Spanish 21 and Race
April 7th, 2026 at 9:59:05 PM
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Good evening everyone,
I have wanted to make this post for almost a year, but I didn't because the subject might be controversial. However, I want to emphasize that I do not have any bad intentions, and I am looking at this from an anthropological viewpoint.
When I started gambling last year on the East Coast, I noticed that in the Miami and DMV area, everyone who I saw playing the game Spanish 21 was of African-American descent. When I played with them, they all seemed to know the basic strategy (maybe not perfectly but at least fairly well), and most were superstitious regarding where they sat and what decisions other players made. Personally I perceived these individuals to be smarter than other casino patrons, after all they chose the game with the lowest house edge. I will note that I did not see any African-Americans playing Spanish 21 in Atlantic City, but I also don't recall seeing anyone of any background (other than me) playing Spanish 21 there.
I was wondering, why is Spanish 21 popular among African-Americans? At first I recalled how I was in a mostly African-American checkers club in DC where they play a game called "Spanish Pool Checkers". I thought that historic Spanish influence on the Caribbean and parts of the American South might have something to do with the popularity of Spanish Pool Checkers and Spanish 21 (which does genuinely have Spanish influence by using a Spanish deck) but these are probably unrelated. Additionally, if Spanish influence had something to do with this, you would think Spanish 21 would be more popular with Hispanic-Americans.
Anyways, does anyone have any insight into why this game might be especially popular among this race? While I know that some games or side bets appeal to Asian-Americans (like Panda 8 in Baccarat), do any table games intentionally appeal to any other demographics?
I have wanted to make this post for almost a year, but I didn't because the subject might be controversial. However, I want to emphasize that I do not have any bad intentions, and I am looking at this from an anthropological viewpoint.
When I started gambling last year on the East Coast, I noticed that in the Miami and DMV area, everyone who I saw playing the game Spanish 21 was of African-American descent. When I played with them, they all seemed to know the basic strategy (maybe not perfectly but at least fairly well), and most were superstitious regarding where they sat and what decisions other players made. Personally I perceived these individuals to be smarter than other casino patrons, after all they chose the game with the lowest house edge. I will note that I did not see any African-Americans playing Spanish 21 in Atlantic City, but I also don't recall seeing anyone of any background (other than me) playing Spanish 21 there.
I was wondering, why is Spanish 21 popular among African-Americans? At first I recalled how I was in a mostly African-American checkers club in DC where they play a game called "Spanish Pool Checkers". I thought that historic Spanish influence on the Caribbean and parts of the American South might have something to do with the popularity of Spanish Pool Checkers and Spanish 21 (which does genuinely have Spanish influence by using a Spanish deck) but these are probably unrelated. Additionally, if Spanish influence had something to do with this, you would think Spanish 21 would be more popular with Hispanic-Americans.
Anyways, does anyone have any insight into why this game might be especially popular among this race? While I know that some games or side bets appeal to Asian-Americans (like Panda 8 in Baccarat), do any table games intentionally appeal to any other demographics?
April 8th, 2026 at 2:10:00 AM
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What does 'Miami and dmv' mean?
Gamblers seem to be less paranoid about talking about race than other people, at least in connection with what you see in casinos etc. However, since you only saw this in Miami it sounds like just a local thing that got started for random reasons
Is noticing a group characteristic of a race a racist thing? If it is non-pejorative, talking about it can go over OK with most, but not all, people ... but if the opposite is true you are poking at a hornet's nest
Gamblers seem to be less paranoid about talking about race than other people, at least in connection with what you see in casinos etc. However, since you only saw this in Miami it sounds like just a local thing that got started for random reasons
Is noticing a group characteristic of a race a racist thing? If it is non-pejorative, talking about it can go over OK with most, but not all, people ... but if the opposite is true you are poking at a hornet's nest
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
April 8th, 2026 at 2:17:29 AM
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I've played an awful lot of Spanish 21, mostly on the East Coast, and it is quite a colorful crowd! Most of my really good stories start with "I was playing Spanish 21 at 3 AM in Atlantic City..."
In the Northeast I saw it treated as mostly an Oriental game, but there were a lot of black players too. Not many Hispanic, I guess because they know darned well there's nothing Spanish about it. But I had a good joke along those lines, only for males: if I have a 13 or 14 I say "Look, I have a Spanish 21!" Any guy from Latin America laughs and gets it.
The biggest appeal for most players is the sidebet, the Match the Dealer. I think people instinctively realize that with the Spanish pack, the paytable of 3 for a match and 12 for a suited match is even money for an infinite deck game. Of course it's no longer even money with non-infinite decks. Almost everyone plays it, and being a counter I only play it sometimes.
I think the demographic appeal comes more from who doesn't play it very much: picture this guy- big, middle aged white guy with just a mustache, loud gruff voice from Westchester, Rockland, Suffolk or thereabouts, drinks a bit, knows it all, aggressive, impatient. Where do you find that guy? At a straight blackjack table or craps table. Guys like that are a turnoff to many people in other demos, and vice versa. So it's a matter of people wanting to play with others who are similar to them in attitude at the table.
Now as far as the strategy: in my experience, if you see someone playing correct strategy at all, they're probably a counter. Most people play it as blackjack strategy and some of them get very mad if you play correctly, especially the strategy for the bonus hands and for low counts. Hitting 16 vs. 2 you will do every day, as well as hitting an 8-7 vs. 3 or a 3 card 17 vs. A.
One time I'm playing Spanish 21 in Atlantic City, and there's a guy next to me griping and howling about my play, convinced that it is my correct play causing him to lose and not his incorrect play. Then when I get a 13 vs. 6, normally a hit in basic strategy, he stands up, draws his fist back and dares me to take a hit. I don't need to mention his demographic.
Now there were a few ways I could play that. One is react to the assault of the drawn fist and end up getting banned and probably arrested and sued. (Life is not fair for my demographic.) Or I could let him hit me, and then indulge myself, and likely get banned but less risk of civil or criminal penalty. Or I could let him hit me and take a dive, and sue him and the casino but especially the casino. After all, I am there to make money. But I had a bigger (to me) problem: the count had gone up and 13 vs. 6 was now a stand!
Never in my life have I let heat from another player deter me from playing correctly. But I didn't want this guy to think I was a coward and declined to hit the same hand I hit earlier in the shoe because I was afraid of him. But the dealer made the decision for me: he squared his shoe (which in Casino means "I'm not dealing another card until my supervisor comes over here and sees what is going on.") and security came over and said to him "We'd like to talk to you" and that was that. But it's a good illustration of how rough the crowd can be at Spanish 21. They can be absolutely friendly and fun too, and I've had some very enjoyable, low-stress sessions along with the rough ones.
In the Northeast I saw it treated as mostly an Oriental game, but there were a lot of black players too. Not many Hispanic, I guess because they know darned well there's nothing Spanish about it. But I had a good joke along those lines, only for males: if I have a 13 or 14 I say "Look, I have a Spanish 21!" Any guy from Latin America laughs and gets it.
The biggest appeal for most players is the sidebet, the Match the Dealer. I think people instinctively realize that with the Spanish pack, the paytable of 3 for a match and 12 for a suited match is even money for an infinite deck game. Of course it's no longer even money with non-infinite decks. Almost everyone plays it, and being a counter I only play it sometimes.
I think the demographic appeal comes more from who doesn't play it very much: picture this guy- big, middle aged white guy with just a mustache, loud gruff voice from Westchester, Rockland, Suffolk or thereabouts, drinks a bit, knows it all, aggressive, impatient. Where do you find that guy? At a straight blackjack table or craps table. Guys like that are a turnoff to many people in other demos, and vice versa. So it's a matter of people wanting to play with others who are similar to them in attitude at the table.
Now as far as the strategy: in my experience, if you see someone playing correct strategy at all, they're probably a counter. Most people play it as blackjack strategy and some of them get very mad if you play correctly, especially the strategy for the bonus hands and for low counts. Hitting 16 vs. 2 you will do every day, as well as hitting an 8-7 vs. 3 or a 3 card 17 vs. A.
One time I'm playing Spanish 21 in Atlantic City, and there's a guy next to me griping and howling about my play, convinced that it is my correct play causing him to lose and not his incorrect play. Then when I get a 13 vs. 6, normally a hit in basic strategy, he stands up, draws his fist back and dares me to take a hit. I don't need to mention his demographic.
Now there were a few ways I could play that. One is react to the assault of the drawn fist and end up getting banned and probably arrested and sued. (Life is not fair for my demographic.) Or I could let him hit me, and then indulge myself, and likely get banned but less risk of civil or criminal penalty. Or I could let him hit me and take a dive, and sue him and the casino but especially the casino. After all, I am there to make money. But I had a bigger (to me) problem: the count had gone up and 13 vs. 6 was now a stand!
Never in my life have I let heat from another player deter me from playing correctly. But I didn't want this guy to think I was a coward and declined to hit the same hand I hit earlier in the shoe because I was afraid of him. But the dealer made the decision for me: he squared his shoe (which in Casino means "I'm not dealing another card until my supervisor comes over here and sees what is going on.") and security came over and said to him "We'd like to talk to you" and that was that. But it's a good illustration of how rough the crowd can be at Spanish 21. They can be absolutely friendly and fun too, and I've had some very enjoyable, low-stress sessions along with the rough ones.
April 8th, 2026 at 2:27:40 AM
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I'd say they found a $5 Spanish 21 table where only $10 or $15 BJ tables exist; or they found a $10 Spanish 21 table where only $15/$25 BJ tables exist. Most of the people I see on the tables are hot to play Match The Dealer bets for $5 or $10/hand and if I'm not playing it, they want to put money on my spot to play an extra spot. The payouts on the side bet might be better on the Spanish 21 table, but the HA is around 3% for those bets.
People are far less likely to get booted out of a casino playing Spanish 21 under suspicion of counting cards, and minorities might feel like they have a target on their back playing regular BJ tables, and avoid them.
I'm sure I can beat Spanish 21 at the table, but I haven't had any luck, it's just a long losing streak leaving me wondering where the lucky shoe is. I've had better luck at BJ tables. I'm not swayed to play Spanish 21 for the $5K super bonus because it's just too rare, a 1/600K chance.
I usually find a cheap $5 table and within a minute of my sitting down they raise the limit, so I've got to be prepared to play at the $10 limit if I'm 5 seconds late.
People are far less likely to get booted out of a casino playing Spanish 21 under suspicion of counting cards, and minorities might feel like they have a target on their back playing regular BJ tables, and avoid them.
I'm sure I can beat Spanish 21 at the table, but I haven't had any luck, it's just a long losing streak leaving me wondering where the lucky shoe is. I've had better luck at BJ tables. I'm not swayed to play Spanish 21 for the $5K super bonus because it's just too rare, a 1/600K chance.
I usually find a cheap $5 table and within a minute of my sitting down they raise the limit, so I've got to be prepared to play at the $10 limit if I'm 5 seconds late.
