A Brief History of Blackjack
So how long has Blackjack been around, exactly? Where did it come from? Why “21” (and not, say, 23?) Well, we’ll attempt to explain all that in this article. So without further adieu: The History of Blackjack.
Blackjack is said to have made its first appearance about three centuries ago (that’s the 1700’s to you and me). It began in the casinos of France, and was called “Vingt-et-Un” (“Twenty One”). Surprisingly, it is not too different from the game we play today – in fact; the biggest differences are bets, payouts, and the like. But the goal to reach the magical 21 has been around for a long time.
21 is likely the number due to the ace being both a low and high card. If it’s the lowest card, it’s a 1, and the highest, it’s an 11. So the highest possible hand for two cards is “21”. Thus, that’s the mythical number to shoot for.
The game started to pick up interest in America in the 19th century, though the game was not very popular among United States gamblers upon its introduction (there’s a pretty decent house edge). This encouraged the gambling houses and casinos to come up with various tactics in an attempt to get players interested in the game. One of these tactics included bonus payouts, side bets, and insurances, (etc) – all intended to increase interest in the game. Such incentives also led to the origin of the game’s modern name.
An example of such bonuses would be a higher payout on a “natural” 21. And some casinos even offered a bigger bonus (sometimes 10-1) for a single hand – an ace of Spades and a black “Jack” card (the Jack of clubs or spades.) This “Blackjack” play became a popular bonus, which in turn, became the term that most new players became familiar with. Though such high bonuses eventually disappeared from play, the name “Blackjack” did not, becoming one of the game’s most commonly known names. In a bit of a humorous observation, the “Blackjack” play doesn’t even have to use a black card or even a Jack card at all these days (an Ace of Hearts and a King of Diamonds is just as much “Blackjack” as the before-mentioned combo.)
Lastly, Blackjack should not be confused with “Black Jack”, British card game that is a variant of “Crazy Eights” (this does not surprise us - we all know those Brits just have to tweak the French!) So make sure the version of Blackjack you want to play does indeed involve going for “21” (although we have yet to see Crazy Eights in a Casino!)
