Basic Rules for Poker Each Poker game uses a fifty-two- (52) card standard deck of cards. The cards are ranked from Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 through Two in descending order. Sep 21, 2017 Poker Dice Game Play: In each round players take turn in clockwise manner to roll five dice up to a maximum of 3 times. After each roll players can set aside one or more dice and then roll remaining dice. Players may choose to not set aside any dice and roll all five dice in second as well as third roll.

The classic poker dice game is played with 5 dice and two or more players. Each player has a total of 3 rolls and the ability to hold dice in between rolls. After the three rolls, the best hand wins. In most variations, a straight only counts as a Bust (high-card). Jul 06, 2015 In locations where the dealer stands on a soft 17, or redoubling is allowed, Spanish 21 may be a better bet than blackjack, depending on the specific blackjack rules. If you are looking for a change of pace from traditional blackjack but insist on a game with a low house edge, then you may find new excitement in Spanish 21. I have been looking around for some Poker dice recently and at a nearby store they had packages of dice that were labeled as such. However, the dice only had a a 7, 8, Jack, Queen, King, and a dot which I assume was meant to be an Ace. Now, what types of games could you actually play with such.

Poker dice are dice which, instead of having number pips, have representations of playing cards upon them. Poker dice have six sides, one each of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, and 9, and are used to form a poker hand.

Each variety of poker dice varies slightly in regard to suits, though the ace of spades is almost universally represented. 9♣ and 10♦ are frequently found, while face cards are traditionally represented not by suit, but instead by color: red for kings, green for queens and blue for jacks. Manufacturers have not standardized the colors of the face sides. The game can also be played with ordinary dice.

As a game[edit]

The classic poker dice game is played with 5 dice and two or more players. Each player has a total of 3 rolls and the ability to hold dice in between rolls. After the three rolls, the best hand wins.

In most variations, a straight only counts as a Bust (high-card). A Straight is less probable than a Full House, so, if counted, it should rank above a Full House, though tradition usually ranks it below Full House, as in card poker. Neither a 'flush' nor a 'straight flush' is a possible hand, due to the lack of suits on the dice.

In some rules, only a straight to a King is called a Straight, while a straight to an Ace is called (somewhat incorrectly) a Flush. Each one has an exact probability of 120 / 7776. Under these rules, a Straight beats a Full House (unlike in card poker, but correctly reflecting its probability) but does not beat a Four of a Kind (incorrectly reflecting its lower probability). A Flush beats a Four of a Kind (as in card poker, and correctly reflecting its lower probability).

Probabilities[edit]

Spanish Poker Dice Rules How To Play

The poker dice hand rankings and the corresponding probabilities of rolling that hand are as follows^[1][2](not sorted by probability but from highest to lowest ranking):

Hand	Exact probability	Percentage	1 in ...	Example
Five of a kind	6 / 7776	0.08%	1296	J J J J J
Four of a kind	150 / 7776	1.93%	51.8	10 10 10 10 A
Full house	300 / 7776	3.86%	25.9	K K K 9 9
Straight	240 / 7776	3.09%	32.4	A K Q J 10
Three of a kind	1200 / 7776	15.43%	6.5	9 9 9 K J
Two pair	1800 / 7776	23.15%	4.3	Q Q 9 9 A
One pair	3600 / 7776	46.30%	2.2	10 10 K Q 9
Bust (high card; no pair, no straight)	480 / 7776*	6.17%	16.2	A K Q J 9

^*Busts have much lower probability than in card poker, because there are only 6 values instead of 13, making pairs and straights much more likely than with cards. In poker dice there are in fact only four possible bust hands: [A K Q J 9], [A K Q 10 9], [A K J 10 9], and [A Q J 10 9]; both other no-pair hands (i.e., in which either the A or the 9 are missing) are straights. Consequently, in some variants of the rules, straights are counted as busts.^[3]

Variants[edit]

Marlboro once marketed a set of octahedral poker dice that included suits; each die had slightly different numberings, ranging from 7 up to ace. A similar set is currently manufactured by Koplow Games.^[4][5]

In 1974, Aurora produced a set of 12-sided poker dice called 'Jimmy the Greek Odds Maker Poker Dice'^[6] and in 2000, Aurora/Rex Games produced a similar set under the name 'Royal Poker Dice'.^[7] The sets featured five 12-sided dice allowing for all 52 playing cards to be represented. The remaining 8 faces featured stars and acted as wild cards allowing for every possible poker hand to be rolled.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Deep, Ronald (2006), Probability and statistics with integrated software routines, Elsevier Inc., ISBN0-12-369463-9Chapter 1 p 42
2. ^Bărboianu, Cătălin (2006), Probability Guide to Gambling: The Mathematics of Dice, Slots, Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack, Poker, Lottery and Sport Bets, INFAROM Publishing, p. 224, ISBN973-87520-3-5Extract of page 224
3. ^Arneson, Erik (2012). 'The Complete Rules for the Dice Game Poker Dice'. About.com. New York Times Company. 'Board / Card Games' subsite. Archived from the original on 2014-04-12.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
4. ^Koplow Games
5. ^8-sided poker dice on BoardGameGeek.com
6. ^Jimmy the Greek Odds Maker Poker Dice on BoardGameGeek.com
7. ^Royal Poker Dice on BoardGameGeek.com

External links[edit]

• Rules for Dice Poker at BrainKing.com (similar to Yahtzee)
• Arneson, Erik (2012). 'The Complete Rules for the Dice Game Poker Dice'. About.com. New York Times Company. 'Board / Card Games' subsite. Archived from the original on 2014-04-12.CS1 maint: unfit url (link) (no straights)
• Poker dice at Britannica.com

Introduction

Spanish 21 is a variation of blackjack, that in some cases is the best bet in the casino. In locations where the dealer stands on a soft 17, or redoubling is allowed, Spanish 21 may be a better bet than blackjack, depending on the specific blackjack rules. If you are looking for a change of pace from traditional blackjack but insist on a game with a low house edge, then you may find new excitement in Spanish 21.

In Australia and Malaysia, Spanish 21 is called Pontoon. There are some rule changes in Australia, which merit a separate page. For all the details please visit my page on Australian Pontoon. To make matters more confusing, there is another similar game, but different enough to warrant a separate page, called Player's Edge 21.

Following is a list of known aliases of the game:

• Betsoft, a major provider of software for Internet casinos, offers Spanish 21 under the name Pirate 21.
• The Casino Bregenz in Austria changes the name to Blackjack Exchange.

The Rules

Spanish 21 uses six or eight Spanish decks, each deck consisting of 48 cards — the regular 52 cards less the four tens. Any card counter can tell you that removing any 10-point card from the cards moves the odds in favor of the dealer. To make up for this, Spanish 21 gives the player a host of bonuses and favorable rules. There are lots of Spanish 21 games all over the country, so rules will vary somewhat from place to place, but the usual rules in the player's favor are:

1. Late surrender allowed.
2. Double after split allowed.
3. Re-splitting aces allowed.
4. A player 21 always wins.
5. Player blackjack beats dealer blackjack.
6. Player may double on any number of cards.
7. Player may usually hit and double down after splitting aces.
8. Player may surrender after doubling, known as 'double down rescue.' The player forfeits an amount equal to his original bet.
9. A five-card 21 pays 3 to 2, a six-card 21 pays 2 to 1, a seven or more card 21 pays 3 to 1. Bonus not honored after doubling.
10. A 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays 3 to 2, of the same suit pays 2 to 1, and of spades pays 3 to 1. These bonuses do not pay after doubling.
11. Suited 7-7-7 when the dealer has a seven face up pays $1000 for bets of $5-$24 and $5000 'Super Bonus' for bets of $25 or over. In addition, all other players receive a $50 'envy bonus.' This bonus does not pay after doubling or splitting.

Variable Rules

1. Dealer may hit or stand on a soft 17.
2. 6 or 8 Spanish decks can be used.
3. Some casinos allow redoubling, up to three times.
4. I have heard of some casinos not allowing surrender or drawing to split aces, but it isn't the norm.
5. A face card and ace after splitting has been known to count as a blackjack, at at least one casino.
6. There has been a lot of debate through the years whether the bonuses are payable after a split. First, there is almost no argument that they do not pay after doubling. However, the way the game was designed, all bonuses except the Super Bonus are supposed to be payable after splitting. However, most casinos do not pay the bonuses after a split. The effect of not allowing the bonuses after splitting is very small, around 0.01%.

Strategy

Following is my Spanish 21 basic strategy when the dealer hits a soft 17.

Next is the Spanish 21 basic strategy when the dealer stands on a soft 17.

Note: If drawing to split aces is not allowed, and the dealer stands on soft 17 (as is the case at the Mohegan Sun), then hit A,A vs A.

The next table if for when the dealer hits a soft 17, redoubling is allowed, and the player has not already doubled.

The next table if for when the dealer hits a soft 17, redoubling is allowed, and the player has already doubled, which limits his options to stand, surrender, and double again.

Many readers have expressed doubt about my advice to hit 17 against an ace with 3 or more cards. However, I stand by what I said. The player will save about 2.8% of the initial wager by hitting as opposed to standing. The dealers will advise against this play and the other players may curse the day you were born, but trust me, the odds favor hitting.

Following is the house edge under various common rules, before considering the Super Bonus.

• Dealer stands on soft 17: 0.40%
• Dealer hits on soft 17, redoubling allowed: 0.42%
• Dealer hits on soft 17, redoubling not allowed: 0.76%

Super Bonus

The probability of hitting the Super Bonus is 1 in 668,382, with six decks, and 1 in 549,188 with eight decks. The reduction in the house edge depends on the bet amount, and to a lesser extent, the number of players. With no other players, and bets of exactly $5 or $25, the Super Bonus lowers the house edge by 0.030% in a six-deck game, and 0.036% in an eight-deck game. At a bet of exactly $5, the Envy Bonus lowers the house edge by an additional 0.0015% in a six-deck game, and 0.0018% in an eight-deck game, per additional player.

For bet amounts other than those indicated above, the benefit of the Super Bonus will go down as the bet amount goes up.

No Draw to Split Aces: At the Mohegan Sun drawing to split aces is NOT allowed. The effect of this rule is to increase the house edge by 0.29%.

Ace and 10 after splitting aces pays 3 to 2: I have an unconfirmed report that at at one time the Meskaki casino in central Iowa paid 3 to 2 on an ace and 10 after splitting aces. I have another unconfirmed report that as of Aug. 2010 they removed the Spanish 21 table completely. According to my calculations this lowers the house edge by 0.16%. Otherwise they hit a soft 17 and no redoubling, for an overall house edge of 0.60%.

Doubling only allowed on first two cards: I had a false report that a casino in Malaysia didn't allow doubling on any number of cards. If such a rule did exist, it would increase the house edge by 0.16%.

Match the Dealer

Match the Dealer is a side bet found in both blackjack and Spanish 21. The player wins for each of his initial two cards that match the dealer's up card. Matches in rank only pay less than a match in rank and suit. The following tables show the various pay tables that I am aware of for Spanish 21.

Match the Dealer — Six Decks

Event	Combinations	Probability	Pays	Return
Two suited matches	10	0.000244	18	0.004386
One hard and one each match	90	0.002193	13	0.028508
Two non-suited matches	153	0.003728	8	0.029824
One suited match	1320	0.032163	9	0.289467
One non-suited match	4752	0.115787	4	0.463147
No matches	34716	0.845886	-1	-0.845886
Total	41041	1	0	-0.030555

Match the Dealer — Eight Decks

Event	Combinations	Probability	Pays	Return
Two suited matches	21	0.000287	24	0.00689
One hard and one each match	168	0.002297	15	0.034448
Two non-suited matches	276	0.003773	6	0.022637
One suited match	2464	0.033683	12	0.404194
One non-suited match	8448	0.115484	3	0.346452
No matches	61776	0.844477	-1	-0.844477
Total	73153	1	0	-0.029855

C4

Spanish Poker Dice Rules Games

The Casino Bregenz in Austria offers Spanish 21 but calls it Blackjack Exchange. They tack on a side bet called the C4, which is analyzed below. The table is based on six decks and assumes that if the player qualifies for more than one win, he only gets the higher win. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 14.48%.

C4 — Six Decks

Event	Combinations	Probability	Pays	Return
Four of a kind	500	138,138	0.000337	0.168467
Straight	20	3,649,536	0.008902	0.178032
Flush	12	5,647,896	0.013776	0.165310
Two pair	10	5,941,728	0.014492	0.144925
Three of a kind	8	7,330,752	0.017880	0.143044
All other	-1	387,278,420	0.944613	-0.944613
Total	409,986,470	1.000000	-0.144836

Following is the house edge of the C4 for other numbers of decks.

• Four decks: 18.49%
• Eight decks: 12.41%

Methodology

The Spanish 21 strategy found here is based on a combinatorial program which considered both card composition and the six deck nature of the game. In addition an infinite deck model was created in Excel, of which the basic strategy nearly agreed with that of the combinatorial model. The basic strategy found here does not agree with that of the late Lenny Frome in some borderline situations. Frome's strategy can be found in such books as 'Secrets of the New Casino Games' (Marten Jensen) and 'Armada Strategies for Spanish 21' (Frank Scoblete). Although I have a great deal of respect for Frome and his body of work, I strongly feel that his basic strategy is incorrect. I speculate he did notincorporate the double down surrender feature correctly into his analysis. My strategies also agree with those of Katarina Walker, who has done an amazing job analyzing Spanish 21 and its cousin, Australian Pontoon, as well as an independent analysis by Mike Hopson.

Acknowledgments

How To Play Poker Dice

I would like to give a huge thanks to Katarina Walker for correcting some minor strategy errors in this page. She is the author of The Pro's Guide to Spanish 21 and Australian Pontoon.

Links

German translation of this page.

Spanish Poker Dice Rules Card Game

Spanish Poker Dice Rules How To Play

Written by:Michael Shackleford