An ace and two tens counts as Caribbean 21 and is the highest possible combination. This means that you win from any others who have also reached 21, although with different card combinations.
Deviating rules at Caribbean 21
There are a number of important deviations that make this game different and in some ways more challenging than the classic variant. For example, an ace in this game is always worth only one point. Also, you cannot choose a value of eleven, as in the normal variant of the game. Caribbean 21, as explained, is a hand with one ace and two tens, and is considered the highest possible hand.
Caribbean 21
In contrast to the classic variant, you can choose to surrender at any time. In doing so, you lose only half of your bet. The dealer has only an open card, and no hole card, as in other variants. A hole card is a second closed card for the dealer, in addition to the first open card.
In the event of a tie, the dealer always wins. If the dealer’s first card is an ace, each player can insure against a possible Caribbean 21. Insurance can be taken up to half the original bet value. If you have a winning hand the bet is then doubled nine times. On Caribbean 21, the bet value is doubled by one and a half; on any other win, the bet value is doubled once.
Splitting
Although the rules of splitting and doubling are slightly different in Caribbean 21, this can also be done in regular Blackjack. If the first two cards dealt in your hand have the same value, such as two nines or two females, you can split these two cards. A second identical bet is then placed on the other card, allowing you to play these two cards as two separate games. However, you cannot receive a blackjack after a split. When you reach 21 it just stays 21, and it doesn’t become blackjack.
On both cards you receive two new cards. If you split two aces you only get one additional card on both games. Should you receive another ace, you can split it again. If you do not, you may not receive any more cards. With Caribbean 21 this rule does not apply, because the ace is only seen as a one, and not as an eleven. Therefore, you can split the ace in this variant without any problems.
Doubles
Doubling is also a normal rule in Blackjack that is played differently in Caribbean 21. If your point total after the first two cards dealt equals nine, ten, or eleven, you can double your bet, but after that you get only one more card. Whereas in regular Blackjack you are not allowed to double again after the first time, in Caribbean 21 you can double and double without limit.
Also, in normal Blackjack, the rule is that the ace in a double always counts as a one, and cannot count as an eleven. This is because the point total of the two cards must always equal nine, ten, or eleven. This is dropped in Caribbean 21 because the ace is always worth one point anyway, and never eleven. Even if you have split your cards you can still double and double after that, if the two cards of either of your games reach the correct point number.
Controversy
Caribbean 21 is played by many online casinos. However, at RealTime Gaming, a successful software company that has been providing access to many different online gambling games since 1998, this variant of Blackjack is no longer accessible. This was due to a huge controversy in 2004, when a player won $1.3 million dollars with the game. The casino where he won the game refused to pay out the money. This was because the player was allegedly using a banned software program that allowed him to cheat.
This person played under the pseudonym “Pirateotc21,” making a reference to both the game and the incredibly popular movies, “Pirates of the Caribbean. He probably hoped to become a real Pirate of the Caribbean 21.