One unlicensed version is known as Pontoon, an extremely popular game here in Australia and parts of south-east Asia. It is officially owned by a gaming company known as Masque Games in the United States, but several unlicensed equivalents are played around the world. Spanish 21 has its origins in Nevada casinos, starting off as a side-game in 1996 before exploding into mainstream recognition. While the latter change means the four Tens are removed, which introduces problems for players in the form of a two per cent house edge increase, it is offset by some highly flexible, player-friendly changes to the usual rules, and unique bonus payouts which make it a genuinely worthwhile variation to play. Spanish 21’s two main differences from standard blackjack is a player’s blackjack always beats the dealer’s blackjack, and the game is played with a 48-card Spanish deck, rather than the standard 52-card deck.
Played worldwide and offered in the majority of land-based casinos, it is a quick-to-learn and easy-to-play alternative for when you are looking for something slightly different.
Spanish 21 is a popular American variant of the traditional game of blackjack.
