21 Blitz Game Review - We Played for Fun and Won
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If you like the sound of winning real cash while playing mobile games on your Android or iOS device, you may have heard of many smartphone apps powered by the esports platform Skillz. From casino games to card games like Solitaire Cube, Skillz lets you win money by playing mobile apps that are fun enough to play in their own right.
You can play practice games as you learn how to play, play for free if you enjoy the fast-paced gameplay, and, once you’re ready, compete against others for cash prizes in tournaments. Want to know whether or not 21 Blitz is a good fit for you? Read up on the game in this review and learn more about the ins and outs of the fast-paced blend of Solitaire and Blackjack.
Related: Play Solitaire For Real Money
In this article
What is 21 Blitz?
21 Blitz is a mobile game developed by Tether Studios, with prizes and tournaments powered by Skillz. Skillz is a popular esports platform that provides money and virtual currency for various mobile apps and allows for a seamless experience between multiple Skillz games. Other popular games by Tether Studios include TriPeaks, Solitaire Cube, and Sweeper Cube.
21 Blitz takes some of the elements of Blackjack and Solitaire to create a unique gaming experience that’s way more fun than playing against a traditional dealer. Perhaps best of all, the game can be played in three-minute rounds, making it perfect for quick gaming sessions.
Playing the game
21 Blitz is similar to Blackjack in that you’re trying to make stacks of cards that total 21 to score points. When it comes to stacking cards to make 21s, face cards are worth 10 points; Aces are worth either 1 point or 11 points, and other cards (3, 4, 5, etc.) are worth their face value.
Note that stacks of five cards also earn you a bonus, even if they don’t add up to 21. You can even earn combos if you score multiple ways at once. For example, if you have a 5-card pile totaling 21, you’ll score a combo for that stack.
Related: Games That Pay Real Money
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- It's legit: #3 Cards game on Apple Store, average 4.6/5 Stars for 130k ratings
- Get up to $83 per win in minutes
- Deposit cash to multiply your winnings in skill-based cash tournaments
- Cash out with PayPal or Apple Pay
- Cash tournaments not available in: AZ, AR, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, SC, MT & SD.
How does 21 Blitz work?
Getting started playing 21 Blitz is pretty straightforward. Depending on your device, you’ll want to download the game app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Make sure that you download the app made by Tether Studios, LLC.
After downloading the game, simply open it. You’ll be prompted to create a username and choose an avatar. If you already have an account to play other Skillz games, you can log in here.
Note that you can always change your name and avatar later if you’d like. Once you get your account set up, you’ll have the chance to learn how to play by reading a tutorial and then playing a head-to-head practice game. This lets you get a feel for the game before you compete with other players for real money.
After you’ve set up your account, you can deposit funds to get the ball rolling in cash tournaments. Adding money to your account using PayPal or a credit card is easy.
You'll be walked through a tutorial when you enter your first game. The basic rules are simple: Make stacks that add up to 21 points.
If you go over 21 points, you bust and get a strike. Like in baseball, three strikes and you're out: Game over. You'll receive a bonus for streaks of hitting 21, the biggest if you can score a six-stack streak.
Each game has a three-minute limit, and if you finish early, you'll earn a time bonus: 10 points for every second left on the clock when you finish.
How much does 21 Blitz cost?
How much 21 Blitz costs depends on your willingness to spend and the kinds of tournaments and head-to-head matches you’re interested in competing in. The virtual economy behind 21 Blitz is a bit different, and you can learn more about it below.
Event entry fees
Entry fees will differ based on whether you’re entering a tournament (which tends to cost more but has a higher payout) or just playing a simple head-to-head match. For example, if you’re entering a practice event, entry fees are only 1 Coinz, and you can win 2 Coinz and 1 Ticketz if you come out on top. Head-to-head tournaments may cost as little as $0.60 with a total prize of $1 plus 50 Ticketz. Bigger tournaments may have a higher $3 entry fee and involve multiple rounds of play against other players, with a total prize payout of $65 or more, not including Ticketz.
Daily Rewards
If you log in and play each day, you can also win daily rewards. These vary daily, from surprise boxes to Ticketz, Coinz, and even some money. The more you log in and play daily, the easier it is to rack up these rewards, which can help you reduce the overall amount of money you spend in-game.
Get Up to $83 Per Win With Solitaire Cash
- It's legit: #3 Cards game on Apple Store, average 4.6/5 Stars for 130k ratings
- Get up to $83 per win in minutes
- Deposit cash to multiply your winnings in skill-based cash tournaments
- Cash out with PayPal or Apple Pay
- Cash tournaments not available in: AZ, AR, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, SC, MT & SD.
21 Blitz features
Different game modes
As if the classic 21 Blitz game isn’t fun enough, there are a variety of other game modes you can play to mix up your gameplay. Some of the extra game modes offered in 21 Blitz are as follows:
- Blitz Mode: Play with a regular deck but with a shorter time limit
- Jokers Wild: Jokers are added to the deck for extra wild cards.
- Peek Ahead: Play with the knowledge of what the next card will be
- Ladies Night: Queens are also wild in this variant of the game
- Daggers: Play with a deck that includes four additional Aces
- Bonus Lane: Earn twice as many points in a bonus lane for making stacks
Fair matchmaking
One big benefit of 21 Blitz’s head-to-head competitions powered by Skillz is that matchmaking is handled based on your skill level.
Busts/Strikes
For example, if your stack goes over 21 points in blackjack, that is a bust. Each bust will earn you a strike, and once you’ve accumulated three strikes, the game will end.
Wild Cards
Any Black Jack (a Jack of Spades or Jack of Clubs) counts as a wild card and clears a stack. Note that a stack gets cleared by a wild even if it currently totals more than 21 points or doesn’t even have any cards in it. You can use wild cards to clear stacks that otherwise stand in the way of keeping your streak going.
Streaks
As you play 21 Blitz, you’ll clear stacks back-to-back, which will help you score point streaks. If you need help planning your streaks, you can always leverage the undo button to anticipate better moves that help you generate your streak.
Time Bonuses
Each game you play in 21 Blitz has a time limit of 3 minutes. If you’re looking for even more bonus points, you can earn 10 points for each second left on the clock when you finish making your way through the deck. For example, if you finish with 31 seconds left on the clock, that time bonus will net you 310 points for the round!
Who is 21 Blitz best for?
Fans of card or arcade games. Thanks to its fast-paced nature, 21 Blitz is a great mobile game for players who enjoy card and arcade-style games. Since each game can be played in under three minutes, this makes it a great option for people who only have a little bit of time to play but want to have fun.
People who like friendly competition. If you like the sound of competing with other players online, you’ll enjoy the opportunity to win cash prizes playing against similarly skilled players in 21 Blitz.
Who shouldn’t use 21 Blitz?
Players looking for real money. 21 Blitz isn’t a side gig — which is too bad because it’d be fun! While you’ll certainly win some pocket change or a couple of dollars playing 21 Blitz, you shouldn’t consider it a money-making opportunity, even if you’re skilled at the game.
People with money problems. You shouldn’t spend money in the game you can’t afford to lose—even if you’re on a hot streak. Remember that 21 Blitz (and other Skillz games, for that matter) should be treated as an entertaining way to win a few bucks occasionally, but, overall, are a source of fun and nothing more.
Get Up to $83 Per Win With Solitaire Cash
- It's legit: #3 Cards game on Apple Store, average 4.6/5 Stars for 130k ratings
- Get up to $83 per win in minutes
- Deposit cash to multiply your winnings in skill-based cash tournaments
- Cash out with PayPal or Apple Pay
- Cash tournaments not available in: AZ, AR, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, SC, MT & SD.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Easy-to-use mobile app. Tether Studios have done a great job designing 21 Blitz, with a user interface that even does the math for each column for you! This makes it a breeze to get started playing in just a few minutes.
- Quick to play. Having a game that you can quickly drop into and out of is a major selling point of 21 Blitz. If you’ve found yourself choosing between finishing a game and some other, more pressing, activity before, you’ll be grateful to know how long each and every game will take you.
- Good matchmaking system. Anyone who’s been whooped playing online games like Fortnite before can understand just how quickly you can lose interest in a game if you’re playing with other people who are well beyond your skill level. Thankfully, 21 Blitz has a skill-based matchmaking system to ensure that you’re evenly matched in each game you compete in.
- Clear tutorials. If you haven’t played Spades in a while or are learning the ropes for how bidding works, there are clear tutorials and practice rounds to help you get started playing 21 Blitz.
Cons
- iOS only for cash tournaments. You can download and play 21 Blitz on Android, but if you plan on competing for money, you’re going to need to have an iOS device. I initially downloaded the game on my Google Pixel but then had to get it on an iPad in order to compete for cash and other Skillz-based prizes.
- Tickets take time to be valuable. If you’re planning on saving your Ticketz up for a prize like a gift card, just know that these thresholds are relatively steep. $1 in bonus cash will set you back 20,000 Ticketz, with gift cards starting at 1 million.
- Deceptively challenging. This isn’t totally a bad thing, as it adds to the overall fun of the game, but 21 Blitz is a bit more challenging than the tutorials and how to play section would have you believe. While it’s easy to learn, it’s one of those games that is difficult to master. As a result, you may want to play more practice rounds than you usually would before competing for money.
FAQs
Is 21 Blitz a scam?
Not at all. 21 Blitz is one of many games by Skillz, all of which let you earn real cash and redeem virtual currency in the form of Ticketz and Coinz for other prizes like sweatshirts, stickers, gift cards, and more.
How old do you have to be to use 21 Blitz?
21 Blitz requires users to be at least 17 years of age or older in order to compete in cash tournaments.
Is 21 Blitz legal in every state?
Since 21 Blitz is a form of online gambling (even though you’re playing using a mobile game app), there are some states where you won’t be able to compete for cash prizes. If you live in Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, or Tennessee, you won’t be able to play and compete for free money.
The bottom line
Whether you’re a casual gamer or a regular casino game player, 21 Blitz is one of the best apps for playing Blackjack on your mobile device. With gameplay that mixes elements of solitaire, cash tournaments, and a leaderboard, 21 Blitz offers an addicting, fast-paced take on the popular casino card game.
While you can certainly win real money and real prizes playing 21 Blitz, you likely won’t get rich overnight playing the game on your mobile device. Even so, like other Skillz games, the opportunity to cash out while playing isn’t the only draw of 21 Blitz. It’s also a legitimately fun game to play. If you often find yourself playing mobile games on your commute or between classes, the extra chance you might rack up playing 21 Blitz each week could go towards a latte or even a meal with a friend if you win big. Especially if you’re the kind of competitive gamer who thrives competing in tournaments, 21 Blitz is well worth checking out.
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Writer
Brent Ervin-Eickhoff is a Chicago-based writer, stage director, and filmmaker with a background in digital marketing and content creation. In addition to Joy Wallet, Brent has written for Complex, Volkswagen, HowlRound, Picture this Post, and Third Coast Review, among others. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Marketing for Content Creation at Court Theatre at the University of Chicago. Brent graduated from Ball State University with Academic Honors in Writing.
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