What is 21 Stud?

Something that makes blackjack so popular is the fact that it’s about more than just luck. There are strategies to learn and, by mastering skills, you can increase your chances of winning. While that’s something that many players enjoy, other casino players are looking for something different. They enjoy games that are all about luck. They enjoy the thrill of not quite knowing what’s going to happen next and leaving it all in the hands of fate. Stud 21 is a game that combines the best of both worlds.

It’s a casino game that resembles blackjack but it requires no skill or strategy. The way that some people describe Stud 21 is that it has slot machine-type action that all takes place in a live table environment. 

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21 Stud – A brief overview of this blackjack variant

Stud 21 starts with a player being dealt two cards. If the player’s two cards are greater than the dealer’s then the player wins the base bet. The main part of the game is extremely simple, which adds to the fun, but there are also a host of side bets that bring an added dimension to the game. One of these side bets payout as much as 40:1.

If you’re familiar with the concept of a natural blackjack, Stud 21 comes with a slight twist as there are two ways that you can get this. First, there is the traditional way which sees a player being dealt a card with a value of 10 along with an ace. The second way is achieved by being dealt two aces.

As a relatively new game, you can find it in limited casinos around the US right now. If the game takes off, as we think that it will, you can be sure that it’ll soon spread and be found in more and more places.

A look at playing 21 Stud

As a blackjack variant, Stud 21 uses just two cards from a six or eight-deck shoe. While this is far from a traditional version of blackjack, the cards are still scored in a similar way. The big difference here is when it comes to the value of aces. In 21 Stud, an ace is always 11 and can’t be used as one.

As we have seen a little earlier when playing Stud 21 two aces lead to a blackjack. The payout for a blackjack will depend on the casino that you’re playing at. The best casinos will pay 3:2 for a blackjack while others are likely to pay 6:5. The base game is just about being dealt a higher hand than the dealers. When this happens, and the player doesn’t have a blackjack, the payout is even money.

As well as the base game, there are three side bets to consider:

• Mirror Match
• Match 1 
• Match 2

When it comes to the Mirror Match, players are paid the following when they’re dealt a pair of cards:

• Suited Aces – 40:1
• Other suited pair – 25:1
• Coloured pairs – 12:!
• Mixed pairs 5-1

The match 1 and 2 side bets will pay when a player’s cards match the dealer’s first or second card. In terms of the payouts, this is what they look like:

• Two suited matches – 22:1
• One suited match and one unsuited match 15:1
• One-suited match – 11:1
• Two unsuited matches – 8:1
• One unsuited match – 4:1

With regular blackjack, once the cards have been dealt, the players have decisions to make. Those decisions are able to influence the outcome of the game. With 21 Stud, this isn’t the case. This is just about watching the cards. The only way that decisions come into play is when decking how many side bets are wanted. 

The house edge 

One of the big attractions of blackjack is the low house edge. What makes it even more attractive is the fact that there are steps that players can take to bring that edge down even further. When it comes to 21 Stud the house edge isn’t as good as it is in blackjack. That being said, it’s not as bad as you’ll find with other casino games.  A huge difference between this game and traditional blackjack is that with 21 Stud, there is nothing that you can do to impact the house edge. That’s because there are no decisions to make.

Those behind 21 Stud have published what the house edge is. With the base game, this comes in at 3.88%. The two Match side bets come in a little lower at 2.1%. Mirror Match has the highest house edge, sitting at a massive 6%. Given that it has the highest payout, this is perhaps to be expected. 

There are other factors that may come into play and affect the house edge. Whether six or eight decks are being used will have an impact as well as the payout for a natural blackjack. The differences may only be slight but they are worth checking out before you start to play.

The makers of 21 Stud believe that only playing with two cards brings advantages. It reduces shuffle and deal time and is able to keep the game moving at a faster pace. It’s worth noting that, although the house edge isn’t horrendously high, the more games that you play then the more you’re likely to lose when compared to regular blackjack. These losses can rack up quickly if you don’t monitor them and keep them in check. 

Final thoughts 

Looking at 21 Stud is well worthwhile if you’re looking for something a little different. To be honest, if you’re an experienced, and skilled, blackjack player, then this might not be the game for you as it’s likely that you’ll become frustrated by the lack of control. However, recreational players are likely to see this game as a bit of fun. With no need for blackjack strategy or skill, the game gives a chance to sit back and enjoy.

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