§ 635a.7. Procedure for dealing the cards; completion of each round of play.
(a) All cards used to play Spanish 21 shall be dealt from a dealing shoe located on the table in a location approved by the Bureau of Casino Compliance in accordance with § 601a.10(g) (relating to approval of table game layouts, signage and equipment). Once the procedures under § 635a.5 (relating to shuffle and cut of the cards) have been completed, the stacked cards shall be placed in the dealing shoe by the dealer or by an automated card shuffling device.
(b) Each card shall be removed from the dealing shoe with the hand of the dealer that is closest to the dealing shoe and placed on the appropriate area of the layout with the opposite hand. The dealer may deal cards to the first two betting positions closest to the dealing shoe with the same hand.
(c) After each full batch of cards is placed in the shoe, the dealer shall remove the first card and place it in the discard rack. Each new dealer who comes to the table shall also remove one card and place it in the discard rack before dealing any cards to the players.
(d) If the cover card appears as the first card in the dealing shoe at the beginning of a round of play or appears during play, the cover card shall be removed and placed to the side and the hand shall be completed. The dealer shall then collect and reshuffle the cards in accordance with § 635a.5.
(e) At the commencement of each round of play, the dealer shall, starting with the player farthest to the dealer’s left and continuing around the table in a clockwise manner, deal the cards as follows:
(1) One card face up to each box on the layout in which a Spanish 21 Wager is contained.
(2) One card face up to the dealer.
(3) A second card face up to each box in which a wager is contained.
(4) A second card face down to the dealer.
(f) Immediately after the second card is dealt to each player and the dealer, but prior to any additional cards being dealt or before a card reader device is utilized, the dealer shall, starting with the player farthest to the dealer’s right and continuing around the table in a counterclockwise direction, settle all Match-the-Dealer Wagers by collecting all losing wagers and paying all winning wagers as follows:
(1) If either of the player’s initial two cards match the rank of the dealer’s up card, the dealer shall pay the winning Match-the-Dealer Wager in accordance with § 635a.12(e) (relating to payout odds). Any card with a point value of 10 (a jack, queen or king) must only match an identical card without regard to value.
(2) If both of the player’s initial two cards match the rank of the dealer’s up card, the player shall be paid for each matching card.
(g) After settling the player’s optional wagers in accordance with subsection (f), if the dealer’s first card is an ace, king, queen or a jack, the dealer shall, after offering the Insurance Wager in accordance with § 635a.8 (relating to Insurance Wager), determine whether the hole card will give the dealer a Blackjack. The dealer shall insert the hole card into the card reader device by moving the card face down on the layout without exposing it to anyone at the table, including the dealer. If the dealer has a Blackjack, no additional cards shall be dealt and each player’s Spanish 21 and Insurance Wagers, if applicable, shall be settled.
(h) After the procedures in subsection (g) have been completed, if necessary, the dealer shall start with the player farthest to the dealer’s left and continue around the table in a clockwise direction and if the player:
(1) Has Blackjack and the dealer’s up card is:
(i) A 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, the dealer shall announce and pay the Blackjack and remove the player’s cards.
(ii) An ace, king, queen or jack but the dealer’s hole card will not give the dealer a Blackjack, the dealer shall announce the player’s Blackjack but make no payment nor remove any cards until all other cards are dealt to the players and the dealer reveals the hole card.
(2) Does not have Blackjack, the player shall indicate whether he wishes to surrender, as permitted under § 635a.9 (relating to surrender), double down as permitted under § 635a.10 (relating to Double Down Wager; rescue), split pairs as permitted under § 635a.11 (relating to splitting pairs), stand or draw additional cards.
(i) As each player indicates his decision, the dealer shall deal face upwards whatever additional cards are necessary to effectuate the player’s decision.
(j) A player may elect to draw additional cards whenever his point count total is less than 21, except that the player:
(1) Having Blackjack or a hard or soft total of 21 may not draw additional cards.
(2) Electing to make a Double Down Wager may draw only one additional card.
(k) After the decisions of each player have been implemented and all additional cards have been dealt, the dealer shall turn the hold card face up. Any additional cards required to be dealt to the hand of the dealer, in accordance with subsection (l), shall be dealt face up. The dealer shall announce the dealer’s total point count after each additional card is dealt.
(l) Except as provided in subsection (m), the dealer shall draw additional cards until he has a hard or soft total of 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21.
(m) A dealer may not draw additional cards to his hand, regardless of the point count, if decisions have been made on all players’ hands and the point count of the dealer’s hand will not have an effect on the outcome of the round of play.
(n) A player shall win the Blackjack Wager and be paid in accordance with the payout odds in § 635a.12(a)—(c) if:
(1) The total point count of the player’s hand is 21 or less and the total point count of the dealer’s hand is in excess of 21.
(2) The total point count of the player’s hand exceeds the total point count of the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21.
(3) The player has a Blackjack and the dealer’s hand has a total point count of 21 in two or more cards.
(4) The total point count of the player’s hand and the dealer’s hand is 21 in more than two cards.
(o) Except as provided in subsection (n)(3) and (4), a Spanish 21 Wager shall tie and be returned to the player if the total point count of the player’s hand is the same as the dealer’s. A player’s Spanish 21 Wager shall be lost if the dealer has a Blackjack and the player’s hand has a total point count of 21 in more than two cards.
(p) The dealer shall collect all losing wagers and pay off all winning wagers in accordance with one of the following procedures designated in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions):
(1) Collect all losing wagers and then pay off all winning wagers.
(2) Pay off all winning wagers and collect all losing wagers beginning with the player farthest to the dealer’s right and continuing around the table in a counterclockwise direction. The dealer shall place any losing wagers directly into the table inventory and may not pay off any winning wagers by using value chips collected from a losing wager.
(q) After all wagers have been settled, the dealer shall remove all remaining cards from the table and place them in the discard rack in a manner that permits the reconstruction of each hand in the event of a question or dispute.
(r) Players and spectators may not handle, remove or alter any cards used to play Spanish 21.
Cross References This section cited in 58 Pa. Code § 635a.5 (relating to shuffle and cut of the cards); 58 Pa. Code § 635b.1 (relating to Match the Dealer Progressive Spanish 21 wager); and 58 Pa. Code § 635b.2 (relating to Player’s Edge 21).
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