Games with rules of play similar to our modern version of blackjack seem to have been in existence in Europe long before the 1700s. Its exact lineage is unknown, but it is closely related to the game of “Vingt-et-un” (”Twenty and One” popular in French casinos in the early 1700s. The first mention of the game in literature is found in Miguel de Cervantes’ “Novelas Ejemplares” written between 1601 and 1602. The main characters in his tale “Rinconete y Cortadillo” are described as being a pair of swindlers proficient at cheating at “vientiuna” (Spanish for twenty-one]. The game of Twenty-one is similar to modern day Blackjack with a few differences; in 21, only the dealer was allowed to double, and bets were placed after each round. The goal however, as in modern day Blackjack, was to reach a ‘natural’ of 21 using the same hand ranking system of modern Blackjack.
Post french revolution in the 1800s Blackjack migrated to the Americas. The game of Blackjack first appeared in gambling halls around 1910, its earliest report being in Evansville, Indiana. Upon its debut, Blackjack did not gain quick popularity. Gambling houses tried a number of rouses to entice players to join the game. One such rouse was to offer a player a bonus pay-out of 10-1 if he got a Jack of Spades and the Ace of Spades. While the pay-out today has reduced to 3-2 on a natural blackjack, the name stuck and the game has been known since as Blackjack.
Several mathematicians and professional card counters have made a full-time living off the game of Blackjack, most notoriously Ken Uston, Edward Thorpe, Stanford Wong and the MIT students Blackjack Club. Using methods of probability, card counting, and computer aide, they were able to increase their odds of winning. These ethics of using the methods for a game of chance have been debated in judicial systems, resulting in some of these Blackjack legends being banned from various casinos. Even with the sophistication of mathematical techniques, this game of odds still maintains its fast-paced, high energy draw and continues to be one of the most popular casino card games both on- and offline.
