Blackjack History

The game of blackjack has an interesting history and has become many people’s favorite casino pursuit.

Overview

Although many of the top casino pursuits have their own little story or legend, for some of these games it is hard to be certain about the origins of the game. Precise details of the history of blackjack are rather unclear, however, many believe that the roots of the blackjack game lie in 18th century France. There were different pursuits with traits similar to those of blackjack that were played at this time. It appears that features from a variety of games were used and developed into a form of blackjack. The game vingt-et-un that is the French name for twenty one seems to be the most similar to blackjack. The main aim of this game is for the player to create a hand whose total is as close as possible to the number 21 without exceeding this figure.

History of Blackjack Name

Following the legalization of gambling in Nevada in the 1930s, blackjack was featured at some casino locations. Casino operators were eager to try to attract players to this form of entertainment. For this reason, at this time, some casino owners provided special odds for those players who managed to create a winning hand with an ace of spades and a jack of spades. This means that in certain situations it could be particularly advantageous for a player to be dealt a black jack card (a jack of spades). When the importance of the black jack card was made quite clear, the game itself earned the name blackjack. Once the popularity of the game grew, the preferred odds were soon dropped, however the name remained.

Background of Blackjack Strategy

It is believed that the casino operators made large revenues on the blackjack game. Some players were eager to find a way to make blackjack into a more profitable pastime for the player. By the 1960s, people began to look into the matter of statistics as it relates to blackjack. Looking at the probability aspect involved, a group of mathematicians began to analyze the issue, looking for ways that would produce more success for blackjack gamers. These ideas were later developed into what became known as a blackjack basic strategy. This strategy is usually attributed to Professor Edward Thorp who wrote the book “Beat the Dealer” in 1962.

By the mid to late twentieth century, the game of blackjack was believed to be the most popular out of all the casino attractions. During this time, many systems were created and books written claiming to have found the perfect method for winning at blackjack. Life became more difficult for the casinos and they tried to enforce different rules and sometimes multi packs of cards so that card counting became more complicated.

Online Blackjack

The basics of blackjack are simple and this pursuit was easily transformed into an online pursuit upon the introduction of the best online casinos in the mid 1990s. Today, there are different types of blackjack available at online casino locations and blackjack tournaments have also become a very popular way to play the game. (Note; Online Gambling is illegal in the US).