Spanish 21 question/confirmation.

Since I have started going to a casino on a regular basis, Spanish 21 has been in my comfort zone. When I started, I think only once or twice have I walked away from the table with less money than what I started with. I play only $5 a hand, and I start with a $5 worth of singles for a $1 match the dealer bet, which I stop playing once the original $5 are gone. The place I play stands on soft 17 and uses eight decks. With that all said, I has just been playing with a basic idea on how to play, and doing well. Until last Sunday. My luck, as you could say, had run out. I bought in for $50 after being up from playing earlier in the day, and now within 2 shoes, I had lost it all really quick. I wasn't quite sure if I was playing wrong, or just got dealt bad hands. Back to the drawing board I went. I printed off The Wizards basic strategy and this week, I studied the hell out of it and played a ton of practice games. I seem to have found a pattern, I get hot early, and then lose most of it back. Is that to be expected? I can't put my finger on why.

Now Ive been off from work for a week & half, and yesterday I made the hour & 15 minute drive to the casino. I head to the Spanish 21 table, and two older guys are playing, the shoe is 3/4's gone, I ask them if they would like me to wait. They say no, so I join in. I'm not a card counter so I guess it doesn't matter. I buy in for $50 and finish out that shoe. I play through two more, and look at my chips, I have $125! Basic strategy works!! I decide to color up & walk away.

This puts me in a conundrum. I drove an hour & 15 minutes, more than doubled my money within 45 minutes. Do I just go home? While thinking it over, I headed to a slot machine that my buddy plays with some good luck, just to kill time. I stick a $20 in, and 5 spins later, I have $30. Most I've won on a slot machine. :-) I cashed out from that and head to the craps table. Buy in $50, and end up leaving with $45. So now I have my motivation to go play Spanish 21 again, to get my $5 back. I sit down during a shuffle, and before that shoe is over, my $45 is gone. Like instantly. Still playing the basic strategy. Now two times, I was dealt 13 and one other time I draw to 13. Dealer had a bust card all 3 times. Fives and sixes. Basic strategy says always hit on 13. And I did all three times. And busted all three times. My first session, I busted on a 13 also, but the dealer showed an 8, which of course is the correct play. (Even though the dealer ended up busting.) I know there are 32 less tens in the deck, but is that really the correct play? Even the other players were questioning me. (Which I don't care.)

And as far as the quick losing streak, what can you do? I don't know the cards, so sitting out a hand, and good as it sounds to break up the order the cards are dealt, just doesn't make sense to me. You could just as easily get hot again by still playing. What do you do.


Sorry for the long story. :-)

You're still playing a losing game. Even with the Wizard's basic strategy, you're bucking a 0.40% house edge on a S17 game. So, eventually you will lose everything. I used to play Spanish 21 exclusively at one casino. You'll see standard deviations of of 15-20 units (or more!) sometimes. But, unless you count it's just going to be a (very slow) downward drain. So enjoy the game and whatever comps they give you. It's cheap entertainment. I really enjoyed the game at that one particular casino.

I think its a great game. They little bonuses are fun when you can hit them. The 6-7-8. Or the suited 7-7-7. I also like the immediate payout on 21's.

Quote: SkittleCar1

Now two times, I draw 13 and one other time I draw to 13. Dealer had a bust card all 3 times. Fives and sixes. Basic strategy says always hit on 13. And I did all three times. And busted all three times. (Which I don't care.)

Double-check your basic strategy. Don't hit 13 against a six.*

* Maybe hit a 4-card 13 against a six, I don't remember. Double-check the chart.

Straight from The Wizard of Odds.....

Whoops. S17 table. Mea culpa. I was thinking H17.

I played a bunch of practice hands, and standing with 13 against 4-5-6 had a much better success rate. I guess if I'm wrong, I don't wanna be right. :-)

I'd like to know the odds disparity between hitting and standing on 13 v. a 4-6. It seems to me like it can't be that much.

Its not as thin as you might think... there are no Tens (rank) in the shoe. That means 24 (6-deck) or 32 (8-deck) fewer chances to bust.

Katarina Walker's index for 13 vs 6 is -1 in S17 and -4 in H17. Note that her count starts at -4, so you can roughly translate the count to +3 in S17 and 0 in H17 starting at a balanced count.

That means in H17 it's very marginal, and in S17 it's close, but not really thin. I'm too lazy to go cross reference a blackjack EV table and index table to help estimate the actual edge.