|
|
 |
| |
| |
| |
Blackjack’s French Origins
Blackjack was originally known as “Vingt et Un” which is French for the number 21. This was a popular game in the French casinos back in the 1700’s and was thought to have developed from another French game known as “Chemin De Fer”. Vingt et Un was played in much the same way that today’s Blackjack is played, the main difference being the payouts for holding cards that added to 21. It was a very popular game amongst the French and naturally spread across the continents to all of Europe and England. In England Vingt et Un or Blackjack was known as Pontoon and is still called by that name today.
Italian Contributions to Blackjack History
In Italy a similar game to Vingt et Un developed called Seven and a Half. Here the game was played with face cards and the 7’s, 8’s and 9’s of the pack only. The Face cards were given the value of one half and the 7’s, 8,s and 9’s had the value of one unit. The principle of the game was the same as Vingt et Un, in that if the player’s cards went over the value of seven and a half then he was bust. The King of Diamonds was treated as a joker and could be any value. This game was very popular with the Italians but over the years, it fizzled out unlike Vingt et Un which just increased in popularity.
The Blackjack Move to America
By the time Vingt et Un had made its way across the Atlantic in the late 1800’s it had already adopted the name of Blackjack which referred to the high paying hand of a Jack and Ace of Spades. Despite the gambling ban that was imposed in America in the early 1900’s Blackjack still thrived as one of the most popular games in the underground gambling world. In 1931 when gambling became legal again, Blackjack was one of the first games that was played and promoted by casinos. It was at this time that mathematicians and professional players started looking at ways to beat the system and win the game.
Blackjack Card Counting Makes History
Throughout blackjack history, mathematicians realized that there must be a simple way to count cards or work out which card would be drawn next based on the number of decks that were in play and how many cards had been used in the game. Famous players and authors like Ken Uston and Edward O Thorp made Blackjack even more popular due to their articles and books on how to Beat the system. Edward O Thorp’s book “Beat the Dealer” made the no 1 bestseller list for over a month when it was first published. Even the MIT Blackjack team made up of a group of mathematics students could not be stopped.
Blackjack Online is Now Part of Blackjack History!
Blackjack was naturally one of the first games that was adapted and offered at online casinos from the 1990’s onward. Its appeal grew thanks to its accessibility and you could find players from all over the world playing at Blackjack casinos and online casinos. It soon became evident that Blackjack was the leader in online card games leading to Blackjack rooms and specialist casinos being set up. In 2002 a group of professional Blackjack players created the Blackjack Hall of Fame which accredited famous contributors to the world of Blackjack. Every year since then, new players are added to the Hall of Fame. To think that Blackjack’s history started with a simple card game in France is quite astounding when you can see and appreciate what the game offers today and even play from your mobile phone at one of the mobile casinos.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
