Blackjack: A Brief History
There are many players that enjoy the game of blackjack, but few know the history behind this popular game. The blackjack that we currently know and love has a long history, and has changed over the years dating all the way back to 17th century Europe. Although the game was played differently depending on where it was in its evolution, one thing always remained the same: the objective is to reach 21.
The first time the game was referenced (that we know of) was in a story written in 1601 by Spaniard Miguel de Cervantes. Two of his characters were skilled cheaters at a game named “Ventiuna”, which in Spanish translates to “21”. The game Ventiuna was very similar to our present day blackjack, where players objective was to reach 21 without busting and aces counting as either 1 or 11. The difference lies in the Spanish playing deck which does not include 8s, 9s or 10s.
In France, the game was called Vingt et Un, meaning “21” in French. In this game dealers were allowed to double and players able to bet after each round. In Italy, the game was known as Seven and a Half. This game used only face cards and 7s, 8s and 9s. The objective was for the player to end up with 7 ½ points, where the numbered cards were each worth 1 point and face cards valued at ½ point, with the exception of the Kind of Diamonds, which was used as a wild card.
Blackjack finally made its way to the US sometime after the French Revolution, and was not well accepted by gambling houses at first. In order to draw more popularity to the game, owners offered players bonuses. One of the more popular bonuses was one that gave players a 10 to 1 payout on hands that equaled 21 and consisted of the ace of spades and a black jack, thus creating the name “blackjack” that we all now know the game as. Later the bonus was modified to a 3 to 2 payout and was given for hands having any ace and card whose value was 10. Later, the game was outlawed, forcing blackjack players to do so in secrecy until 1931 when the United States legalized gambling in Las Vegas.
Because blackjack involves skill, many were unable to figure out what moves were optimal for winning. Rodger Baldwin saw this and decided to publish a manual in 1953 that helped players with their strategy, singlehandedly bringing down the house’s edge in the process. Card counting made its premier in the 60’s when Edward Thorp brought this new technique to light in a book entitled “Beat the Dealer”. Needless to say, his book became an instant best seller. At first casinos were wary of the book but soon realized that card counting was a skill that many could not master and would not hurt their overall profits. It wasn’t until the 90’s when a team from MIT took card counting to the next level, forcing casinos to make such changes as adding more decks and introducing early shuffling.
Finally, blackjack made its debut online in the mid 90’s, allowing fans to play from the comfort of their homes. Currently, software providers are constantly developing new versions of blackjack to help keep the interest of the public in this long-loved game.
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