another blackjack variant that uses six decks where, once again, all 10 cards are removed like in Spanish 21. The game stands out with its liberal rules on doubles:

• You can double down on any number of cards, not just your initial two.
• Some variants let you re-double once.

And since the player’s blackjack always beats the dealer’s blackjack, the odds are tipped slightly in the player’s favor.

You may also surrender your hand at any time for half your wager back, which is often restricted in other variations.

Additionally, the game lets you put money on a side bet called ‘Match the Dealer.‘ Here, you win extra if you match one or both of your initial two cards with the dealer’s up card. Wild Casino’s Pirate 21 has the following payouts:

Ready to Play Spanish 21 Online? 

Spanish 21, Pontoon, and Pirate 21 all play a lot like standard blackjack, but with a few key differences. 

The biggest is the removal of all 10 cards. More opportunities to double down and surrender is another. A player’s 21 always beats the dealer’s, (unlike in standard blackjack), and how the player achieves 21 can dictate the payout; offering an entertaining depth of strategy not found in normal blackjack.

If you’d like to try Spanish 21, check out BetUS. The site has multiple tables available to try for free. And if you’re ready to start placing real money wagers, bets start at only $1, making it the perfect site to try this fun blackjack variant.

Zachary

Wolf

Content Specialist

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Zachary Wolf is a Content Editor with experience writing about online gambling for GamblingSites.com and BestUSCasinos.org. His gambling-related writing credits include state-specific U.S. gambling laws, casino reviews, and various sports betting guides — most notably WWE betting guides. He enjoys playing slots, poker, and blackjack, among other games.

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