As always, thanks to everyone who pitches in and helps when issues are uncovered. With 67 games across multiple devices and platforms (66 on IOS), the code base for Riverboat Gambler has grown tremendously.

As my first app, this was originally/simply meant to be a fun diversion. Now, though, it has grown into a popular application with a loyal Player community and it requires a lot of care and feeding to maintain.

I really couldn't do this without your help!

~ Danny

This is my favorite type of a release because it is solely focused on addressing the requests of several people and they have helped me to craft the solution. I just hope I did it correctly.

This release is about "Spanish 21". For those who don't know, Spanish 21 is a Blackjack variant. As a variant, it introduces some twists to that game. The biggest twists being that all of the 10s have been removed from the deck but the Player can Surrender and Double Down at anytime.

In absolute transparency, I rarely play Blackjack. Those who have been following me for any amount of time know that I'm a Mississippi Stud guy. In fact, MS Stud was the catalyst for RBG. When I initially added Spanish 21 to the lineup, I played several hands at my local casino (as I always do) so that I could understand the game and its intricacies. As it turns out, the version that is played at my local casino is pretty weak compared to other casinos and really wasn’t meeting the expectations of Players who enjoy that game.

That created a dilemma for me. My options were:

1. Keep the original version and it would match what we have in South Florida and I could fall back to the fact that “not all casinos are created equally”.
2. Make the changes that many Player requested and the game would not match South Florida casinos and I would not be able to test in “Live Play”.
3. Introduce a second version to RBG. Have “Florida Spanish 21” and “Other Places Spanish 21”.

For several reasons, I decided to go with option 2 and match the options that seem to be the most prevalent. I decided to do this because, from my perspective, the enhanced features are truly left to the Player's discretion. This means that if one is practicing for a casino near me,

(s)he just needs to not take advantage of these "enhanced" features because they won’t be allowed at the casino.

Also, adding these additional Player discretionary options really makes the game of Spanish 21 different enough from classic Blackjack to justify having it on the menu.

The new features are related to "Doubling Down".

In classic Blackjack, after the first two cards are dealt, the Player has the option to double his initial wager and receive one additional card before being forced to "Stand" on his hand. In Spanish 21, the Player may Double Down at any point in the hand - meaning you may "Hit" and then "Double Down".

What was missing in my original release was the concept of "Double-Double Down. This feature means that the Player may Double Down and then Double Down again - up to 3x in a single hand! Additionally, after each Double Down, the Player has the option for a "Double Down Rescue" which is really just a “Surrender”. If the rescue lever is pulled, the amount of the preceding Double Down wager is refunded, the Player loses, and the remaining wagers are forfeit.

Assuming I have coded things correctly and the game is accurate as it applies to supporting multiple Double Down options, I can see why folks would enjoy this game.

There were some additional, minor bugs on the Blackjack games that I addressed in this release as well. There were certain situations that could arise that would leave the “Deal” or “Hit” buttons available after a Surrender or Double Down action.

I want to specifically credit & thank "TheNoviceDealer" and "Dally1188" who both left great reviews in the App Store and called out the deficiencies in my original version of Spanish 21. Your input led to these changes and your support is greatly appreciated! I hope you will evaluate the changes and let me know what you think. Also, I want to remind you (and everyone) that the best way to reach me is to use "Send Feedback" from any game's menu because those texts will allow us to engage in a meaningful dialogue.

To everyone: thank you for your support, the ideas, and the random words of encouragement.

~Danny