Spanish Blackjack Details Page

Software (9)

Microgaming understands that there are going to be players who want to experiment with a variation of a casino game but may not be all that familiar with it. That's why they make the experience as user-friendly as possible. You have all the controls at your disposal, including the sounds and speeds, not to mention an easy way to place your bets, and a dealer that can be audible, telling what you have, and an interface that presents all the options before you. All you have to do is mouse over the sign next to the discard rack and you see all the rules at a glance.

Easy to Understand (7)

You have to work a little to understand this game, because there are very distinct differences between this game and other, more standard forms of blackjack you may undertake to play. One of those differences is that the 10's are removed from all eight decks. There are also a lot of rules differences, some of which are good for you and some of which aren't, and those may take a while to digest. Microgaming, to its credit, goes through the trouble of compiling very comprehensive help files that allow to understand everything very clearly once you take the time to do so.

Graphics & Sounds (9)

You can see the detail in the design of the graphics; the blackjack table looks very much like one you would see in a brick and mortar establishment. There is nothing mysterious about finding the commands to hit, stand, double, split, rebet, etc. A quick look at the game rules is available at all times in the upper left-hand corner of the interface, right next to the discard rack. The value of the chips is very clear and makes it easy to place bets in the center square. The cards come out with sound effects, in an animation that greatly simulates the experience of a physical casino. The sounds also give you an opportunity to create a casino ambiance, but if you want to play in silence, you can very easily turn the whole thing off, or at least parts of it.

Game Speed (9)

Microgaming leaves you the option of choosing whatever game speed you want to play, whether it be Slow, Medium, Fast or Fastest. This reflects on the pace of the game, how fast the cards are dealt out, etc. Our guess is that you will want to go "Slow" as you are just gaining some familiarity with the game, and then progress to the "Fastest" pace when you really get the hang of it, but you can choose to position the speed in between that as well.

Game Features (10)

There a lot of features you can make use of in Spanish Blackjack. We have referred to the speed and sound controls in this section, but there is also "Auto-Rebet," which allows you to make the same wager over and over again, which is a time saver. If you are just kind of navigating your way around the subtle differences between this version of the game and others, you may want to put your game on AutoPlay and avail yourself of the strategy charts included with the game, which can plug you into the most mathematically-sound play in every situation. If you just want to refer to the strategy chart while you play manually, you can do that too. And you can keep some very comprehensive stats on what you have been doing.

Fun Factor (9)

If you elect to play this game, you're going to be in for an interesting experience because you are going to have the chance to use more options and achieve more bonus payouts than you are going to encounter in almost any other kind of blackjack. This is a unique experience and something that, if you are used to playing standard blackjack or other casino games, provides a refreshing change of pace.