The History of Casino Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the world’s most popular casino games, whether it’s played online or at any of the hundreds of casinos worldwide. The game – also known as ‘21’– is really simple to learn, but has enough strategy and skill to keep casino players entertained for hours on end.

The Origin of Blackjack

Where did blackjack come from? France, Spain and Italy are all credited with inventing this popular casino game, but there’s no concrete evidence supporting any of these countries’ claims. What we do know is that the French took the game ‘pro’, being the first country to have casinos offering the game.

The name "blackjack" itself refers to extra prize money that a player would win when he scored 21 with the jack and ace of spades. In modern casino blackjack, extra money is won by any player scoring 21 with any combination of his first two cards, but the name remains.

Blackjack Arrives in the USA

The game made its way to the USA in the 1800s, but originally it wasn’t popular with the playing public, with the high rollers preferring to play poker and craps. So to encourage players to the blackjack tables, casinos would offer as much as 10-1 to any player dealt the jack and ace of spades! It was an amazing deal, and one that helped blackjack achieve the status it enjoys today, as one of the top casino games.

The game naturally lends itself to those with mathematical skill, and some mathematicians began producing information that could – supposedly – give gamblers an edge over the casino. This trend reached its peak in the 1960s when Edward O Thorp wrote his book ‘Beat the Dealer’. The game can now be played in casinos all around the world, from Las Vegas to Macau, and London to Sydney.

Blackjack became even more popular in the late 20th century with the growth of the internet. Casinos soon became available on the internet, allowing casino customers to enjoy their favourite gambling games from the comfort of their own homes.

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Blackjack Facts

Blackjack got its name from one of the winning hands: the jack of spades and the ace of spades.
Napoleon was a big fan of blackjack, and played the game while he was in exile on the island of Elba.
The Blackjack Hall of Fame was launched in 2002 at the Barona Casino in San Diego, California. It honours those that have made a significant contribution to the game of blackjack with a lifetime comp... in exchange for never playing at the Barona Casino’s tables.