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Super Fun 21 Is an Exciting Blackjack Variant

Super Fun 21 Is an Exciting Blackjack Variant

Super Fun 21 is a variation of blackjack played in live and online casinos around the world. The game provides a variety of advantages for player, while offsetting these perks with one big disadvantage. Super Fun 21 was created in 1999 by Las Vegas gaming consultant Howard F. Grossman, and has gained in popularity in the 15 years since. Tech Art Management Incorporated holds the patent on SuperFun 21.

Diamond Blackjack

If you’re dealt a two-card 21 or blackjack in this game and both the cards are diamonds, the payout is a real nice 2:1. So if you receive a 10 of diamonds and an ace of diamonds on the deal, you’ll receive a payout of 2 to 1. All other natural blackjacks pay at the rate of 1:1, which I’ll discuss in greater detail later. Rules determining how blackjacks pay are pivotal to Super Fun 21’s game mechanics and payout structure.

Player Blackjack

Also, if you receive a blackjack on the deal and the dealer also holds a blackjack, you win. Your blackjack supersedes the hand the house holds, which one again gives a thrill. In the standard game, the two hands would create a push, which can be a real buzzkill when you’ve just hit a two-card 21.

Six Card Hand

If you receive six cards in your hand which equal 20, you win automatically, as if you have a natural blackjack. While the 6-card hand which doesn’t bust (or equal 21) is rare, this represents an exciting moment in any game of Super Fun 21, so its inclusion is integral to the game. It should be noted that you’ll win holding a 20 even if the dealer holds a 21.

Five Card 21-Hand

When you receive a 5-card hand or more worth 21, this is an automatic win, as well. Note that the hand has to equal twenty-one exactly. Also note that the stipulation is “or more”, so if you receive a 6-card hand worth 21, it wins, just as it would if you were holding a 6-card hand worth twenty.

Splitting Hands

Players are allowed to split hands up to four times. Most casinos limit splitting to once or twice, allowing the creation of only 3 or 4 hands. Super Fun Twenty-One allows up to 5 hands, which gives the chance to seize a major advantage in the right situation. Once again, this is a rare occurrence in blackjack, when you would continue to receive the same card four times in a row, but it offers another exciting chance to win five times what you normally would on a hand.

Doubling Down

Super Fun Blackjack Includes this Hand

Super Fun Blackjack Includes this Hand

Finally, a gambler is given the ability to double-down on your original bet at any time during a hand, no matter how many cards you hold. For instance, if you’ve received 5 cards which equal 11, you can choose to double-down after receiving your fifth card. This gives you a chance to increase your bets when the odds are decidedly in your favor. Of course, the casino knows that most of the time you’ll be holding five cards, your total is going to be 12 or more, putting you in danger of busting after making that doubled bet. Be sure to read a basic strategy chart specific to Super Fun 21 before playing, because the strategies in this game deviate a great deal than they do in classic blackjack.

Even-Money Blackjack Payout

The one major disadvantage to playing Super-Fun 21 is the blackjack only pays 1:1, as opposed to the more traditional 3:2. Those who read this site already know that’s the worst rule you can have going against you at the blackjack table. The many advantages you receive mitigate the effect somewhat, though this game’s house edge is still a little higher than what you would face in classic blackjack.

That’s usually the price of playing a new and entertaining form of twenty-one. Given the unusually high expected return most forms of twenty-one offer relative to other forms of gambling in the casino, Super Fun 21 is still one of the best bets you can make on you casino visits.

Deck Structure

Play at different casinos enough and you’ll find single-deck, double-deck, and 6-deck versions of Super Fun 21. The house edge on these games varies, so it pays to find the single-deck or 2-deck versions of the game. In a single-deck version of the game, the house edge sits at 1.16%. In the 2-deck version, the house edge increases to 1.30%. In the 6-deck variant, the house edge sits at 1.40%. While this represents only a $0.24 swing over the course of $100 of betting, gamblers who are conscious of every penny will need to note these differences. In all three of these scenarios, the odds stipulate a game in which the dealer hits on a soft 17.

As you can tell, the house edge on Super Fun 21 is significantly higher than it is for classic blackjack. Players can find classic blackjack online which has a house edge as low as 0.13%, so we’re talking about a decrease in expected return by over 1%. If you play the 6-deck version of the game where the dealer hits on a soft seventeen, you can expect to lose $1.40 for every $100 you wager. Those are still good odds, relative to most other games you’ll play. A house edge is 1.4% is comparable to craps and baccarat, though Super Fun 21 does require a knowledge of basic strategy. I suggest printing off a basic strategy chart for the game you intend on playing, because it’s legal to carry such crib notes into the casino.

Online Variations

Due to player demand, all of the major online casino software development companies have their own version of this game. Most online casinos you visit will have Superfun 21 for your entertainment.

US players can play at the several dozen RealTime Gaming casinos on the Internet. RTG powers Bovada (Bodog) Casino, so it’s a respected Internet gaming software company. The rules might be slightly different than the Microgaming version or the game you might have played on your last visit to Las Vegas, but they are recognizable.