The Fascinating History of Blackjack

The history of blackjack can be traced back to the 1400s when standardized card decks were made available. Several games that share a common link with blackjack were popular at the time and it is thought that the history of blackjack stems from one or a combination of these games. In the 1700s, the game of vingt un (‘twenty-one’ in French) was played among the nobility and was similar enough to today’s present blackjack to pinpoint it as the true father of the game.

According to the history of blackjack, the game immigrated to the gambling halls of the United States some time in the late 1800s. It was slow in becoming a wildly popular attraction to players and to encourage more people to try the game, casinos started offering bonuses if players were dealt a certain hand. One such incentive was given on the Ace of Spades and a black Jack. Thus, the name Blackjack was invented and, although the incentive was later dropped, the name remained.

The popularity of blackjack grew and with it the desire to ‘beat the system’. Blackjack card counting hit the scene in the 1950s and 1960s and casinos could only bring it under control with tighter inspection and advanced technology such as closed circuit television. In the 1990s, with the advent of internet gambling sites, online blackjack suddenly became available to millions of people from all over the world. It is safe to say that online blackjack brought a resurgence of the game, making it one of the best loved games around. This is definitely not the end of the history of blackjack however, since new technology, such as mobile gaming, makes greater strides every day.