Super Fun 21: Is It Fun or Worth Avoiding?

Classic blackjack still reigns supreme among table games. Millions of people play blackjack both online and in land-based casinos every day.

Blackjack also offers plenty of variations that have become popular, too. Super Fun 21 is one variant that has really taken off in the gaming world.

The name says it all in that this is a fun version of blackjack. As you’ll read below, though, this game features a higher house edge than most variations.

Knowing this information, should you still bother with this game? You can find out by reading the following Super Fun 21 guide and advice.

Basic Super Fun 21 Rules

If you’ve played real money blackjack before, then Super 21 shouldn’t feel totally foreign. It features a 52-card deck and has normal scoring rules.

Here are basic rules of Super 21 that correspond with many traditional blackjack games:

• Your goal is to beat the dealer without going over 21.
• You or the dealer will bust when eclipsing 21.
• Numbered cards are worth their value (e.g. 5 = 5).
• Face cards are worth 10.
• Aces can be worth 1 or 11 (depending upon if 11 pushes your hand over 21).
• You can hit or stand at any time.
• You can also split and double down, depending upon the situation.
• Either 1, 2, 4, or 6 decks are used.
• Dealer hits a soft 17.
• Split up to four hands.
• Double down after splitting.
• A natural blackjack only pays 6:5 rather than 3:2.

Unique Super Fun Rules

Here’s where the similarities between regular and Super Fun 21 end. The whole concept behind Super Fun is that it’s totally different from traditional blackjack.

Here are the rules that set Super 21 apart:

1. You automatically win when getting 20 with six cards.
2. You receive a 2:1 payout when getting 21 with five cards (except when doubling down).
3. You can always double down, regardless of how many cards have been dealt.
4. Late surrender is always available.
5. You always win with a blackjack, regardless of if the dealer has a blackjack, too.
6. You receive a 2:1 payout for a blackjack in diamonds.
7. You can “rescue” half of your bet after doubling down.

How to Play Super Fun 21

This game is available in both land-based and online casinos. This guide focuses on the latter when explaining the playing process.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to play online Super Fun 21:

• You select a chip denomination ($1, $5, $25, or $100).
• You place the chip(s) in the betting circle.
• Select the Deal button.
• You’ll receive two cards; the dealer receives one up card and one face-down card.
• You now have the option to hit, stand, double down, split (with pairs), or surrender.
• You continue making decisions until you either stand or bust out.
• In the event that you don’t bust out, your hand will be compared with the dealer’s to see who wins (unless the dealer busts).

The steps above describe the basic process for playing Super Fun. However, other occurrences can happen as well.

Hands end early under the following circumstances:

• You receive a natural blackjack (6:5 payout for a normal blackjack or 2:1 payout for diamonds).
• You get a 21 with five cards.
• You get a 20 with six cards.

The dealer can also win early if they receive a natural and you don’t have one. When the croupier’s up card is an ace, they’ll offer you insurance.

You can either accept or reject the insurance. For strategy purposes, you’re always better off declining this option.

Strategy for Super Fun 21

The Super Fun strategy is much different than what you’ll face with normal blackjack. The ability to double down and surrender at any point creates plenty of strategic deviations.

You may normally master blackjack strategy by using a chart. With Super Fun 21, though, you’ll need several charts.

The reason for multiple charts is that the strategy varies greatly depending upon if you have two, three, four, or five cards.

Here are examples on how optimal decisions change based on how many cards you hold (all examples for single-deck games):

Example #1

• You have 10 with two cards, and the dealer’s up card is 10; you should double.
• You have 10 with three cards, and the dealer’s up card is 10; you should hit.

Example #2

• You have 11 with four cards, and the dealer’s up card is 6; you should double.
• You have 11 with five cards, and the dealer’s up card is 6; you should hit.

Example #3

• You have 13 with four cards, and the dealer’s up card is 4; you should stand.
• You have 13 with five cards, and the dealer’s up card is 4; you should hit.

The five-card and six-card Charlie rules, along with 2:1 blackjack payouts, alter the strategy in various situations. You should be well-versed with these discrepancies if you want the best chance to win.

Many Super Fun Rules Favor You

As covered before, Super Fun 21 has plenty of common blackjack rules. However, it differs by including multiple rules that are either rare or native to this game.

First off, it gives you 2:1 payouts under two circumstances:

• When you reach 21 with five cards and don’t double down
• When you get 21 full of diamonds

Most games only pay 3:2 on natural blackjacks and never offer 2:1 payoffs under any circumstances.

Super Fun also lets you double down at any point during a hand, even when you’ve split or doubled down. Compared this rule to standard blackjack, where you can only double after receiving your first two cards. In some cases, you can only double with certain totals (e.g. 10 and 11).

Late surrender is another rule that’s permanently available in Super Fun. Normally, you can only surrender after receiving your first two cards.

This game delivers automatic wins under five-card and six-card “Charlie” rules. Specifically, you always win with a six-card 20 and a five-card 21.

Finally, you can rescue half of your bet after doubling. Spanish 21 is the only other blackjack variant that lets you rescue hands.

The Super Fun 21 House Edge Isn’t Ideal

With all of the favorable rules covered above, you might think that Super Fun gives you a stronger chance to win compared to regular blackjack. The truth, though, is that it doesn’t.

Here’s a look at the Super Fun house advantage for each amount of decks:

• 1 deck = 1.16% house edge
• 2 decks = 1.30%
• 6 decks = 1.40%

Blackjack games with worse house advantages do exist. However, Super Fun 21 isn’t among the best-paying variations.

Even the single-deck version carries a 1.16% house edge. The reason why is the 6:5 payout on natural blackjacks. This single rule increases the casino’s advantage by 1.39%.

Of course, you do enjoy 2:1 payouts on five-card Charlie and diamond blackjacks. However, these payoffs happen so infrequently that they only put a small dent in the 1.39% increase.

Some blackjack variations offer a 0.5% house edge or smaller. Therefore, you should start with these games if your main objective is winning.

Is This Game Still Worth Playing?

You can see that Super Fun 21 doesn’t provide the greatest chance to win. Nevertheless, it’s still worth playing if you’re a blackjack aficionado who’s looking for something new.

Here are some of Super Fun’s biggest benefits:

• 2:1 payouts for certain blackjacks.
• Doubling down and surrendering are available at any point.
• Rescuing half of your bet after doubling.
• Automatic wins for certain hands.

The downside is that you’ll only receive 6:5 for natural blackjacks. Even still, the beneficial rules ensure that you’ll still face a reasonable 1.16% to 1.40% house edge.

The house advantage may not be the greatest in the blackjack world. But it’s definitely not the worst either.

If you’re interested in playing this game, you can find it at plenty of casinos throughout Las Vegas. You’ll find it in certain other gambling destinations too.

Online Super Fun 21 is also available through certain software providers. Microgaming and Real Time Gaming (RTG) are two software developers that offer this game.

With that said, I recommend giving Super Fun a try at least once. You can always play for low stakes (e.g. $1 or $2 per hand) or free if you’re not comfortable with the strategy.

Conclusion

Super Fun 21 lives up to its name by breaking from traditional blackjack through a number of key rules. The most exciting aspects include the 2:1 payouts and automatic wins in certain instances.

These rules are such a departure from regular blackjack that you may require an adjustment period. In the end, though, you might find the adjustment worthwhile.

After all, Super Fun is one of the most exciting blackjack variations available. Provided you can get past the slightly high house edge (for a blackjack game anyways), then you should appreciate this game.