(a) Spanish 21 shall be played with six or eight decks of cards, with backs of the same color and design and two additional cover cards. Each deck shall consist of 48 cards, with the 10 card of each suit removed from each deck during the inspection. The cover cards shall be opaque and a solid color readily distinguishable from the color of the backs and edges of the playing cards. Upon written approval by the commission, the gaming facility may use a different number of decks when a continuous shuffling device is in use.

1. (1) Prior to the first card being dealt for each round of play, each player at the game of Spanish 21 shall make a wager against the dealer, which shall win if:

   1. (i) the total of the player is 21 or less and the total of the dealer is in excess of 21;
   2. (ii) the total card value of the player exceeds that of the dealer without either exceeding 21;
   3. (iii) the player has achieved a total card value of 21 in two cards and the dealer has achieved a total card value of 21 in two or more cards; or
   4. (iv) the player has achieved a total card value of 21 in more than two cards and the dealer has achieved a total card value of 21 in more than two cards.
2. (2) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraphs (1)(iii) and (iv) of this subdivision, a wager that is made in accordance with this subdivision shall be void if the total card value of the player is the same as the dealer. However, a wager shall lose if the player has a total card value of 21 in more than 2 cards and the dealer has a blackjack.
3. (3) All wagers at Spanish 21 shall be made by placing chips or plaques and, if applicable, a table game promotional coupon on the appropriate betting areas of the table layout.
4. (4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no wager shall be made, increased or withdrawn after the first card of the respective round has been dealt.
5. (5) After each round of play is complete, the dealer shall collect all losing wagers and pay all winning wagers. Except as provided in paragraphs (6) and (7) of this subdivision, winning wagers made in accordance with subparagraph (1)(iii) of this subdivision shall be paid at no less than odds of 3:2, and all winning wagers made in accordance with subparagraph (1)(i), (ii) or (iv) of this subdivision shall be paid at no less than odds of 1:1.

6. (6) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (5) of this subdivision, the gaming facility shall pay the following payout odds for winning wagers made in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subdivision unless the player has doubled down, in which case all of the following wagers shall be paid only at odds of 1:1:

   1. (i) 3 cards consisting of the 6, 7 and 8 of mixed suits shall be paid at no less than odds of 3:2;
   2. (ii) 3 cards consisting of the 6, 7 and 8 of the same suit shall be paid at no less than odds of 2:1, except that 3 cards consisting of the 6, 7 and 8 of spades shall be paid at no less than odds of 3:1;
   3. (iii) 3 cards consisting of 3 7s of mixed suits shall be paid at no less than odds of 3:2;
   4. (iv) 3 cards consisting of three 7s of the same suit shall be paid at no less than odds of 2:1, except that 3 cards consisting of 3 7s of spades shall be paid at no less than odds of 3:1;
   5. (v) 5 cards totaling 21 shall be paid at no less than odds of 3:2;
   6. (vi) 6 cards totaling 21 shall be paid at no less than odds of 2:1; and
   7. (vii) 7 or more cards totaling 21 shall be paid at no less than odds of 3:1.
7. (7) In addition to the payouts required by subparagraph (6)(iv) of this subdivision, a winning hand that consists of three 7s of the same suit when the dealer’s exposed card is also a 7 of any suit shall be paid an additional fixed payout of $1,000 if the player’s original wager was $5 or more but less than $25, or $5,000 if the player’s original wager was $25 or more. All other players at the table who placed a wager during that round of play also shall be paid an additional fixed payout of $50. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the additional fixed payouts required by this paragraph shall not be applicable if the winning hand had been doubled down or had been split pursuant to section 5324.10(c)-(d) of this Part.
8. (8) Except as expressly permitted by this subdivision, once the first card of any hand has been removed from the shoe by the dealer, no player shall handle, remove or alter any wagers that have been made until a decision has been rendered and implemented with respect to that wager.
9. (9) Once an insurance wager, a wager to double down or a wager to split pairs has been made and confirmed by the dealer, no player shall handle, remove or alter such wagers until a decision has been rendered and implemented with respect to that wager, except as expressly permitted by this section.

10. (10) After the cards have been shuffled pursuant to section 5324.2 of this Part, the gaming facility may prohibit any person, whether seated at the gaming table or not, who does not make a wager on a given round of play from placing a wager on the next round of play and any subsequent round of play at that gaming table until a re-shuffle of the cards has occurred.

    (c) Procedure for dealing the cards.

11. (1) All cards used in Spanish 21 shall be dealt from a dealing shoe specifically designed for such purpose and located on the table to the left of the dealer.
12. (2) The dealer shall remove cards from the shoe with the dealer’s left hand, turn the cards face up, and then place the cards on the appropriate area of the layout with the dealer’s right hand, except that the dealer has the option to deal cards to the first two betting positions with the dealer’s left hand.
13. (3) After each full set of cards is placed in the shoe, the dealer shall remove the first card from the shoe face down and place such card in the discard rack. Each new dealer who comes to the table shall also burn one card as set forth in this paragraph before the new dealer deals any cards to the players. The burn card shall be disclosed if requested by a player.

14. (4) At the commencement of each round of play, the dealer shall, starting on the dealer’s left and continuing around the table, deal the cards in the following order:

    1. (i) one card face up to each box on the layout in which a wager is contained;
    2. (ii) one card face up to the dealer;
    3. (iii) a second card face up to each box on the layout in which a wager is contained; and

    4. (iv) one card face down to the dealer, which shall be known as the hole card.

       The gaming facility may, in its discretion, choose to deliver all determinate cards to the player before the dealer receives the dealer’s second card.

15. (5) After two cards have been dealt to each player, the dealer shall, beginning from the dealer’s left, announce the point total of each player. As each player’s point total is announced, such player shall indicate whether the player wishes to surrender, double down, split pairs, stand or draw, as provided for by this Part.
16. (6) As each player indicates a decision, the dealer shall deal face up whatever additional cards are necessary to effectuate such decision consistent with this section and shall announce the new point total of such player after each additional card is dealt.

17. (7) After decisions of each player have been implemented and all additional cards have been dealt, the dealer shall expose the dealer’s hole card. Any additional cards required to be dealt to the hand of the dealer shall be dealt face up. After the dealer’s hand has been completed, the dealer shall announce the point count. If the gaming facility chooses to deliver all determinate cards to the player before the dealer receives the dealer’s second card, the dealer shall remove the next card from the dealing shoe and place such card face up on the layout next to the dealer’s hole card.

    (d) Spanish 21 match the dealer wager.

    A gaming facility may provide a match the dealer wager as an additional wager.

18. (1) A player’s match the dealer wager shall not affect the player’s wager on the underlying hand. A dealer’s blackjack shall have no effect on a player’s match the dealer wager. The match the dealer wager shall be available only on tables using a six- or eight-deck multi-shuffle device.
19. (2) Prior to the first card being dealt for each round of play, each player who has placed a Spanish 21 wager may make a match the dealer wager by placing chips or plaques on the designated area of the Spanish 21 layout. The minimum and maximum wagers permitted by the gaming facility shall be inscribed on the table layout or posted on a sign at each table offering the match the dealer wager.
20. (3) The dealer shall then announce, “no more bets” and deal the initial two cards to all players and the dealer. Prior to any additional cards being dealt to any player at the table and before any card reader device is used, the dealer shall, starting with the player farthest to the dealer’s right and continuing counter-clockwise around the table, settle in succession all match the dealer wagers by collecting all losing wagers and paying all winning wagers.
21. (4) A match the dealer wager shall be paid when either of the player’s initial two cards match the dealer’s initial card. Any card with a point value of 10 (jack, queen, king) shall be deemed a match only if the cards are of identical description (e.g., jack-jack, queen-queen, or king-king, but not jack-queen, etc.). If both of the initial cards dealt to a player match the dealer’s initial card, the player shall be paid for each card.

22. (5) A gaming facility shall post its match the dealer wager pay table at each Spanish 21 table offering the match the dealer wager. A gaming facility may change pay tables at such facility’s discretion at any time after the conclusion of a round of play, upon prior notice to the commission. A gaming facility may choose from one of the following pay tables for the match the dealer wager:

    Hand:	Pay table A (six decks)	Pay table B (eight decks)
    Each matching card of a different suit	4:1	3:1
    Each matching card of the same suit	9:1	12:1

(b) Wagers.