Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in modern times, but have you ever wondered where this game originated? The history of the game of Blackjack is certainly long and interesting. The game can be traced back to 17th century France where a popular card game known as Vingt et Un was played. Vingt et Un means twenty-one in French.
The Origins of Blackjack. Vingt et Un
The game of Vingt et Un had rules very similar to the modern casino Blackjack rules of today but varied slightly. For example, in Vingt et Un only the dealer could double down, and, additionally, players had to bet after each round of the game.
After the French Revolution, the game was introduced in North America where it was known simply as Twenty-One. The game of Twenty-One was slow to catch on, however. It wasn’t until casinos started offering huge payouts for this game that it became popular and people started playing Blackjack.
To attract players to the gambling game, rooms offered huge payouts on specific hands including the Blackjack hand, which was a two-card, 21-point hand made up of the Ace of Spades and the black 10. The Blackjack hand offered a 10:1 payout and brought a good deal of popularity to the game and people began to speak of the game like Blackjack, a name that still prevails.
Tough Moments in the Blackjack History
Then, in the early 19th century, something that could have destroyed the game of Blackjack happened. The United States banned gambling and all casinos and gambling halls were closed. However, Blackjack gambling and other gambling games could not be easily stopped.
Blackjack betting then began to be done in the shadows, and so it continued to be played in the secrecy of saloons and private homes. Then, in 1931 Nevada decided to legalize gambling and Blackjack was once again brought to the public in Las Vegas casinos.
With the growth of Blackjack has also grown the knowledge of Blackjack strategy. Players have studied Blackjack odds and learned how to maximize their chances of winning, thus making the game even more popular.
The Current State of Affairs
In the last few years, the game Blackjack has become even more popular since it has become available to play on the Internet. Online casino Blackjack gives players all over the world the ability to play Blackjack for money, even if they do not live near a live casino. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, you can log on to play blackjack alongside millions of players from around the globe.
Online blackjack also offers free blackjack games for players who enjoy playing blackjack just for fun or to practice, work on blackjack strategy techniques, and improve their blackjack game.